Hydronarratives: The Confluence of Water and Environmental Justice

History of Acequias

The first US regulations about water and acequias in the US were born in 1846 when the Kearny code was adopted after General Stephen Watts Kearny claimed New Mexico for the United States. The Kearny Code stated that “laws heretofore in force concerning water courses… shall continue in force.” The laws governing water under old Spanish law was that water was held by municipalities either as pueblos or communes as a common property. Meaning the acequia association holds the rights to water and it is up to them to divide it among their members. An acequia association is made up of the comisión which is a three member board responsible for the maintenance and operation of the acequias in their community. The Mayordomo is responsible for the day to day operation and management of the acequia, they also organize the “Sacar la acequia” which is when all the members of the acequia in the spring contribute to clear the acequia of debris and repair any weak spots to make sure that the water flows efficiently in the summer growing months. Then there are the Parciante which are the individual acequia users. These practices of self governance and equitable allocation of water were successfully used by Pueblo and Hispanic communities until the late 1870s.
As the US progressed and expanded, more settlers came west to farm and live, arriving on trains starting in 1880. These settlers came with different values of the land and water. Instilled with the idea of manifest destiny they brought different agriculture practices and a new idea of what could be grown along the rivers of northern New Mexico. So began the slow destruction of traditional values and practices by changing the infrastructure of water rights and practices in New Mexico.

















 

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