Trans-Basin Acequias Of The Mora Valley, New Mexico

              The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley,
New Mexico
Leslie R. Kryder, M. A., M. W. R.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
January, 2010
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Table of Contents
Introduction........ 1
Historical Sources About the Mora Valley...... 3
Evolving Names: Identifying Towns and Acequias....... 5
Case 256 and the Trans- Basin Acequias..5
The Trans- Basin Acequias Today........ 10
Locating the Trans- Basin Acequias ......... 15
Conclusion....... 15
Works Cited ....... 18
Appendices....... 20
Appendix A: Summary of Flow Measurements .... 20
Appendix B: Source Material ....... 20
Appendix C: Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch .. 20
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Towns in the Mora Valley and Nearby Geographic Features ... 6
Figure 2: Acequias in the Mora Valley near Chacon, Holman, and Cleveland ... 7
Figure 3: Case 256 Docket.... 10
Figure 4: Map of Western Mora County and Southeastern Taos County with Portions of Trans- Basin Acequias
Indicated ..... 12
Figure 5: Upper Reach of the Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch and the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman....... 13
Figure 6: List of GPS and Photo Points, Primarily Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch, September, 2008......... 14
Figure 7: Map of the Trans- Basin Acequias........ 16
Figure 8: Rotated Map Showing the Relationship Among Three Tributaries of the Rio Pueblo ..17
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Introduction
The purpose of this study was to assemble materials that can be used to define the water rights
associated with the trans- basin acequias, especially historical materials that can be used to
establish a priority date for each of the acequias. Given the short timeframe involved, the
collection effort has necessarily been of a preliminary and partial nature.
Historically, on the western edge of the Mora Land Grant, three acequias ( irrigation ditches,
also known as community ditches) brought water across the basin boundary from the Río
Grande basin to the Canadian basin. Nineteenth century Hispanic settlers in the Mora Valley
built the acequias to augment the water supply of the Mora River. In 1882 valley residents who
were building the last of these acequias became defendants in a lawsuit brought by Picuris
Pueblo ( Pueblo de Picurís) over the diversion of water from the Río Pueblo. Although the
lawsuit was eventually dismissed, the court documents provide a record of the acequias.
The Mora Valley was not settled by the Spanish prior to the nineteenth century because the
area was subject to raids by the Apaches and other nomadic tribes. In 1816, Antonio Olguín led
a group of settlers from the area around Picuris Pueblo to the Mora Valley and established a
settlement called “ San Antonio de lo de Mora” near present day Cleveland. These early settlers
built the original trans- basin acequia, diverting water from a tributary of the Río Pueblo,
apparently with the consent of Picuris Pueblo. 1 This acequia is known today as the “ Cañoncito-
Encinal Community Ditch.” However, sometime before 1832, the immigrants abandoned their
original settlement due to attacks by the nomadic tribes. 2
In 1834 Matthew Kinkead, Francisco Conn, Manuel Antonio Sanchez, and Vicente Molina
requested a land grant of the Mexican Government at a place called Lo de Mora. They assured
the government that the area was uninhabited and that settling would not adversely affect
anyone else. 3 They asked for, and were subsequently given, a land grant with the following
boundaries:
North -- La Mesa del Rayado. South -- El Cerro del Tecolote. East -- El Río Colorado.
West -- El Rito Astillero which is La Sierra del Picurry. 4
As agriculture increased, the settlers once again found themselves in need of additional water.
According to Arellano, the original trans- basin acequia built by Olguín's group was still in use,
1 Unsigned Statement with Names of Parciantes, Acequias and Water Rights, Accession Number 1959-
002, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment F).
2 A. F. Arellano, Case Study : Acequias De La Sierra and Early Agriculture of the Mora Valley
( Unpublished), Found at Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, ( Attachment
( number) 1).
3 Lo De Mora, 15 Pages of Translated Copies of Documents Pertaining to the Establishment of the Mora
Land Grant Land Grant Collection, Accession Number 1959- 113, New Mexico State Records Center and
Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment G).
--- Original Agua Negra Land Grant, 1821, in Spanish ( Sg 12 ( 13?) Frame 1064), William Blackmore Land
Records, Accession Number 1959- 019, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM.
( Attachment H).
4 Lo De Mora, 15 Pages of Translated Copies of Documents Pertaining to the Establishment of the Mora
Land Grant Land Grant Collection, Accession Number 1959- 113, New Mexico State Records Center and
Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment G).
