OUR BACKGROUND
Our organization was founded by South Valley locals Jorge Garcia and Santiago Maestas. As early as 2003, we began working with community leaders across the Atrisco Valley (South Valley) to reorganize the acequias under New Mexico water law, Chapters 72 and 73. This work quickly expanded beyond acequia preservation to include water and land advocacy, as well as youth development through acequia-based education.
Understanding that the history of acequias (land and water) in the Middle Rio Grande is shaped by historical dispossession and trauma, our programs are organized through the lens of Transformative Community Justice. Through this approach, our community continues to strengthen a sense of ownership and querencia, grounded in the legacies and stewardship of land and water in the Middle Rio Grande. En el Valle de Atrisco, we carry this work forward as part of who we are—Somos Atrisco.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Everything we do is guided by the fundamental belief that it is our responsibility, as community members, to protect, preserve, and pass on traditions connected to the stewardship of land and water. Due to ongoing drought, increasing pressure from large-scale development, and a lack of understanding of water systems, the protection and preservation of water has become a critical issue in the Middle Rio Grande region. To safeguard the legacy entrusted to us, we must work together as stewards of tradition through education, engagement, advocacy, and community celebrations.
Our organization developed the Agua es Sagrada (Water is Sacred) philosophy to strengthen the preservation of and connection to water. Water is life, and as such, it must be understood as an inalienable right that extends to future generations. As our society continues to make decisions about water use, we must remain grounded in this responsibility. This understanding of water as sacred emerges from agricultural lifeways rooted along the Río Grande in New Mexico, including the Valle de Atrisco (South Valley of Albuquerque). Through this philosophy, community members are empowered to resist the commodification of water while creating the conditions necessary to protect and preserve water rights. We carry these values through both the cultural practices and governance structures that define acequia communities in the Valle de Atrisco today.
OUR WORK
Our work focuses on local advocacy and capacity building through programs that promote the interconnectedness of land, water, and tradition within our community. We work alongside the South Valley Regional Association of Acequias (SVRAA), the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, Bernalillo County, and other community partners to advocate for water rights and to educate our community about issues such as water transfers that negatively impact our region. We strongly believe in working alongside our community because we are, and represent, our acequia community. Over the last several decades, the Valle de Atrisco has experienced significant cultural and economic changes. Today, approximately 37,000–38,000 people call the South Valley home, and over 80% of residents identify as Hispanic/Chicano/Latino. The median household income is about $58,000, and an estimated 18–19% of residents live in poverty.
Although the South Valley is often labeled as a “poor” community, it remains rich in culture, identity, traditions, and community-based resources. From aerial maps, the area is clearly abundant in land and water and forms part of the green belt that runs north to south. At the same time, the South Valley faces increasing challenges due to long-term drought and growing pressure on local water systems. As water becomes more limited across the Middle Rio Grande, the need to protect and manage this resource responsibly is more urgent than ever. These realities highlight the importance of understanding both our local water systems and the traditions that have sustained them for generations.
WHY THIS MATTERS TODAY
As drought continues across the Middle Rio Grande, water becomes more than a resource—it becomes a shared responsibility. In the Valle de Atrisco, our relationship to water is rooted in tradition, community, and stewardship. Protecting water means protecting who we are. Somos Atrisco.
