Valle Vista Acequia Classroom Tour
Teaching Beyond the Walls Conference and the sacred nature of water.
This June, we shared in a special tour of the Valle Vista Elementary School campus with attendees of Teaching Beyond the Walls - a two day conference entirely focused on outdoor education in New Mexico.
Day One featured tours of various sites in the Albuquerque area that focus on food justice and place-based education. During their tour, Valle Vista faculty and community partners spoke about the urgency for all of us to become more connected to our water and specifically, our local acequias.
The flowing acequia along Valle Vista's campus hosted our group as we watched with excitement when its compuerta opened, allowing the fresh water to gush into the school's gardens. Many of us put our hands in the cool liquid and took a moment to express our gratitude to the spirit of water for blessing us with its presence.
Inspiration flourished through our gathering, showing every participant what can be achieved when schools and community members work together to advocate for acequia access and sustainable watering practices.
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Strategic Outfall
Releases
MRGCD initiates supplemental water releases from outfalls in the Isleta reach.
As temperatures increase and the river begins to dry, MRGCD is initiating supplemental water releases from our strategic outfalls in the Isleta reach.
What is an outfall? An outfall is an MRGCD ditch that directs water back into the Rio Grande. These outfalls provide valuable habitat for wildlife, including the federally-endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, who can potentially take refuge in outfalls when the river begins to dry and reach inhabitable temperatures (above 90°F!).
Releasing small amounts of water from the outfalls also helps to keep the river
connected through the Isleta reach, which is prone to drying during the summer months.
If you are an irrigator within the MRGCD and want to contribute water to these environmental releases in 2026, reach out to Amelia Barrow (abarrow@mrgcd.us) to learn about the Water Leasing Program.
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Spirit of the Water
Moriarty Elementary Artwork
Moriarty Elementary students learned about the spirit of the water and the importance of protecting it. They created watercolor paintings to express what the spirit of the water meant to them and included some phrases that describe their paintings.
The children have spoken:
no water no life
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Armijo y Atrisco Acequias Walk & Talk
Our group walked along Sanchez Farms
on June 28th, 2025.
Thank You for joining us!
What is a Walk & Talk? It's an opportunity to explore historic acequia sites while learning about their local impact and cultural history. These hourlong outings are led by community experts and allow for discussions and questions, plus a beautiful view on an enchanting day.
What to Bring...
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Comfortable Walking Shoes
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Sun Protection (Hat, Sunscreen)
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Water
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Camera for Memories
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Curiosity!
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Honor Community Knowledge
The Pajarito Landmarks Project seeks to increase community accessibility, connectivity, safety, and visibility to acequias in the Pajarito Community of Albuquerque.
Throughout the project, CESOSS’ Cultivando Nuestro Futuro Leadership Institute will work closely with the Pajarito community to create five interactive signs along the Pajarito acequia. Each sign will have a specific focus in which community members’ knowledge will be honored.