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but more water was needed. In the 1860' s, inhabitants built a second trans- basin acequia near
Chacon, which has been known by several names, including " Acequia del Rito Griego y la
Sierra." Residents of the valley built a third trans- basin acequia beginning in 1879, " Acequia de la
Sierra de Holman," which provides irrigation in the area near present day Holman. 5
Historical Sources About the Mora Valley
Several available histories of the Mora Valley provide context for the events surrounding the
trans- basin acequias. Knowlton describes the land grant's history, emphasizing a dispute about
the boundaries, especially the western boundary where the acequias in question are located. 6
Shadow and Rodriguez- Shadow trace the efforts of speculators at the end of the 19th century,
particularly Samuel Elkins and Thomas B. Catron, to acquire ownership rights to a huge portion
of the land grant. 7 This struggle coincided with the transformation of the land from a
" community grant" recognized under Mexican law to " individual property" as recognized under
the U. S. legal system. A more general study of Mora can be found in Hanosh's thesis " A History
of Mora, 1835- 1887." 8 Also of interest is Leonard's The Role of the Land Grant. 9
Just as land ownership is regarded differently in the United States than in Mexico, so rights to
use water have undergone changes over the past 150 years. Baxter traces the evolution of
water administration in New Mexico under Spanish, Mexican, and U. S. governments. 10 Clark
traces the development of water policy in New Mexico. 11 For several essays that comment on
the relationship between land and water in New Mexico, see Briggs and VanNess. 12
Many acequias have not been fully documented; however, several people have begun the work.
Hanks13 and Dos Ríos Consultants14 have prepared inventories of acequia names along with
5 A. F. Arellano, Case Study : Acequias De La Sierra and Early Agriculture of the Mora Valley
( Unpublished), Found at Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, ( Attachment
( number) 1).
--- Bill of Complaint, Case 256, Submitted by S. Barnes on Behalf of Juan Pando, Governor of the Pueblo
De Picuris ( Box 8, Folder 349), Records of the United States Territorial and New Mexico District Courts
for Taos County, Accession Number 1976- 014., New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa
Fe, NM. ( Attachment D).
--- Unsigned Statement with Names of Parciantes, Acequias and Water Rights, Accession Number 1959-
002, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment F).
6 C. S. Knowlton, " The Mora Land Grant: A New Mexican Tragedy," Journal of the West 27 ( 1998).
( Attachment 2).
7 R. D. Shadow and M. Rodriguez- Shadow, " From Reparticion to Partition: A History of the Mora Land
Grant, 1835- 1916," New Mexico Historical Review 70.3 ( 1995). ( Attachment 3).
8 E. J. Hanosh, " A History of Mora, 1835- 1887," New Mexico Highlands University, 1967. ( Attachment 5).
9 Olen E. Leonard, The Role of the Land Grant ( Albuquerque, NM: 1970)
10 J. O. Baxter, Dividing New Mexico's Waters, 1700- 1912 ( Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press,
1997).
11 Ira G. Clark, Water in New Mexico ( Albuquerque: UNM Press, 1987).
12 Charles L. Briggs and John R. Van Ness, eds., Land, Water, and Culture, New Perspectives on Hispanic Land
Grants ( Albuquerque: UNM Press, 1987).
13 Nancy M. Hanks, PhD, An Annotated Bibliography of New Mexico Acequias, Prepared for the New
Mexico Acequia Commission.
14 Dos Ríos Consultants, Inc., Excerpts for Mora County, New Mexico Acequias New Mexico State Records
Center and Archives, Available: http:// members. tripod. com/~ bloodhound/ ACEQFINL. htm, Accessed July,
2008. ( Attachment P).
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estimates of construction dates and other general characteristics. Rivera's15 The Acequia
Sourcebook lists state and federal organizations that can provide funding and technical assistance
for acequia research. Rivera also published Acequia Culture: Water, Land, and Community in the
Southwest, 16 a guide to acequias as local institutions in Hispanic communities, with specific
reference to the trans- basin acequias of the Mora Valley.
Anyone interested in the trans- basin acequias must read Arellano's unpublished “ Case Study,” 17
and Kammer's “ Report on the Historic Acequia Systems of the Upper Río Mora,” which
includes a map of the Acequia de El Rito y La Sierra. 18 The “ Acequias y Sangrias Course of New
Mexico Waters” includes an essay specifically on the Acequias de la Sierra at Holman and
Chacon. 19 For a remembered history of the construction of the acequias read " The Flow of
Mountain Water.” 20
In some cases support for water right priority must be developed from in- depth reconstruction
of local history and genealogy. An in- depth review of the papers at the Menaul Historical Library
of the Southwest may yield records of families and society around Holman and Chacon. The
collection, includes indexes for two cemeteries21 and session minutes with baptismal records. 22
There is also a 1928 report on a survey of the society and economy of the area by Bohannan. 23
The library keeps transcripts and tapes of interviews conducted in Mora and elsewhere. Also
see Weatherby's thesis on the Presbyterian presence in the area. 24
Additional interviews may be found at the Jose A. Rivera Papers at the Center for Southwest
Research25 and in the Acequia Field School Archives of the Chicano, Hispano, Mexicano
15 J. A. Rivera, The Acequia Sourcebook, Found at OSE Library.
16 J. A. Rivera, Acequia Culture: Water, Land, and Community in the Southwest ( Albuquerque: University of
New Mexico Press, Vol. 60, 1998).
