NMAA & NMLA Acequia Water Banking Workshop

NMAA & NMLA Acequia Water Banking Workshop
Thursday, March 27, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
State Archives & Records Center, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey
www.lasacequias.org

Estimados Parciantes:

I am writing now to invite you to a workshop on Acequia Water Banking on Thursday, March 27 at the State Archives and Records Center at 1205 Camino Carlos Rey (just off Cerrillos near Pep Boys). The workshop will take place from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. The New Mexico Acequia Association will present the workshop along with New Mexico Legal Aid.

The purpose of the workshop is to encourage acequias to take steps to protect water rights from loss for non-use. As you may know, New
Mexico state law provides that water rights that are not put to beneficial use may be lost through forfeiture or abandonment. This is
often referred to as the "use it or lose it" doctrine. Fortunately, loss of water rights for non-use can be prevented. This workshop will
inform you of the legal tools that are available to acequias particularly the use of "water banks" to shield water rights from loss
for non-use. The best strategy to avoid non-use is to ensure that water is used for irrigation of historic agricultural lands. If water
rights are not in use for some period of time, they can be protected for future use through "water banking." The law authorizing acequias
to "bank" water rights simply reflects an ancient practice of reallocating derechos not in use by a particular parciante to the
remaining parciantes on the acequia to augment their supply of water. The acequia water banking law allows this practice by providing for a
"paper trail" demonstrating that an acequia is making the internal reallocation of water rights for a certain period of time.

Water is a precious blessing and, as acequia officials, you have been entrusted with its care. This workshop will be very valuable to you
as you seek to sustain our acequias, our cultural traditions, and the water rights that are connected to them. The New Mexico Acequia
Association invites you in hopes that we can all work together to defend and protect our water. If you would like more information
about the workshop, please call our office at 505-995-9644 or go to our website at www.lasacequias.org.

Sincerely,

Paula Garcia, Executive Director
New Mexico Acequia Association