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GWC Welcomes New Water Law Fellow Tyanne Benallie

Annie Carlozzi — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 21:54:43 +0000

GWC Welcomes New Water Law Fellow Tyanne Benallie Annie Carlozzi Wed, 04/01/2026 - 15:54

Colorado Law is ranked seventh in the nation for environmental law with the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment (GWC) advancing its commitment to educating young leaders through the Water Law Fellows Program. Now in its fifth year, the program addresses the rising demand for thoughtful policy initiatives at all levels of government by training the next generation of outstanding leaders in sustainable water management, water law, and policy.

With the accelerated need to address extraordinary circumstances in an unprecedented era, Colorado Law and the GWC are uniquely situated as a premier pipeline of diverse future leaders in environmental and natural resources matters.

The Water Law Fellows Program is not just an educational experience — it’s a career accelerator. This intensive multidisciplinary program equips Fellows with the skills and knowledge to produce high-quality work that influences law reform in the public interest, setting them up for successful careers in environmental law and policy.

Fellows conduct reform-oriented research on the most pressing issues in their field and interact with public and private sector leaders to inform policymaking, all while under the mentorship of leading researchers. Colorado Law and the GWC are known for distinguished faculty, a long record of public service, an extraordinary body of research and an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes unique on-the-ground learning.

The Getches-Wilkinson Center is thrilled to announce that Tyanne Benallie will be joining the team as a Water Law Fellow in August 2026. Tyanne Benallie (Ty) is a member of the Diné Nation, born for the Tó’ahaní (Near the Water Clan) and born into Naashashí (Bear Clan), with family roots in the Bisti region (Checkerboard) of northwest New Mexico. Raised in Albuquerque, she developed an early appreciation for diverse cultures, which has led her to travel to 43 countries.

Ty holds a B.A. in Political Science from Fort Lewis College, with a minor in Spanish, and an M.A. in International Development and Social Change from Clark University. She has dedicated her career to working with resilient populations, bringing expertise in Indigenous capacity-building initiatives and policy across environmental, social, education, and health sectors. Her experience includes work in tribal communities, roles in Washington, D.C., and volunteer service in developing countries.

She will graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of New Mexico School of Law in May 2026, along with dual certificates in Indian Law and Natural Resources and Environmental Law. Outside her studies and work, Ty enjoys traveling, running, hiking, skiing, ice skating, yoga, photography, writing, film, reading, music, and time with family. Ahé’héé.

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Advanced Natural Resources Seminar Explores the Colorado Plateau

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:03:58 +0000

Advanced Natural Resources Seminar Explores the Colorado Plateau Annie Carlozzi Mon, 03/30/2026 - 14:03

Celeste Baro , Sydney Stellato

After an approximately seven-hour drive from Boulder, we arrived at Dugout Ranch and the Canyonlands Research Center, tucked deep within canyon country near Bears Ears National Monument and Canyonlands National Park. We spent our first night under a sky full of stars, and in the morning, we woke from our tents surrounded by towering orange and red rock formations.

That morning, we met with Matt and Kristen Redd, managers of the Dugout Ranch and Canyonlands Research Center. In 1997, The Nature Conservancy worked with the Redd family to purchase the Dugout Ranch, securing a major conservation win and protecting important lands and waters from development. Later, in 2009, The Nature Conservancy purchased the Dugout’s cattle herd for use as a research tool, and in 2010, a suite of partners formally launched the Canyonlands Research Center. Hearing about the ranch’s transformation into a living research laboratory showed us what collaborative conservation can look like in practice where ranching, science, and conservation all intersect.

While at the ranch, we also heard from Shaun Ketchum, a young Diné and Ute Mountain Ute leader and Director of the 100 Years of Silence Project. He shared the history behind the project, which seeks to illuminate a painful and little-known event in Ute history, when 80 Ute tribal members were rounded up and imprisoned in a barbed-wire camp near Blanding, Utah, based on false accusations. The project works to bring this history to light in order to promote public understanding and healing for Ute people.

We also hiked into Shay Canyon to view petroglyphs etched into the canyon walls. After our hike, we drove to Bluff, Utah, where we stayed for the night.

The following morning, we met Amanda Podmore, Conservation Director at the Grand Canyon Trust, for breakfast before heading out for a hike along Comb Ridge. There, we talked about the Trust’s work on Bears Ears National Monument, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, and their broader public lands and tribal outreach efforts across the Colorado Plateau.

From there, we made our way to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, where we stayed at the Grand Canyon Trust’s Kane Ranch. In September 2005, the Trust completed a historic transaction to purchase the grazing rights and base property of the Kane and Two-Mile Ranches in the heart of the Arizona Strip. Together, the ranches encompass 850,000 acres. Because current law requires that some cattle be grazed on the ranches, the Trust maintains a cattle operation while also carrying out an ambitious conservation program to assess and improve land health. They collect baseline data across different ecosystems—ponderosa pine forest, pinyon-juniper woodland, and wetlands—and track changes over time to guide restoration and management.

We spent the next two nights at Kane Ranch cooking meals together, wandering the fields, and watching the stars at night. During the day, we visited the proposed dam site in Marble Canyon and discussed ongoing Colorado River issues—water scarcity, drought, and the immense pressure placed on the river by the many communities and states that rely on it. We also drove to a condor viewing area, where we learned about the reintroduction of the California condor, an endangered species that once had a population of only about 20 individuals. Seeing condors soaring again over the canyon felt like a rare conservation success story. We also visited the White Sage Burn area and discussed pinyon-juniper management and changing fire regimes on the landscape.

The next morning, we drove to Page, Arizona, for a tour of Glen Canyon Dam with Bob Martin, Deputy Power Manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Authorized by the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956 and completed in 1963, Glen Canyon Dam was built to store water for Colorado River Compact requirements and generate hydroelectric power. Standing inside the dam, we talked about the future of Lake Powell and the very real possibility of the reservoir reaching “dead pool,” the level at which water can no longer flow through the dam, and even “power pool,” where hydropower generation would no longer be possible. These questions—about water storage, electricity, drought, and the ability of Upper Basin states to meet compact obligations—made clear just how much the modern West depends on this single river system.

After the tour, we continued to Tuba City, located on the border of the Navajo and Hopi reservations, reflecting on everything we had seen and learned over the past several days—about conservation, history, water, energy, and the many different people and communities connected to these landscapes.

Tuba City happened to be the city that Professor Krakoff began her career in American Indian Law, working for DNA People’s Legal Services for three years. We visited her home when she lived in Tuba City – an old Mormon settlement with tall poplar trees. We got to see Newspaper Rock – a popular site for petroglyphs from various historical tribes that used the rock to communicate with each other. We spoke with women from Change Labs – a non-profit working on giving resources to Native run businesses through providing business coaching, microloans, and a workspace for people to work out of. They work with all different types of businesses to help make sure that businesses on the reservation can thrive. This was complimented by a talk with Amber Benally and Ethan Aumack who highlighted the Grand Canyon Trust’s Just Transition Program focused on helping tribes that benefitted from coal mining to transition to non-extractive industries.

At Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation, we spoke to Bidtah Becker, the Chief Legal Counsel for the President and Vice President, about current water rights settlements happening on the Colorado River, the Navajo Nation’s water settlement, and how the two are intertwined. We also got to speak with one of the Navajo Nation’s hydrologists who explained the science of the water settlement to us. Finally, we had lunch in town with Navajo tacos, a specialty on the Nation. We stopped by the home of Deon Ben, the Native America Director, who talked about his work with the Grand Canyon Trust and working on coalition building for Southwest Tribes, including the tribes work with establishing and managing nearby National Monuments. He also allowed us to see into his home, a modern day hogan. Hogans are traditional dwellings of the Navajo people. Being able to see him living and working on his families homestead was a privilege.

On Thursday, we left the Navajo Nation and went back into Colorado. We stayed in Ignasio, Colorado where we met with Lisa Yellow Eagle, and got to visit the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. We talked about the Southern Ute’s federally reserved water rights and the water projects that they and the BIA have on tribal property. Then we got to tour the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project (“PRITT”) and see the miles and miles of irrigation and canals that the tribe uses to get water. We discussed water settlements and how the water of Colorado has been used to support the tribe, and various economic avenues that the tribe has used to support itself. As an added benefit we got to see a bald eagle flying away!

Finally, we met with a former student of the seminar, who went on his own field seminar down by the Rio Grande when he attended Colorado Law. We had dinner with Dan McCarl who currently works for Maynes, Bradford, Shipps & Sheftel. He has worked with the DOJ in the Environment & Natural Resource Division and Western Energy Project and had a very nuanced view into how various aspects of American Indian Law, energy law, and water law coincide. He offered insight into how to be an attorney working from different avenues to help achieve our goals.

We spent the night in Pagosa Springs before driving back up to Boulder on Friday. After eight days of learning and being on the road we were very excited to be back at Colorado Law to be able to put everything we learned about into action!

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Rethinking How the United States and Mexico Share the Colorado River

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:35:06 +0000

Rethinking How the United States and Mexico Share the Colorado River Annie Carlozzi Mon, 03/30/2026 - 10:35

Eric Kuhn , Anne Castle , Carlos de la Parra , John Fleck , Jack Schmidt , Kathryn Sorensen , Katherine Tara

With the existing Colorado River operating rules set to expire in nine months, the relationships among the Basin States have been the focus of much discussion and analysis, but the agreements between the US and Mexico governing their relationship are terminating at the same time. Discussions between the two countries are just ramping up, and there is a window of opportunity for new, creative arrangements that better reflect conditions on the River and make Mexico less dependent on what appears to be inevitable litigation in the US. This paper looks closely at the hydrology and hydrogeography of the Colorado River and suggests a shift from a fixed volume delivery obligation to one that equitably shares whatever water exists on a percentage basis.

Authors:
Eric Kuhn, Anne Castle, Carlos de la Parra, John Fleck, Jack Schmidt, Kathryn Sorensen and Katherine Tara

Rethinking How the United States and Mexico Share the Colorado River

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Now Hiring! Summer Student Research Assistants

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:09:15 +0000

Now Hiring! Summer Student Research Assistants Annie Carlozzi Mon, 03/23/2026 - 14:09

The Getches-Wilkinson Center (GWC) is seeking Colorado Law students interested in natural resources, energy, and environmental law to serve as the GWC Summer Research Assistant. The Summer Research Assistants will work closely with the GWC staff, including the Executive Director and GWC Western Waterwho will help direct the student’s research in the areas of water law, public lands, climate change, and natural resources as applied to the American west.

The Research Assistant will be responsible for conducting research and producing written content for the GWC. Potential projects include work on ongoing research, current development in management and conservation for federal public lands, and legislative reforms to conservation laws.

Position Overview

The Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment (GWC) is seeking Colorado Law students interested in natural resources, energy, and environmental law to serve as the GWC Research Assistant.

Key benefits include:

Legal research and writing, supported by GWC staff, focused on real-world challenges in water law, public lands, climate change and natural resources as applied to the American West.
Mentorship from faculty and GWC staff and access to GWC’s network of leaders on the Advisory Council.
Opportunities for original scholarship and publication.

Eligibility
Open to currently enrolled 1L or 2L students at Colorado Law.

Payment Details

This is a part-time position at $20/hr for summer and may continue into the fall semester pending funding availability. Scheduling is flexible to accommodate other commitments.
Work-study is preferred. Interested students should apply for work-study funding. Work-study information is available here: /studentemployment/work-study

Application Instructions
Submit the following as a single PDF to Annie Carlozzi (annie.carlozzi@colorado.edu) by Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 11:59pm.

