We were told by SCID that the weekend of October 11-12, 2014 was
scheduled to be the last release of water from Santa Cruz Dam. Some
water was released the following weekend but we are not expecting any
further releases until next year.
I will attempt to continue to
run water through the end of October on days that the weather permits.
If possible I will try to also run some water for a few weeks into
November. Keep an eye out for water because I can not be certain on what
days and for how long.
Due the the great rains we had over the summer there is a bounty of growth along the Acequia. Trees, weeds and debris can damage the Acequia and make cleaning and maintenance a lot more difficult. The photo above shows an area that requires cleanup before the new irrigation season starts.
Some parciantes have already started to clean their areas along the
Acequia as per Article 6 Section 1 in the Bylaws, which states:
"All parciantes shall maintain their individual headgates in good
condition and keep their acequia sections free of trash and other
obstructions. Repairs and construction of headgates and other works
should be completed before the start of the irrigation season."
I would like to thank all parciantes who have started clean up along the Acequia and encourage everyone to keep their property along the ditch looking like the photos below.
Clear areas along the Acequia reduce maintenance and benefit every parciante. |
I frequently encounter problems concerning
shared private laterals off the main ditch. It is not the
responsibility of the last parciante to maintain the lateral. It is
a shared responsibility even if your choose not to irrigate. Please
cooperate with one another as it is much easier to get the work
done. The same applies to the main ditch embankment.
Drainage
is another issue, many people have moved in and covered up or built
on what was once drainage for rain and irrigation waters. This has
created flooding problems that can only be fixed if the drainage is
re-established. In some areas this involves arroyos which causes
major flooding of the Acequia.
Please call me if you have any questions
about these issues. Thanks.
I would like to remind everyone of the requirements for water use:
I am very happy to report that we did have a good
amount of water this season despite being on dam release restrictions. I
also met with several parciantes regarding the above and other issues
which were solved. Thanks to all who cooperate and help.
Heavier than
normal rains in July helped keep the water flowing despite a dry Winter
and Spring. Lots of wild flowers helped to keep La Puebla beautiful.
Thanks for your cooperation.