Here’s a in-depth look acequia culture in New Mexico from George Morse writing for the Rio Grande Sun (via TaosAcequias.org). Click through and read the whole thing. Here’s an excerpt:
Española organic farmer Don Bustos makes his living growing vegetables that he sells to local restaurants. Although Bustos has adopted modern growing techniques such as drip irrigation and hoop houses that have enabled him to grow his produce year-round, the foundation of his operation is a ditch that runs through the top of his property.
Known as an acequia, it delivers water from the Santa Cruz River, which is hundreds of yards from his farm. This simple way of bringing the life-giving water to land has been providing Bustos and other farmers in the Española Valley and throughout Northern New Mexico with the way to make a living. “We have been using the same acequia for hundreds of years,” Bustos said. “Before it wasn’t like it was a luxury, it was a necessity. It was used for everything, even drinking, cooking, watering livestock.”
The acequias of Northern New Mexico are over 400 years old. Prior to 1701, there were already 18 acequias along the Santa Cruz River on the Santa Cruz Land Grant, which was established in 1695…
Because of the importance of the acequias to each member of the communities, a democratic system of governing them was established in the 18th century and still exists as perhaps the oldest established democratic system in North America.
The governing board of each acequia is now considered a political subdivision of the state. Every two years, the parciantes vote and elect a mayordomo whose job is to oversee the distribution of the water. Today, if a parciante wishes to use the water, he must inform the mayordomo of his intentions and it will be determined if and when the parciante can use it.
A mayordomo has the authority to close a head gate of a parciante who is using water that has been assigned to another parciante. He can also close and lock the head gate of a parciante who has failed to pay his dues…
The recent trend of eating locally-produced fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products that do not have to be transported long distances burning fossil fuels also has renewed interest in the acequia system and its benefits. That has helped people to look at water differently in different ways beyond residential and industrial uses and return to its traditional and historical uses for agriculture. “We’re going backward to go forward,” Bustos said. “After hundreds of years, the acequias are still functioning.