On Saturday, September 18, community members gathered at the site of the Atrisco Acequia Madre headwaters to learn about and share their ideas for the conceptual design of this site. This celebration was a kickoff for a planning process that will continue through June 2022.
In addition to learning about this project, residents heard from project partner representatives including Mayor Tim Keller, Director Barbara Baca (MRGCD), Commissioner Debbie O'Malley (Bernalillo County), Vice-Chair Klarissa J. Peña (ABCWUA), Council Lan Sena (COA), Executive Director Jorge Garcia (CESOSS), President Santiago Maestas (SVRAA), and Commissioner Albert Sanchez (SVRAA) about the historic and present importance of this site.
Prior to these presentations, over a dozen volunteers gathered to cleanup the nearby bosque, led by City of Albuquerque Open Space Division Superintendent Colleen Langan-McRoberts and Volunteer Coordinator Dionne Epps. Meanwhile, CESOSS led a danza azteca as a blessing for the site, setting the tone and purpose for our time together and future collaborations on this land.
After the blessing and presentations, attendees were invited to join one of two "walk and talk" tours along the acequia, hosted by Yasmeen Najmi of MRGCD and Santiago Maestas of SVRAA. Information tables were setup for each of the project partners, so attendees could hear more about their work and purpose for committing to this partnership.
Learn more about upcoming community events and take the Atrisco Acequia Madre Community Survey.