Santa Fe Watershed Association

THE MISSION OF THE SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE SANTA FE RIVER AND ITS WATERSHED.

CITY OF SANTA FE, SANTA FE COUNTY, OTHER: THROUGH ANNUAL EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, AND CLASSROOM PROGRAMS, THE SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION HELPS OUR COMMUNITY BECOME MORE AWARE OF HOW THE RIVER INTERACTS WITH THE PHYSICAL WATERSHED (THE LAND), THE SOCIAL WATERSHED (THE COMMUNITY) AND THE BIOLOGICAL WATERSHED (ANIMALS AND PLANTS). IN 2022 ROUGHLY 1000 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE "MY WATER, MY WATERSHED" PROGRAM DESIGNED BY OUR EDUCATION STAFF. EACH FIVE-HOUR FIELD TRIP PROVIDES AN EXPERIMENTAL, SCIENCE BASED CURRICULUM THAT ENABLES THE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE THEIR WATERSHED, TO LEARN ABOUT THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LIVING THINGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT. STUDENTS ARE TAKEN TO THE SANTA FE WATERSHED AND NICHOLS RESERVOIR, THEY STUDY MICROINVERTEBRATES IN THE RIVER AND LEARN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY FOREST. FOR MANY, IT IS THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE RIVER. IN 2022 SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION ALSO DEVELOPED A MIDDLE SCHOOL ARROYO CURRICULUM, BUILT FOUR EDUCATIONAL RAIN GARDENS, AND SUPPORTED THE CITY OF SANTA FE'S OTHER WATER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES. FURTHERMORE, THE SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION CONTINUED ITS ADOPT-THE-RIVER AND ADOPT-AN-ARROYO PROGRAMS, WHICH PULLED SEVERAL TONS OF TRASH AND DEBRIS OUT OF OUR WATERWAYS THANKS TO THE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS AND THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE CITY OF SANTA FE. THE SANTA FE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION ALSO CONTINUED ITS GENERAL OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION THROUGH OTHER, SMALLER PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES.

NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT RIVER STEWARD GRANT: THIS GRANT FUNDED A STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT ALONG THE URBAN SANTA FE RIVER TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AS WELL AS URBAN GREENSPACE. A ZUNI BOWL WAS CONSTRUCTED AT THE NORTH END OF CAMINO ESCODIDO, AND IS PART OF THE RIVER CORRIDOR AT PARQUE DEL RIO. A LARGE RAIN GARDEN COMPLEX WAS CONSTRUCTED EAST OF THE CORNER OF EAST ALAMEDA AND OLD SANTA FE TRAIL THAT NOW DIVERTS STORM WATER FROM EAST ALAMEDA, INFILTRATES AND CLEANS IT BEFORE IT ENTERS THE SANTA FE RIVER THROUGH SLOW SEEPAGE RATHER THAN THROUGH THE STORM DRAIN. DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, THE WORK ON THIS GRANT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE IN 2021 AND 2022 TOOK PLACE ALMOST ENTIRELY IN 2022 ALONE. THIS RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE DURING 2022 AS COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS.

US BUREAU OF RECLAMATION WATERSMART COOPERATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM GRANT:THIS GRANT FUNDED A WATERSHED STAKEHOLDER PRIORITY ASSESSMENT, HIGHLIGHTING COMMON THEMES AND MISALIGNMENTS OF STAKEHOLDER PRIORITIES OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE SANTA FE WATERSHED. WORK IN 2022 CONSISTED OF DATA ANALYSIS, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ON A PRELIMINARY REPORT, AND INCORPORATING FEED BACK INTO A FINAL REPORT. THE FINAL REPORT WILL HELP INFORM FUTURE COLLABORATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING EFFORTS. DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, THE WORK ON THIS GRANT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE IN 2021 AND 2022 TOOK PLACE ALMOST ENTIRELY IN 2022 ALONE. THIS RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE DURING 2022 AS COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS.