"ACEQUIA DAY"

Senate Memorial 5 (SM 5) designates February 11, 2025, as "Acequia Day" in the New Mexico Senate to honor acequias - traditional community-managed irrigation systems central to New Mexico's agricultural heritage, water governance, and cultural identity for centuries. The resolution recognizes acequias' role in sustaining rural livelihoods, preserving water-sharing traditions, and supporting local food production across New Mexico's over 700 community water systems. This symbolic memorial does not create new laws or alter policies but serves as a formal acknowledgment of acequias' historical and ongoing contributions to the state's water management and economy.