New Mexico Acequias Prepare for Brutal Year Amid Drought
By Kyle Land | April 19, 2021
TALPA, N.M. (AP) — It was a scenic day in Talpa, a small village in Taos County, and that concerned Darryl Maestas.
The sky was blue, temperatures were warm and a slight breeze moved through the valley. Meanwhile, the clear waters of the Acequia Madre del Rio Chiquito, one of dozens of acequias in Taos County, trickled by slowly.
For Maestas, whose family has helped maintain the acequia for generations, these conditions create a perfect storm ahead of what’s predicted to be a brutal year for New Mexico’s beloved acequias.