Acequia Construction Program Task Force
Presentation to the Water and Natural Resources Legislative Interim Committee
August 28, 2007
Participants: US Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Finance and Administration, Interstate Stream
Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service, New Mexico Acequia Association, New Mexico Acequia
Commission, New Mexico Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Background on the Acequia Construction Program:

State/Federal partnership has leveraged $18 million in federal matching dollars for acequia infrastructure since
1987. Interagency partnership includes Interstate Stream Commission, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Natural
Resource Conservation Service.

Interstate Stream Commission is the state agency that administers acequia construction program funding from state
sources including Capital Outlay and Irrigation Works Construction Fund. Administers agreement with federal
agencies to provide planning, design, and construction services.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Taos district in particular, provides planning, design, and construction
management services for acequias in Taos County.
The Situation:

Exponentially increasing demand for acequia construction projects. See attached graph.

The number of acequia capital outlay requests across New Mexico has increased from 6 to 119 in the past 5 years.

The resources available are not adequate to meet the need currently resulting in waiting lists for acequias seeking
infrastructure improvements.
What We Are Doing Now:

The Interstate Stream Commission and the New Mexico Acequia Association are hosting workshops on project
planning and implementation.

The Acequia Construction Program Task Force was convened in 2007 to bring together state and federal agency
partners and acequia representatives to strengthen the existing program and partnership.

The Interstate Stream Commission and New Mexico Acequia Association are increasing staffing to provide
technical assistance to acequias.
Recommendations to State Legislature:

Continue the Acequia Construction Program Task Force because it facilitates communication and creates mutual
understanding between agency partners, acequia representatives.

Implement staged construction projects. Acequias should complete project assessment, planning, and design
prior to seeking appropriations for construction. This is especially recommended for capital outlay requests.

Create an Acequia Construction Fund with a dedicated $4 million per year appropriation from the General Fund.

Provide Technical Assistance for planning and design through agencies and organizations that serve acequias
including the Interstate Stream Commission, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resource
Conservation Service, and the New Mexico Acequia Association in the amount of $1 million per year.
Remaining Issues:

Conduct outreach to acequias to promote clarity on how to initiate a construction project. The Task Force
recommends that acequias be given specific points of contact and follow certain steps.

Continue and strengthen existing state/federal partnership to leverage state funding with federal funding to greatest
extent possible. Advocate for continued federal funding to continue federal leverage of state dollars for acequia
projects.

Identify and implement measures to improve efficiencies in existing partnership. Periodically review interagency
agreement and make incremental improvements based on lessons learned.

Integrate other funding sources such as the Acequia Project Fund under the Water Trust Board to achieve
complementary functions.

Address issues of economic viability of acequia agriculture through appropriate partnerships, research, and
educational and technical assistance resources to acequia parciantes.