Senior Project Advisor
Zander Albertson
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Spring 2024
Keywords
water, acequia, water democracies, communal water management, state power, adjudication, New Mexico
Abstract
Settlement of the American West, the majority of which is a naturally arid and harsh landscape, has historically been defined by access to a reliable source of water. In the mountains of Northern New Mexico, small communities have adapted to desert life through communal management of this scarce resource, known as the acequia system. Introduced to the landscape when the Spanish began occupation of the area and evolving through the Indigenous groups and Hispanic settlers, the acequia system has supported communities in this rugged landscape for hundreds of years. Now, with the changing political and physical landscapes of the West, the acequia system is facing three significant threats: drought, state power, and a loss of traditional knowledge. Through semi-structured interviews, this research established these threats as existing in these small communities, but also establishes resiliency and mutual cooperation as a strength of these systems that enables them to survive.
Department
Environmental Studies
Recommended Citation
Coblentz, Amaya, "Landscapes of Change: Acequias, Community Resilience, and State Power in Northern New Mexico" (2024). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 855.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/855
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf