N EWS & V IEWS FRO M THE S USTAI N AB L E S OUTHWEST New Mexico’s Watersheds Forest Health and Landscape Resiliency Minding the Chama Río Grande Diversion Local Food vs. Urban Water April 2016 NORTHERN NEW MEXICO’S LARGEST DISTRIBUTION NEWSPAPER Vol. 8 No. 4 Radon Pro of New Mexico LLC Saving Lives, Improving Property Radon testing, Radon Mitigation Paul Smith, Owner 505-204-2580 [email protected] RadonProNM.com License No. 107839 RMT Santa Fe ~Screen Doors~ Custom Hand-Built Wooden Screen Doors (505)466-0870 [email protected] Visit our website at: www.santafescreendoors.com Greg Heltman, Dir ect or ~presents~ A SPRING CONCERT Jan Gaynor, Conductor Friday, April 8, 2016 at 7:00 pm Featuring Carmina Burana, Cajun Folk Songs, Mambo from West Side Story, Les Miserables arr. by Bob Jones and much more! St. Francis Auditorium New Mexico Museum of Art Free 107 Admission, West Palace Donations Ave ~ Santa Fe Welcome Find http://www.santafeconcertband.org out more about the http://www.facebook.com/SantaFeConcertBand Band at these handy websites! The Santa Fe Concert Band is a not for profit organization. 2 Green Fire Times • April 2016 www.GreenFireTimes.com www.GreenFireTimes.com Green Fire Times • April 2016 3 RE-ELECT: EXPERIENCE • DEDICATION SA NTA F E COUNTY CLERK Paid for by Vote Geraldine Salazar: Treasurer Kristina Martinez ACCOUNTABLE • ETHICAL • TRUSTWORTHY TRULy LOCAL DID YOU KNOW? 40% Of america’s food is thrown away! Produce sold at supermarkets often travels for up to 6 weeks, and can spoil quickly after purchase. santa fe farmers’ market produce is often picked the day before coming to market. The food you buy from your neighbors at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market stays fresh longer, resulting in less food waste and a stronger local economy. MARKET HOURS: OPEN YEAR-ROUND SATURDAYS am pm D S O K winter hours 8 -1 U C B U L B E D http://farmersmarketinstitute.org | 1607 Paseo de Peralta | 505-983-7726 UP FOO 4 Green Fire Times • April 2016 www.GreenFireTimes.com Vol. 8, No. 4 • April 2016 Issue No. 84 PUBLISHER Green Fire Publishing, LLC Skip Whitson NEWS & VIEWS FROM THE SUSTAINABLE SOUTHWEST ASSoCiAte PubLiSher barbara e. brown Winner of the Sustainable Santa Fe Award for Outstanding Educational Project editor-iN-ChieF Seth roffman CONTENTS Art direCtor DETERMINING THE FUTURE OF NEW MEXICO’S WATERSHEDS dakini design, Anna C. hansen – STEVE HARRIS, JOANNE HILTON, ROSEMARY ROMERO . .. .. .. .. .. 7 CoPy editorS Stephen Klinger, Susan Clair FOREST HEALTH AND LANDSCAPE RESILIENCY IN THE SAN JUAN-CHAMA WATERSHED WebmASter: Karen Shepherd – MONIQUE DIGIORGIO. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 CoNtributiNG WriterS MINDING THE CHAMA – JACK LOEffLER . .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 herman Agoyo, michael Aune, monique diGiorgio, Nate downey, david FEDERAL AGREEMENT ON GILA RIVER TRIGGERS REVIEW . .. .. .. 15 Groenfeldt, Steve harris, Joanne hilton, Japa K. Khalsa, Jack Loeffler, Alejandro López, Sanders moore, Quita ortiz, Seth OP-ED: WATER IN NEW MEXICO – SANDERS MOORE . .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 roffman, hilario e. romero, rosemary romero FROM SURVIVAL AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TO RÍO GRANDE DIVERSION: CoNtributiNG PhotoGrAPherS THE HISTORY OF SANTA FE’S WATER SUPPLY Anna C. hansen, Steve harris, Japa K. Khalsa, Alejandro López, Quita ortiz, – HILARIO E. ROMERO AND MICHAEL AUNE .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 rich Schrader, Seth roffman THE AAMODT SETTLEMENT CONUNDRUM .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 PubLiSher’S ASSiStANt Cisco Whitson-brown LINKING SANTA FE’S LOCAL FOOD DEMAND TO URBAN WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT AdVertiSiNG SALeS – QUITA ORTIZ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 John m. Nye 505.699.3492 [email protected] OP-ED: EL AGUA BENDITA / SACRED WATER – ALEJANDRO LÓPEZ .. .. .. .. 27 Skip Whitson 505.471.5177 [email protected] SELF-HEALING AND THE WATER PATHWAYS OF THE BODY – JAPA K. KHALSA. .. .. 30 Anna C. hansen 505.982.0155 COULD RAINWATER HARVESTING SOLVE FLINT’S WATER CRISIS? – NATE DOWNEY .. 31 [email protected] WATER NEWSBITES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19, 25, 35, 37 Lisa Powers, 505.629.2655 [email protected] WHAT’S GOING ON .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 38 Gay rathman, 505.670.4432 [email protected] Kurt young 505.913.0699 [email protected] diStributioN Linda ballard, barbara brown, Susan Clair, Co- op dist. Services, Nick García, Leo Knight, Niki Nicholson Andy otterstrom (Creative Couriers), Pmi, daniel rapatz, tony rapatz, Wuilmer rivera, Andrew tafoya, Skip Whitson, John Woodie CirCuLAtioN: 30,000 copies Printed locally with 100% soy ink on 100% recycled, chlorine-free paper GreeN Fire timeS c/o the Sun Companies P.o. box 5588, SF, Nm 87502-5588 505.471.5177 • [email protected] © 2016 Green Fire Publishing, LLC Green Fire Times provides useful information for community members, business people, students and visitors—anyone interested in discovering the wealth of opportunities and resources in the Southwest. In support of a more sustainable planet, topics covered range from green businesses, jobs, products, services, entrepreneurship, investing, design, building and energy—to native perspectives on history, arts & culture, ecotourism, education, sustainable agriculture, regional cuisine, water issues and the healing arts. To our publisher, a more sustainable planet also means © Alejandro López maximizing environmental as well as personal health by Water from an acequia flows through a farm in Santa Cruz, New mexico minimizing consumption of meat and alcohol. Green Fire Times is widely distributed throughout north- central New Mexico as well as to a growing number of COVER: Río Chama west of the village of Abiquiú, New Mexico New Mexico cities, towns, pueblos and villages. Feedback, announcements, event listings, advertising and article Photo by Anna C. Hansen submissions to be considered for publication are welcome. www.GreenFireTimes.com Green Fire Times • April 2016 5 Free Solar Power! • “Zero Cost” solar is possible! Loan payments = reduction of your utility bill • “40% off” with solar tax credits! • Call for Free solar advice for homes and businesses • Increase the resale value of your home! Solarize Santa Fe! A Santa Fe County Campaign Call Craig O’Hare for Free Solar Advice: 505.992.3044 [email protected] www.santafecountynm.gov NOW ENROLLING FOR 2016/17! I CHOSE NORTHERN! PRE-K TO 8TH OPEN HOUSE Saturday, April 16 PARENT VISITOR MORNING Tuesday, April 19 RSVP 505.467.6431 NortherN New Mexico College is the place for undergraduate student research in Biology, Chemistry, Math, Environmental Science and Engineering. (505) 747-2111, www.nnmc.edu 26 Puesta del Sol, Santa Fe | 505.467.6431 NORTHERN NEW MEXICO COLLEGE: SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO! PRESCHOOL - HIGH SCHOOL www.santafewaldorf.org 6 Green Fire Times • April 2016 www.GreenFireTimes.com DETERMINING THE FUTURE OF NEW MEXICO’S WATERSHEDS arris Local Strategies Generated at Regional Water-Planning Meetings h TEVE ARRIS AND OSEMARY OMERO S H R R © Steve río Chama near benson bar, where it intersects with the río Gallina ío Grande Restoration, an Embudo, New Mexico-based nonprofit resources. They also reviewed the watershed-partnership initiative and discussed focused on improving the health of rivers and watersheds, has received a set of future projects and activities that could support improvement of streams, a WaterSMART grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to explore wetlands and aquifers. Rcreation of a Río Chama Watershed Partnership. The project’s goals are to develop a citizen’s voice in water-management decision-making processes and develop an implementation plan for improving conditions in the Río Chama and its tributary streams such as the ríos Cebolla and Gallina. Río Grande Restoration (RGR) sees its watershed plan as supplementing and informing planning processes already being undertaken by the Carson and Santa Fe national forests, Interstate Stream Commission (ISC), Río Arriba County and Upper Chama Soil and Water Conservation Districts and helping to address the region’s future efforts to resolve important water- and land-use issues. CHAMA, ABIQUIÚ AND CEBOLLA In August 2015, with the community-organizing support of Rosemary Romero, who is also working with the ISC on regional water planning, RGR hosted well- attended public meetings in Abiquiú, Chama and Cebolla to hear from neighbors, Chama Peak Land Alliance stewardship field tour in the brazos Watershed community groups, scientists and managing agencies. They discussed the impacts of flooding, pollution, land use, wildlife habitat, recreation, the role of science Local citizens with diverse perspectives were asked to develop ideas about what a and local knowledge in public health and safety, and the conservation of vital healthy watershed would look like and what values were most important to them. Among the specific issues they identified were environmental releases from El Vado and Abiquiú reservoirs and their impacts on fish, wildlife, recreation and riparian ecology; groundwater depletion in the Río Cebolla; wastewater treatment in the village of Chama; landslides, flood damage, forest conditions, wildfire in certain areas; oil and gas exploration; rural development and cultural preservation. A citizen’s voice in water-management decision-making and implementation People expressed that they want healthy forests, active thinning, more water in the river, protection of drinking water, control of sedimentation and noxious weeds, forage for animals, wildlife corridors, management of livestock populations, floods, erosion and landslides, as well