17 A. F. Arellano, Case Study : Acequias De La Sierra and Early Agriculture of the Mora Valley
( Unpublished), Found at Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, ( Attachment
( number) 1).
18 David Kammer, Report on the Historic Acequia Systems of the Upper Río Mora. ( Box 1; Folder 61),
Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, Santa Fe, NM( Attachment W). 1992) # 16
19 Acequias De La Sierra, Holman and Chacon, Mora Valley, Acequias Y Sangrias Course of New Mexico Waters,
Guidebook to Photo Exhibit ( Santa Fe, NM: Center for Southwest Research, UNM) ( Attachment Z).
20 Theresa Griffiths and Laura Robertson, " The Flow of Mountain Water," New Mexico Magazine 1979
( Attachment 10).
21 Cemetery Index for El Rito Presbyterian and Chacon Cemeteries, Menaul Historical Library,
Albuquerque, NM. ( Attachment R).
22 Minutes of Session, Mora, N. M., Copied from Material at the Presbyterian Historical Society,
Philadelphia, Pa by J. J. Gilchrist. Includes Records of Baptisms in 1880s. Archival Box: 7.1.1.28.2; Folder:
Minutes - Jan. 1883- 1885., Menaul Historical Library, Albuquerque, NM. ( Attachment S).
23 C. D. Bohannan, Report on Survey of Chacon, New Mexico Community ( Santa Fe, NM: Board of National
Mission of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., January, 1928) ( Attachment Q).
24 L. Weatherby, " A Study of the Early Years of the Presbyterian Work with the Spanish Speaking People
of New Mexico and Colorado and Its Development from 1850- 1920," Presbyterian College of Christian
Education, 1942 ( Attachment 6).
25 Transcript of Interview with Pedro Abeyta About the Acequia Del Rito Y La Sierra at Chacon. ( Box 5;
Folder 21), Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, Albuquerque, NM. ( Attachment
X).
Jake Sanchez Interview ( Box 3, Tape 8), Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM,
Albuquerque, NM. This interview was part of a series, conducted using a questionnaire that included
several questions about the acequias ( Attachment Y).
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Program ( CHMP) at UNM. The 2007 Archives include a recording of Eufracio Vigil presenting an
oral history of the trans- basin acequia above Chacon.
Evolving Names: Identifying Towns and Acequias
Over the past two centuries place names in the Mora Valley have changed several times, leading
to confusion about what is being referred to. The accompanying figures list variants on the
names of the trans- basin acequias and nearby towns and geographical features to make it easier
to identify them in the sources. The contemporary names of several towns pertinent to this
discussion are: Chacon, Holman, Cleveland, and Mora. Figure 1 lists prior and alternate names
and variants.
The three trans- basin acequias bring water down into the Mora Valley, where it is distributed
among several canals and laterals. In the accompanying Figure 2, there are several variants of
each name. In some cases, the list may contain other nearby acequias which probably distribute
water from the mountain source. Due to time constraints it was not possible to verify the
relationships among all of the acequias and their laterals. For instance, is the Acequia Madre de
Holman a recipient of water from the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman? Probably. 26
Case 256 and the Trans- Basin Acequias
In 1882, the Picuris Pueblo brought a complaint against the men who were involved in building
the third acequia above Holman because they were diverting water that would naturally flow
down the Río Pueblo into Picuris Pueblo. Reducing the Pueblo’s water supply was detrimental to
its agricultural capacity. The primary materials available from this lawsuit, Case 256, Taos
County, provide early documentation of the acequias. 27
The docket for Case 256, First Judicial District ( Territorial) Court, Taos County, records events
from 1882 through 1886 ( Figure 3). The Bill of Complaint brought by Picuris Pueblo asserts that
. . . many years since . . . the people of the County of Mora took and diverted
the water from the middle branch of said Río Pueblo and still continue the use
of the same and that they also some fifteen or twenty years ago took and
converted the water from and of the Northern branch of said Río Pueblo to
their own use . . . 28
and also
26 David Kammer may have already mapped some of the canals and laterals of some of these acequias.
David Kammer, Report on the Historic Acequia Systems of the Upper Río Mora. ( Box 1; Folder 61), Jose
A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, Santa Fe, NM., 1992 ( Attachment W). Kammer
mentions mapping acequias, but the maps are not included in this report.
27 Case 256, Pueblo De Picuris V. Miguel Garcia Et Al., 1882, Records of the United States Territorial and
New Mexico District Courts for Taos County, Accession Number 1976- 014, New Mexico State Records
Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachments A - E).
--- Unsigned Statement with Names of Parciantes, Acequias and Water Rights, Accession Number 1959-
002, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment F).
28 Bill of Complaint, Case 256, Submitted by S. Barnes on Behalf of Juan Pando, Governor of the Pueblo
De Picuris ( Box 8, Folder 349), Records of the United States Territorial and New Mexico District Courts
for Taos County, Accession Number 1976- 014., New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa
Fe, NM. ( Attachment D).
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Figure 1: Towns in the Mora Valley and Nearby Geographic Features
Town or
Geographical
Feature
Name Prior Name Source Comments
Chacon contemporary
El Rito de Agua Negra Arellano, 1985, Case Study
Cleveland contemporary
San Antonio Taylor Map 1881
San Antonio de lo de
Mora Arellano, 1985, Case Study
Valle de San Antonio Arellano, 1985, Case Study
Refers more properly to
the valley where the town
is located.
Holman contemporary
Agua Negra Taylor Map 1881
Agua Negra de San Isidro
“ Unsigned statement with
names of parciantes”
Jicarita Peak
The water source for the
upper Acequia de la Sierra
de Holman is found on this
mountain.
Jicarilla Mountain Arellano, 1985, Case Study
Mora contemporary
Santa Gertrudis de lo de
Mora Arellano, 1985, Case Study
Santa Gertrudes
“ Unsigned statement with
names of parciantes . . .”
and " The Flow of Mountain
Water."
Valle de Santa Gertrudis Arellano, 1985, Case Study
Refers more properly to
the valley where the town
is located.
Picuris Pueblo contemporary
Pueblo de Picurís Bill of complaint, Case 256
Pueblo of Picurry Agua Negra Land Grant
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Figure 2: Acequias in the Mora Valley near Chacon, Holman, and Cleveland
Acequia Names Source of Information ( if known) Notes
at Chacon
Source: Rito de la Presa and other
springs
Acequia del Rito Griego y la Sierra Ackerly, 1996; Kammer, 1992
Acequia de El Rito y La Sierra Arellano, 1985, Case Study
El Rito Ditch, Rito Griego
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias
Rito Griego y La Sierra ( La acequia del)
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias
Acequia de la Presa y las Sierra Arellano, 1985, Case Study
La Presa Sierra Acequia Attachment 10
La Joya Ditch ?
La Joya is registered as a separate
acequia, but its water comes from the
Acequia del Rito Griego y la Sierra
since its source is the same
La Joya Community Ditch Kammer, 1992
La Acequia de La Joya ( source: Rito Griego) OSE Declaration 02851, see Attachment O
El Quenado [ sic] Trans Mountain Diversion, Rito
de la Presa
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias
El Quemado Trans- Mountain Diversion Kammer, 1992
Quemado Trans- Mountain Diversion ( El)
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias
at Holman
Sources: Rito Angostura, Alamitos
Creek, and other springs
La Acequia de la Sierra de Holman Kammer, 1992
Sierra ( South or Holman Branch of La Acequia de
la)
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias; Kammer 1992
Sierra de Holman ( La Acequia de la), Vigil Creek &
Río Pueblo
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias; Ackerly, 1997
La Acequia de la Sierra y Arriba ( source: Vigil
Creek) OSE Declaration 0879, see Attachment N
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Acequia Names Source of Information ( if known) Notes
at Cleveland Alamitos Creek and other springs
Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch OSE Declaration 01958
Encinal Canyon - Cañoncito Trans- Mountain Ditch
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias; Kammer 1992
Encinal Ackerly, 1996
Encinal Community Ditch Kammer, 1992
Cañoncito Ackerly, 1996
Cañoncito Community Ditch Kammer, 1992
San Antonio Ditch de Encinal
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias; Kammer 1992
Other nearby ditches
Acequia del Medio OSE Declaration 02445
Acequia de Arriba Ackerly, 1996
La Acequia del Medio de San Antonio at Cleveland Kammer, 1992
Medio de San Antonio de Cleveland ( La acequia
de)
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias
Madre ( acequia de): Holman
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias, Ackerly, 1996
La Acequia Madre de Holman Kammer, 1992
Medio de Holman ( La acequia del)
Hanks, 1995 An Annotated Bibliography of New
Mexico Acequias; Ackerly, 1997; Kammer, 1992
Acequia de San Antonio del Medio OSE Declaration 0900, see Attachment M
Cleveland Community Ditch Kammer, 1992
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. . . said defendants and their confederates have unlawfully and contrary to
Equity constructed a large ditch from the Town of Agua Negra in the County of
Mora on the opposite side of the Mountain herein before named to enable them
to take and convert from said Southern Branch of said stream of water all or
the principal part of said water in said branch stream to said Town of Agua
Negra and to the lands and farms and houses and fields of the aforesaid
Defendants[. T] hat the aforesaid defendants and their confederates have been
engaged in said enterprise of constructing their said ditch in the direction of said
Southern branch or stream of water for about three years until they have
completed the same to said southern stream or branch of water aforesaid and
have built a Dam on said stream and across the same in said County of Taos as
aforesaid on the west of the crest of the aforesaid Jicarilla Mountain by means of
which dam so constructed by Defendants they have cut off and diverted the
natural flow of the water in said Southern stream . . . 29
The three acequias are identified according to which tributary of the Río Pueblo supplies the
water: the northern, middle, and southern branches. According to this document, the original
acequia took water from the middle branch; the second acequia, from the northern branch, and
the new acequia from the southern branch. The middle branch acequia had been constructed at
the time of the original settlement ( established 1816). The northern branch acequia was fifteen
to twenty years old as of 1882, giving it a priority date sometime in the mid 1860s. Work on the
new acequia, the southern branch acequia, had been going on for about three years at the time
of the Bill of Complaint. ( Note that the former name of Holman was Agua Negra.)
Another document pertinent to the history of the trans- basin acequias is found in the Acequias
and Water Rights collection. 30 The document is undated but it appears to be testimony in the
case about the acequias in question. * It states,
The water from the middle branch was originally taken by the individual Antonio
Olguín deceased. He formerly lived in the Pueblo of Picurís and moved over the
mountain to the town of Mora and was allowed to take this water. It is now
used by the people of Alto Colorado and Cañoncito numbering about 20
families. 31
The phrase “ allowed to take this water” suggests that Picuris Pueblo agreed to this diversion.
According to the Taylor map of 1881,32 the town of Cañoncito was located along the river
between present day Mora and La Cueva. The map does not show Alto Colorado.
29 Ibid.
30 Unsigned Statement with Names of Parciantes, Acequias and Water Rights, Accession Number 1959-
002, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment F).
* In an unpublished article Anselmo Arellano ( Attachment 1) quotes a document that appears to be similar
or perhaps the same one, though with a different attribution. The citations for the quotation indicate that
his material is from the E. V. Long Collection, but I could not find anything relevant in that collection. Dr.
Arellano could not be reached for comment.
31 Unsigned Statement with Names of Parciantes, Acequias and Water Rights, Accession Number 1959-
002, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment F).
32 Acequia del Rito y la Sierra, Propiedad De La Asequia Del Rito Y La Sierra Y Sus Laterales, April 2,
1921 - Dic. 11 1922. Chacon, N. M., Acequia Del Rito Y La Sierra ( Chacon) Chacon, NM. Original was in
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Between 1882 and 1884, the record indicates that Picuris Pueblo filed a Bill of Complaint, the
defendants appeared before the judge, subpoenas were issued, and the defendants were granted
an extension to answer the charges ( Figure 3). Then, in late 1885, the case was dismissed,
apparently because Picuris Pueblo had not pursued the matter. Given the tenor of the original
Bill of Complaint, and assertions that the Pueblo would be totally ruined for lack of irrigation
Figure 3: Case 256 Docket
August 2, 1882 Bill filed Exhibit filed entering order for
defendants to show cause R ( 355) docket
August 10, 1882 23 certified copies order [ sic] to show cause.
Subpoena and 22 copies
September 20,
1882
All defts appear except Segundo Garcia
June 25, 1883 subpoena and copy issued redocketed for
September 1883 Term
May 8, 1884 time to answer extended till 1st day next
term, on motion defts Rp May 1884
October 6, 1885 Dismissed on motion of deft judgment order
for costs & execution Rap [?] Cust bill
March 12, 1886 Execution for costs issued return
water, the lack of follow- through is rather surprising. Had the Pueblo realized that the
diversions were not as extensive as they originally perceived them to be? Had some sort of
agreement been reached between the Pueblo and the Mora Valley residents? The record does
not say.
The Trans- Basin Acequias Today
The three trans- basin acequias continue to provide water to the Mora Valley as of this writing.
Each of them obtains a portion of its water from branches of the Río Pueblo.
The Acequia del Rito Griego y la Sierra above Chacon derives its water from three sources,
Rincon Pelado ( a small lake), Rincon de la Laguna ( another small lake), and Rito la Presa ( a
tributary of the Río Pueblo), according to Eufracio Vigil, a parciante on the ditch. 33 The acequia
diverts water from a point on the Rito la Presa and sends it down Quemado Canyon to the
valley.
The Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch obtains water from several springs and creeks.
According to the Declaration34, filed in 1967, the sources are Alamitos Creek, Agua Fria Creek,
possession of Eufracio Vigil in July, 2008. Copies of 10 pages from the book are included at CSWR, UNM.
( Attachment K).
33 Hispano Chicano, Mexicano Program, UNM, Field School Archives, DVD set, multimedia, As of this
writing, the CHMP Program is putting together an archive somewhere at UNM, 2007.
