Acequia Information
What is an Acequia?
An acequia is a local government entity or political subdivision under New Mexico law, in which, owners of water rights, can govern the neighborhood ditches.
Acequias, or community ditches, are recognized under New Mexico law as political subdivisions of the state. Many of the state’s acequia associations have been in existence since the Spanish colonization period of the 17th and 18th centuries. Historically, they have been a principal local government unit for the distribution and use of surface water.
New Mexico's Acequia's—communal irrigation canals—still function as a tool to preserve and share scarce desert water.
The associations have the power of eminent domain and are authorized to borrow money and enter into contracts for maintenance and improvements. Acequia associations do not have the power to tax, so the expenses of maintenance and improvements are borne by the individuals served by the irrigation system.
Acequia Mapping Project Outreach by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer/Interstate Stream Commission
Reporting correct names for your acequia or community ditch ensures that the data is available when you need to file for financial assistance, historic preservation, and to make adjudication easier