Albuquerque’s South Valley is surrounded by brown desert and towering red mesas. But, inside the valley, the land is sprouting lush trees and green fields. Here, the Rio Grande spills into irrigation ditches called acequias. They wind through the landscape of this small Hispanic community, carrying rain and snowmelt straight to crops. … For hundreds of years, Hispanic communities across the Southwest have relied on these networks of hand-dug irrigation ditches to water their crops and feed their families. But now, these ancient traditions are under pressure from a changing climate and shrinking water supplies.

Other acequia news:

• Utton Transboundary Resources Center: Water Matters! podcast: Acequias in New Mexico