34 Declaration of Ownership of Water Right Perfected PRíor to 1907 ( No. 01958), Cañoncito- Encinal
Community Ditch, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment AA). In June,
2008, the declaration file was missing from the Office of the State Engineer in Santa Fe. Ivan Roper
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Cañoncito Creek, and Cana de los Corales [ sic] Creek. Oral tradition in the acequia holds that
the “ source” of the Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch is Serpent Lake; however, Serpent
Lake feeds the Rito Angostura, while Horseshoe Lake is located near the source of Alamitos
Creek. Ivan Roper surmised that the chain of small lakes along the ridge below Jicarita Peak,
including Horseshoe Lake, were once known as the Serpent Lakes.
In September, 2008, members of the Encinal Community Ditch gave the author a tour of the
acequia canal system. The group consisted of Ivan Roper and Johnny Bonney, officers of the
Encinal Community Ditch; Harold Trujillo, of the New Mexico Acequia Association; Alicia Paz-
Solis; and the author. During the field visit, the team took photos and GPS points at numerous
places in the Mora Valley and in the Santa Fe National Forest. ( Refer to Figure 5, Figure 6, and
the accompanying CD for details.) They visited the diversion point on Alamitos Creek, a
tributary of the Río Pueblo, and followed it downstream to where it flows into the Mora Valley.
In the Mora Valley, the Cañoncito - Encinal Community Ditch divides the water among two
acequias, the Cañoncito Community Ditch and the Encinal Community Ditch ( see Figure 1 and
Figure 2). Other springs and creeks originating in the Canadian River Basin contribute water to
the acequia. ( Refer to Figure 3 for details.)
The Cañoncito- Encinal diversion point at Alamitos Creek is several hundred yards upstream
from the place where the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman crosses Alamitos Creek. In times of
normal flow, all of the water from Alamitos Creek is diverted into the acequia, for example, the
creek bed below the diversion was completely dry in September, 2008. Acequia members said
that at high water the creek bed serves as overflow channel; the excess water then runs past
the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman and eventually into the Río Pueblo.
The Acequia de la Sierra de Holman diverts water from the Rito Angostura, several miles west
of Alamitos Creek, into what we shall call the “ upper” reach of the Acequia de la Sierra de
Holman. The 7.5 Minute Quad maps for Holman and Jicarita Peak clearly indicate the path of
this portion of this acequia. When it reaches Alamitos Creek, the Acequia de la Sierra de
Holman empties its water into Alamitos Creek. Almost immediately below this point, the
Acequia again diverts the water from Alamitos Creek ( including the recently added water
brought from Rito Angostura) into what we shall call the “ middle” reach of the Acequia de la
Sierra de Holman. In effect, the Acequia crosses the ( often) empty bed of Alamitos Creek on its
way down to the Mora Valley. Like the Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch, the Acequia de La
Sierra de Holman sends overflow down Alamitos Creek.
In 2008, the CHMP field school class, together with the Mayordomo, Jimmy Sanchez, and the
author hiked about four miles along the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman starting at the
intersection with Alamitos Creek. Here a gate sends the water eastward toward Vigil Canyon.
From their diversions at Alamitos Creek, the Cañoncito- Enincal Community Ditch and the
Acequia de la Sierra de Holman flow in parallel to a point slightly beyond the National Forest
Boundary, where the Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch flows into Cañoncito Creek and the
Acequia de la Sierra de Holman flows into Vigil Canyon ( the “ lower” reach of this acequia).
provided this copy. The name “ Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch” is used throughout this paper
because that is the name that appears on the declaration.
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 12
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Figure 4: Map of Western Mora County and Southeastern Taos County with Portions of Trans- Basin Acequias Indicated
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 13
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Figure 5: Upper Reach of the Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch and the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman
The purple line indicates the upper portion of the Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch; from there, the water flows into Cañoncito Creek and is diverted for irrigation by the
Acequia de Cañoncito and the Acequia de Encinal. Source: Approximate acequia path based on GPS points taken September, 2009, Leslie R. Kryder
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 14
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Figure 6: List of GPS and Photo Points, Primarily Cañoncito- Encinal Community Ditch, September, 2008.
This is a selection of the full set of photo and GPS points taken on this date. Some GPS points have several photos associated with them. Refer to the accompanying CD for the
photos and full list of GPS points.
# Acequia Name Land Owner Name Source or Inflow point? Description
14 Encinal unknown Encinal Diversion
15 Encinal Rowan Stanland Encinal Headgate
16 Encinal Spillway off Encinal
17 Cañoncito- Encinal Trujillo combined Cañoncito- Encinal
stream
Cañoncito- Encinal Split
19 Cañoncito- Encinal unknown Inflow point of Corrales
Canyon tributary
20 Cañoncito- Encinal Lujan Agua Fria Canyon ( comes from
the west)
From here about a mile to Agua Fria Tributary ( area past gate
is off limits, currently)
21 Cañoncito- Encinal Forest Service Inflow point of ojito at pt 22
( comes from the east)
22 Cañoncito- Encinal Medina? Ojito feeds from Valle de la
Sierra and into Agua Fria
Canyon
Starts near an orchard where there are remains of a house
23 View of western mountains ( where Cañoncito- Encinal comes
down over the mountain). You can see the path of the de La
Sierra de Holman along the top right; path of the Cañoncito-
Encinal ditch vertically at 11 o’clock.
