Improving Economic Returns and Long-Run Sustainability in a Rapidly Growing, Peri- Urban, Multicultural, Small-Scale, Traditional Farming Community

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2 Improving Economic Returns and Long-Run Sustainability in a Rapidly Growing, Peri- Urban, Multicultural, Small-Scale, Traditional Farming Community Leeann DeMouche Water Resource Specialist New Mexico State University 5 th Annual Small Farm Conference September 15-18, 2009 Springfield, IL

3 Team Members Rhonda Skaggs, Professor AEAB Zohrab Samani, Professor CE Salim Bawazir, Associate Professor, CE Max Bleiweiss, Research Scientist Jeff Bader, CES Rossana Alvarez-Diemer, Consultant Tyler Holmes, Graduate Assistant

4 Project Overview 1. Identify and quantify currently unmeasured scientific parameters which affect agricultural productivity and agricultural water use in peri-urban, small-scale, multicultural, traditional agriculture, and 2. Information from this project will be used to develop technologies and guidelines which will enhance the profitability and sustainability of small-scale farms.

5 Some facts about the Rio Grande Originates from San Juan Mountains in central Colorado Flows southward down the Rio Grande rift past El Paso, Texas Municipal and agricultural diversions dry up river past Fort Quitman, Texas Total wet flow length ~1,150 km

6 More facts about the Rio ~80% of the runoff of the Rio Grande originates from a small, high-elevation area in Colorado and northern New Mexico Precipitation in this area is as much as 1,500 mm annually and most runoff is from snowmelt The rest of the basin is semiarid to arid, with precipitation 500 to <200 mm/yr

7 Rio Grande above Ft. Quitman Three regions Upper Middle Lower Alluvial basins San Luis Albuquerque Hueco Irrigated agriculture San Luis valley MRGCD EBID

8 Upper Basin Headwaters San Juan Mountains Colorado Rio Chama Taos Canyon Gorge San Luis Valley Colorado Jemez Mountains Sangre de Cristo Mountains Sangre de Christo Mountains

9 Albuquerque Basin New Mexico Jemez River Sandia Mountains Albuquerque Rio Puerco Rio Salado

10 Rincon and Mesilla Valleys Elephant Butte Mesilla Valley Jornada del Muerto Caballo Rincon Valley White Sands Mesilla Valley Las Cruces El Paso / Juarez

11 Yet more facts about Rio Grande Current mean annual discharge at Otawi Bridge (northern New Mexico) is 49 m 3 s -1 Natural discharge (without ag diversions) at this point would have been ~70 m 3 s -1 TDS at headwaters is ~40 mg L -1 TDS at El Paso averages ~750 mg L -1 TDS at Fort Quitman is >2,000 mg L -1

12 Research Area Description of Area Water Supply Native Flow Storage Transmountain diversion Historical av. Diversion: 600,000 af Water Demand Irrigated service area: 55,000 acres, not including Pueblo lands.

13 Research Area This satellite picture gives a satellite overview of the project area from a satellite perspective. Project area covers 70 kilometers within the Middle Rio Grande Basin. Data is 10 meter spatial resolution with a false color rendering to emulate color infrared film were red represents vegetation and all other colors are close to their true color. Satellite data was acquired from a Japanese satellite.

14 System Operation Combination of irrigation canals and drains Large diversions to maintain continuous flow; large return flow Somewhat of an on-demand water delivery Low management intensity Supply >> Demand, Low operational cost Recently started a rotational water delivery practiced (integrated in drought years)

15 Project Approach a. Estimate crop water use & irrigation efficiency. b. Identify hydrologic impacts of agricultural irrigation practices & assess hydrologic water balance. c. Evaluate economic returns from agricultural production & water use. e. Evaluate impact of agriculture practices on ground water quality. Assess micro-climatic impacts of small scale agriculture. f. Establish & implement a pre-planning South Valley community advisory group. g. Develop a five-year strategic plan that focuses on research & development & promotion of efficient irrigation.

16 Approach The hydrologic balance will be evaluated by measuring water inflow and outflow components within the hydrologic system. Critical inflow components are streamflow, precipitation, and groundwater recharge. Critical outflow components are evapotranspiration and groundwater pumping. Installed flux tower on a 26 acre parcel of alfalfa Installed two weather stations on two farms of alfalfa Process of install 3 rd weather station Currently we are setting up a series of Piezometers at various farms throughout the study area and working closely with the irrigation district.

17 Use thermal imaging to assess the micro-climatic impacts of small-scale agriculture, specifically the cooling effect of agriculture in a desert environment NDVI images: (Left) Winter scenes (Right) Summer composite. The portion of the region shown here is from Albuquerque to the bridge over the Rio Grande. The scale for the NDVI is shown in the right image. Note the much larger number of high NDVI regions in the composited image as opposed to the single scene.

18 Develop advisory group to administer and provide oversight Plan, design and implement a series of preplanning workshops to raise awareness, engage the relevant farmers and experts in the study area, and gather basic data and information.

19 Survey Study Area The region outlined in black is the study area in the South Valley of Albuquerque, NM. This area is checker boarded with farmland and urban housing along the Rio Grande river basin. Traveling north into the city, the population becomes much denser. To the south, more and more farmland covers the river basin.

20 Survey Methodology Participatory action research-based. The premise of this project is that, as initiators of the action research project, farmers in the South Valley community do believe in the project and its aims at the outset. The participatory action procedures will follow a strategic planning process to determine the future of water quality and quantity questions such as are current irrigation practices sustainable and how will the emergence of practices that can actually contribute to efficient irrigation transform the natural and economic environment. The participatory action procedures will include the design and implementation of a community referencing system to identify the most knowledgeable farmers and experts in the region. Quantitative data will be collected via a pre-survey focusing on irrigation BMPs and a post survey assessing the strategic planning process. The primary planning question posed to the South Valley community residents will be: With respect to local agriculture what is the most desirable future for farmers in the South Valley community, and what is the most desirable future in the year 2014?

21 Research and Community Questions

22 Will increased agricultural irrigation efficiencies make more water available to other users?

23 Depletion ET from a watershed s surface is water lost to a hydrological basin. Water applied in excess of ET not always lost Recharging the Aquifer.

24 Diversion Water removed from its natural course through a physical location by canal, pipe, etc. is water lost to the basin. Basis of water allocation & water rights. Perceived water losses often based on benefit an observer attaches to a particular diversion or use.

25 Depletion vs. Diversion? Depletion principle is hydrologically correct But goes against conventional wisdom Popular notions of efficient water use Public policies & public/private investments seek to solve water scarcity through increased efficiency and reallocation of water.

26 Value of Water? Value is highly subjective Social, economic, environmental, political terms Global, societal, individual accounting stances Water flows uphill to money. Golf courses, M & I uses

27 Conventional Wisdom Idea or explanation that is generally accepted as true by the community. 1. Water conservation is good. 2. Low irrigation efficiency is bad. 3. Low irrigation efficiency = wasted water 4. ag irrigation efficiency = water conservation 5. More water for other, new users 6. Everybody s happy!

28 Is there any way to create new water in a closed basin? Need for accurate accounting of actual water use. Increased accountability by water users, irrigation districts & state authorities. Improved techniques for measurement of water use will contribute to accountability.

29 Acknowledgements Funding for this project is sponsored by the USDA: CSREES Small and Medium Size Farm Prosperity Agreement No