RCAA News:
The Lower Rio Chama Watershed Project, led by the Rio de Chama Acequia Association (RCAA), is an acequia- and community-led effort to improve watershed health and resilience in the lower Rio Chama region, from below Abiquiú Dam to El Guache.
Guided by community priorities, this effort aims to bring together acequias and neighbors from across the region to co-develop a shared plan and vision for a healthy watershed – from the uplands through the arroyos and down to the acequias along the Rio Chama. A key focus is on slowing and spreading destructive flood waters from arroyos to mitigate flooding for downstream communities, reduce sedimentation in the river and acequias, and prevent damage to already fragile acequia infrastructure.
The watershed planning process is designed to result in a living, action-oriented, watershed-scale plan grounded in community knowledge and priorities. Just as importantly, it is hoped to create opportunities to bring people together through discussion, planning, workdays, and resolana, with an emphasis on building connections and education for youth from the classroom to the acequias and the broader watershed.
In addition to planning, a pilot restoration project is being developed in the Arroyo del Toro watershed to demonstrate low-tech restoration approaches that can slow runoff, reduce erosion and sediment transport, and enhance watershed function. This pilot reflects the kinds of practices that could be implemented more broadly throughout the watershed.
As part of this process, the RCAA is hosting four community listening sessions to identify challenges across the watershed, map areas of concern – including flooding, sedimentation, and river health – and identify opportunities for restoration.
All are invited to participate! Please share the invitation with your neighbors, families, and anyone who may be interested. Above all, the most important aspect of healing our watersheds and ensuring traditional water management practices are carried into the future are the youth. We strongly encourage any youth interested in participating to attend and for families to bring their children of all ages.
Your insights are essential to identifying key concerns and priorities, and to ensure that community voices guide future decision-making in the lower Rio Chama watershed.
