Mayordomo News - Fall 2014

End of season water schedule

We were told by SCID that the weekend of October 11-12, 2014 was scheduled to be the last release of water from Santa Cruz Dam. Some water was released the following weekend but we are not expecting any further releases until next year.

I will attempt to continue to run water through the end of October on days that the weather permits. If possible I will try to also run some water for a few weeks into November. Keep an eye out for water because I can not be certain on what days and for how long.

Rains cause extra growth along the acequia

Due the the great rains we had over the summer there is a bounty of growth along the Acequia. Trees, weeds and debris can damage the Acequia and make cleaning and maintenance a lot more difficult. The photo above shows an area that requires cleanup before the new irrigation season starts.

Some parciantes have already started to clean their areas along the Acequia as per Article 6 Section 1 in the Bylaws, which states:

"All parciantes shall maintain their individual headgates in good condition and keep their acequia sections free of trash and other obstructions. Repairs and construction of headgates and other works should be completed before the start of the irrigation season."

I would like to thank all parciantes  who have started clean up along the Acequia and encourage everyone to keep their property along the ditch looking like the photos below.

Clear areas along the Acequia reduce maintenance and benefit every parciante.

Other issues

I frequently encounter problems concerning shared private laterals off the main ditch. It is not the responsibility of the last parciante to maintain the lateral. It is a shared responsibility even if your choose not to irrigate. Please cooperate with one another as it is much easier to get the work done. The same applies to the main ditch embankment.

Drainage is another issue, many people have moved in and covered up or built on what was once drainage for rain and irrigation waters. This has created flooding problems that can only be fixed if the drainage is re-established. In some areas this involves arroyos which causes major flooding of the Acequia.

Please call me if you have any questions about these issues. Thanks.

Water Usage

I would like to remind everyone of the requirements for water use:

  • Your water rights should be registered with the State Engineers Office, Santa Cruz Irrigation District and the Acequias de La Puebla. Please Click Here for information to help you with water rights registration.
  • Dues and assessments must be paid in full.
  • Call 1-505-692-9242 before drawing water from the Acequia. Calling is required for any water use, by any means, (compuerta, pump, etc.), for any amount of time. If no answer then leave a message. I will call back ASAP. Thanks.

End of season note…

I am very happy to report that we did have a good amount of water this season despite being on dam release restrictions. I also met with several parciantes regarding the above and other issues which were solved. Thanks to all who cooperate and help.
Heavier than normal rains in July helped keep the water flowing despite a dry Winter and Spring. Lots of wild flowers helped to keep La Puebla beautiful.

Tips to help keep the water flowing:

Thanks for your cooperation.