This year’s theme, “Agua y Justicia,” is a recognition of the profound importance of water to justice and equity in our communities. For over 30 years, acequia leaders have fought to protect acequias and our agricultural and food traditions for future generations. Our grassroots movement includes:
- Protecting water rights from mounting pressure from development and industry to move water out of agriculture. Our work has also grown to defend the interconnected waters of watersheds, rivers, and aquifers.
- Defending clean water by ensuring that our state has robust policies to prevent pollution of our waterways that support agriculture, ecosystems, and aquifer recharge.
- Advocating for restoration of our infrastructure and watersheds to continue to use our historic water rights. Water justice for acequias includes funding for acequia infrastructure and disaster recovery.
- Building an educational system where our youth in rural communities can benefit from place-based education and culturally relevant curriculum that includes acequias.
At the 2025 Congreso, we will convene acequia leaders from across the state to share stories, experience, and knowledge while also creating spaces for local acequia parciantes, community members, youth, and our supporters to network, dialogue, and strategize for the future.
On Friday, NMAA will host several workshops in the Student Union Building Classrooms with exhibits in the lobby area followed by dinner at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom. On Saturday, we will have the Congreso de las Acequias main event in the Student Union Building Ballroom. More details on the program will be available soon!!
Join acequia leaders to celebrate our heritage and to strategize for our collective future. Be part of a grassroots movement to work for justice in our communities by protecting water for future generations and defending clean water. Learn how we can work together for more equity and justice in infrastructure and disaster recovery. For more information, please contact Rudy Montoya at rudy@lasacequias.org. | 