24 Cañoncito- Encinal Maestas Cañoncito Ojito ( main source of local water; also old trail) Is
this where the mountain water comes into the valley?
31 natural creek Forest Service Alamitos Creek Cañoncito Transbasin Acequia ( next to point 30; distance from
30 is about 160 ft)
32 de La Sierra de
Holman
Acequia de la Sierra gaging station. There is also a survey pin
here: AP33 ES 518 1973
33 natural creek Forest Service Alamitos Creek Cañoncito Transbasin Acequia
34 de La Sierra de
Holman
Acequia de la Sierra de Holman where it crosses FR161
35 de La Sierra de
Holman
Acequia de la Sierra de Holman with spillway back into
Alamitos Crk
36 natural creek Forest Service Alamitos Creek This is the same place as point 27, but arrived at by following
Alamitos Crk ( dry bed) upstream from Acequia de la Sierra
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 15
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
United States Geological Survey ( USGS) quad maps show the Acequia de la Sierra de Holman
originating at Rito Angostura. To verify this, on July 6, 2008, David Trujillo and the author hiked
the upper portion of the acequia from the end of FR161 to the intersection of two small creeks.
It was quite clear that the channel was a man- made ditch all along this section. ( See photos on
accompanying CD.). What we found was that the ditch diverts all of the water from Rito
Angostura; there was no sign of a creek continuing down from that point. However, one of the
breach points further east had a dry creek bed running into it from above ( from the southwest),
and water was running from the ditch northeastward down the hill. Perhaps the breach is letting
water back into the original stream bed. At another point near there ( which unfortunately, we
did not photograph) it looked like there was a " desague" designed to carry overflow from the
ditch back down to Rito Angostura.
Locating the Trans- Basin Acequias
The Bill of Complaint for Case 256 does not refer to the trans- basin acequias by name, but
rather assigns each a name based on which branch of the Río Pueblo supplies its water: the
" northern", " middle", and " southern" branches of the Río Pueblo. In order to interpret the Bill of
Complaint it is necessary to associate the contemporary acequias with the appellations used in
the Complaint.
It is helpful to look at a map in order to see the relationship among the tributaries of the Río
Pueblo and how they correspond to the so- called “ northern”, “ middle”, and “ southern”
branches of the river. ( Refer to Figure 7). The “ northern” branch clearly corresponds to Rito la
Presa, which is a source for the Acequia del Rito Griego y la Sierra. What is harder to
understand is how Alamitos Creek would be called the “ middle” branch and Rito Angostura the
“ southern” branch, since both creeks flow in a roughly northerly direction. The key lies in
viewing the area from the perspective of Picuris Pueblo: rotating the map so that the top points
toward the southeast ( Figure 8), Picuris Pueblo appears at the bottom of the map, and the Río
Pueblo runs from the top to the bottom. Imagine a traveler following the river southeast from
Picuris Pueblo to where the creeks intersect it. First, the traveler would come across Rito La
Presa entering from the left or northeast, making it the “ northern” branch of the Río Pueblo.
Continuing up the Río Pueblo, the traveler would come across Rito Angostura entering from
the right or south, making it the “ southern branch.” Next, the traveler would continue straight
ahead up Río Pueblo as fed by Alamitos Creek, making this the “ middle” branch.
Conclusion
Because they divert water across basin boundaries, the three trans- basin acequias will face
special challenges in the establishment of their water rights, since the water rights will be a
factor in adjudication of both basins. Case 256 and other documents mentioned here help
establish the age of each acequia and the relationship of the Mora Valley acequias to Picuris
Pueblo. More work should be done to document historic and current water usage, and the
relationship of the trans- basin diversions to the overall canal systems that distribute the water.
Specific recommendations are found in an appendix to this paper.
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 16
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Figure 7: Map of the Trans- Basin Acequias
Source: GPS points taken by Leslie R. Kryder and shapefiles from the Office of the State Engineer, Santa Fe.
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 17
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Figure 8: Rotated Map Showing the Relationship Among Three Tributaries of the Rio Pueblo
Source: GPS points taken by Leslie R. Kryder and shapefiles from the Office of the State Engineer, Santa Fe.
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 18
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Works Cited
Acequia del Rito y la Sierra. Propiedad De La Asequia Del Rito Y La Sierra Y Sus Laterales, April 2,
1921 - Dic. 11 1922. Chacon, N. M., Acequia Del Rito Y La Sierra ( Chacon). Chacon, NM.
