WSCC Donated $100,000 to Help Supply Water to Northern NM

Date: 03/29/23

Northern NM

Western Sky Donated $100,000 to Support NM Communities Impacted by Wildfires

In November, Western Sky Community Care presented a check for $100,000 to the New Mexico Acequia Association’s Acequia Recovery Project to help restore water to the regions devastated by the Calf Canyon Hermit’s Peak fire of April 2022. The presentation took place at the residence of Jimmy Sanchez, Acequia Mayordomo, on whose property runs the Acequia de la Sierra.

Mora and San Miguel Counties are home to farming and ranching traditions that have sustained New Mexico families since Spanish colonization. Wildfires and subsequent floods caused tremendous damage to the area’s irrigation systems, or acequias. Acequias are small, centuries-old waterways, or gravity-powered canals, which carry mountain snowmelt, rain and river water to the fields, orchards, and gardens of northern New Mexico. There are approximately 700 acequias in New Mexico, with each one serving three to 300 landowners. Flooding in the burned areas clogged the acequias with mud and debris, completely disrupting water flow used for crops and livestock.

“This generous support from Western Sky to restore our acequias is an important step to help the people of fire – and flood – impacted communities recover and continue to protect the waterways, the land, and the way of life that make this region so unique,” said Representative Roger Montoya (D-Velarde). 

The NMAA provides direct support to local acequia associations for recovery and restoration of the irrigation canals. Funds are distributed as mini-grants for contractors, equipment rentals, diesel fuel for machinery, work crews and related expenses to clean out the acequias and restore lifelines to the region.

"The support acequias receive from this donation will have a positive ripple effect for our healing and recovery from the fires and floods that ravaged our communities," said Paula Garcia, Executive Director of the New Mexico Acequia Association. "With the generous help from Western Sky Community Care, we can get equipment, work crews, tools, and fuel to do the work of getting water flowing again to our fields and animals. Our way of life will endure beyond this disaster." 

“We understand the importance of these arteries to thousands of northern New Mexico residents. Without working irrigation infrastructures, farming regions are virtually eradicated. Restoring flowing acequias is essential to the survival of entire New Mexico communities,” said Western Sky President and CEO Jean Wilms. “Through our partnership with the New Mexico Acequia Association, we can help save what the fires and floods have ravaged.”