Deb Haaland Meets with South Valley Regional Acequia, Throws Support Behind Permanent Funding for Acequias and Land Grants 

Haaland’s support for rural communities will protect traditional land use and New Mexico water

Deb Haaland, candidate for New Mexico governor, met with community leaders from the South Valley Regional Acequia alongside State Senator Linda Lopez and Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero on Sunday. At the event Haaland announced her support for a proposal to secure annual and permanent funding for land grants and acequias. Their discussion centered on the importance of protecting and sustaining New Mexico’s acequias. 

These traditional land and water management systems are critical for protecting natural and water resources in northern New Mexico and ensure that communities in southern New Mexico continue to have access to the flow of resources. 

“Acequias are living history—neighbors caring for land and water together. Protecting them will not only support our northern communities, it will strengthen local governance and preserve New Mexico’s heritage,” said Haaland. “It’s essential infrastructure for a changing environment. Let’s invest in what makes our state strong.”

Since launching her campaign for governor, Haaland has toured land grants and met with acequia communities to discuss the needs of their communities and traditional practices to steward New Mexico’s land and water. She visited Morphy Lake in Mora County to see the impact of a wildfire on the watershed.

Haaland outlined her priorities for strengthening New Mexico’s water infrastructure, including modernizing groundwater management in overdrawn basins, expanding stormwater capture systems statewide, and offering competitive grants to farmers for modern irrigation technology at the Next Generation Water Summit this summer. 

Haaland has a strong record of supporting rural communities. As Secretary of the Interior, Haaland added acequias to traditional community water organizations for water management engagement. Also under her leadership, the Bureau of Land Management strongly supported the Land Grant-Mercedes Traditional Use Recognition and Consultation Act, a bill Haaland cosponsored as a member of the U.S. House that would improve consultation and communication between federal agencies and New Mexico’s land grant communities. She oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in major rural water infrastructure projects, and investments in the New Mexico Acequia Association to aid water resilience.