( Attachment K).
Acequias De La Sierra, Holman and Chacon, Mora Valley, Acequias Y Sangrias Course of New Mexico
Waters, Guidebook to Photo Exhibit Santa Fe, NM: Center for Southwest Research, UNM.
( Attachment Z).
Arellano, A. F. Case Study : Acequias De La Sierra and Early Agriculture of the Mora Valley
( Unpublished). Found at Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM.
( Attachment ( number) 1).
Baxter, J. O. Dividing New Mexico's Waters, 1700- 1912 Albuquerque: University of New Mexico
Press, 1997.
Bill of Complaint, Case 256, Submitted by S. Barnes on Behalf of Juan Pando, Governor of the Pueblo De
Picuris ( Box 8, Folder 349). Records of the United States Territorial and New Mexico
District Courts for Taos County, Accession Number 1976- 014., New Mexico State
Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment D).
Bohannan, C. D. Report on Survey of Chacon, New Mexico Community. Santa Fe, NM: Board of
National Mission of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A., January, 1928. ( Attachment
Q).
Briggs, Charles L., and John R. Van Ness, eds. Land, Water, and Culture, New Perspectives on
Hispanic Land Grants. Albuquerque: UNM Press, 1987.
Case 256, Pueblo De Picuris V. Miguel Garcia Et Al., 1882. Records of the United States Territorial
and New Mexico District Courts for Taos County, Accession Number 1976- 014, New
Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachments A - E).
Cemetery Index for El Rito Presbyterian and Chacon Cemeteries. Menaul Historical Library,
Albuquerque, NM. ( Attachment R).
Chicano, Hispano, Mexicano Program, UNM. Field School Archives. DVD set, multimedia. As of
this writing, the CHMP Program is putting together an archive somewhere at UNM.,
2007.
Clark, Ira G. Water in New Mexico. Albuquerque: UNM Press, 1987.
Dos Ríos Consultants, Inc. " Excerpts for Mora County, New Mexico Acequias ". Santa Fe, NM.
New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. Accessed July, 2008.
< http:// members. tripod. com/~ bloodhound/ ACEQFINL. htm>. ( Attachment P).
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1979. ( Attachment 10).
Hanks, Nancy M., PhD. An Annotated Bibliography of New Mexico Acequias. Prepared for the New
Mexico Acequia Commission
Hanosh, E. J. . " A History of Mora, 1835- 1887." New Mexico Highlands University, 1967.
( Attachment 5).
Jake Sanchez Interview ( Box 3, Tape 8). Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research,
UNM, Albuquerque, NM. ( Attachment Y).
Kammer, David. Report on the Historic Acequia Systems of the Upper Río Mora. ( Box 1; Folder 61).
Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, Santa Fe, NM.
( Attachment W).
Knowlton, C. S. . " The Mora Land Grant: A New Mexican Tragedy." Journal of the West 27
( 1998): 59- 73.
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The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 19
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Lo De Mora, 15 Pages of Translated Copies of Documents Pertaining to the Establishment of the Mora
Land Grant Land Grant Collection, Accession Number 1959- 113, New Mexico State
Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment G).
Minutes of Session, Mora, N. M., Copied from Material at the Presbyterian Historical Society,
Philadelphia, Pa by J. J. Gilchrist. Includes Records of Baptisms in 1880s. Archival Box:
7.1.1.28.2; Folder: Minutes - Jan. 1883- 1885., Menaul Historical Library, Albuquerque, NM.
( Attachment S).
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Land Records, Accession Number 1959- 019, New Mexico State Records Center and
Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment H).
Rivera, J. A. The Acequia Sourcebook. Found at OSE Library.
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of New Mexico Press, Vol. 60, 1998.
Shadow, R. D. , and M. Rodriguez- Shadow. " From Reparticion to Partition: A History of the Mora
Land Grant, 1835- 1916." New Mexico Historical Review 70.3 ( 1995): 257- 98.
Transcript of Interview with Pedro Abeyta About the Acequia Del Rito Y La Sierra at Chacon. ( Box 5;
Folder 21). Jose A. Rivera Papers, Center for Southwest Research, UNM, Albuquerque,
NM. ( Attachment X).
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1959- 002, New Mexico State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, NM. ( Attachment
F).
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People of New Mexico and Colorado and Its Development from 1850- 1920."
Presbyterian College of Christian Education, 1942. ( Attachment 6).
The Trans- Basin Acequias of the Mora Valley, New Mexico 20
TheTrans- BasinAcequiasOfTheMoraValleyNewMexico( 2010). doc 2/ 2/ 2010
Appendices
Appendix A: Summary of Flow Measurements
In a separate file.
Appendix B: Source Material
In a separate file.
Appendix C: Recommendations for Documenting the Acequias
In a separate file.