Cover letter explaining your interest in the position and your optimum hours
Resume.
Law school transcript (unofficial accepted).
Writing sample.

Applications will be received by GWC staff and an interview may be scheduled. The selected Research Assistant will be notified by early April 2026.

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Piper Lacy ('27) and Lex Padilla ('27) Named 2026-27 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars

Annie Carlozzi — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:39:41 +0000

Piper Lacy ('27) and Lex Padilla ('27) Named 2026-27 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars Annie Carlozzi Sun, 03/22/2026 - 17:39

University of Colorado Law School students Piper Lacy (’27) and Lex Padilla (’27) have been named the 2025-2026 Colorado Law Wyss Scholars in U.S. Lands Conservation. The Wyss Scholars Program, funded by the Wyss Foundation, is awarded to two Colorado Law students each year. The scholars program supports graduate-level education for promising leaders in United States land conservation. Recipients receive generous financial assistance to cover the full cost of one year of law school, as well as funds for internship opportunities, research assistance, and postgraduate support. Wyss Scholars learn the latest in conservation law and policy and apply that knowledge in careers at land management agencies and nonprofit conservation groups.

Piper Lacy’s connection to the land and commitment to environmental conservation developed while she was growing up on her family’s farm in Western Massachusetts. As an undergraduate at Mount Holyoke College, Piper leaned into her passion for environmental stewardship and created a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Justice Fellowship with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts at its Hadley Farm. This led her to study sustainable agriculture as an avenue for promoting land conservation and combating climate change.

Before law school, Piper worked as a soil ecology and cropping systems lab technician at Montana State University and the University of Massachusetts. Conducting research on farmland in rural Montana highlighted the environmental harms caused by mainstream agricultural practices and the vulnerability of rural communities. Inspired by this experience, Piper decided to pursue a legal career focused on promoting sustainable agriculture, land conservation, and community resilience.

Piper’s background in soil science and sustainable agriculture has influenced her to pursue a legal career that involves range management and restoration of native grasslands and forests. Because so much public and private land in the United States is used for agricultural purposes, Piper hopes to engage in work that reduces the negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity, water quality, and soil health.

As a student at Colorado Law, Piper has taken advantage of opportunities to become a part of and contribute to Colorado Law’s environmental law community as a member of the board of the Colorado Environmental Law Society and as Lead Notes Editor for the Colorado Environmental Law Journal. Piper has also pursued experiential learning opportunities to establish a well-rounded foundation in environmental law and conservation. She has externed with Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food and Farming Program and participated in Colorado Law’s Getches-Green Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law Clinic.

Piper is also very passionate about the conservation of public lands for recreational and cultural purposes. In her free time, Piper escapes to the mountains to go backcountry skiing, trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing. Informed by her own experiences in the outdoors, Piper believes that people are far more likely to be motivated to protect wild places if they have had the opportunity to experience those places and all they have to offer. She hopes to pursue a career with a focus on protecting and improving access to public lands, while also advocating for sustainable and responsible use of public lands to conserve essential ecosystems and wildlife habitat. She looks forward to gaining insight into local conservation efforts and land use planning as a Law Clerk with the Boulder County Attorney’s office this summer.

Lex Padilla’s interest in public land conservation started with noticing how little nature remained in the suburban landscape where she grew up. Moments like watching her grandmother look for birds outside her window made her aware of how fragile those everyday connections to land and wildlife had become. Seeing events like the Flint water crisis unfold reinforced her sense that environmental issues are closely tied to fairness, community health, and access.

She lives by this quote, attributed to Dr. Lilla Watson, “If you have come to help, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound together with mine, let us walk together.” If the land is not free, the air is not clean, and the birds are dying, then are we really, truly liberated? For these very reasons, Lex has developed a lifelong commitment to environmental law and conservation.

Through college and law school, that early awareness turned into a clear academic and professional
direction. She studied political science with a strong focus on environmental ethics and justice, worked in environmental education and climate policy, and supported CEQA compliance. In law school, she deepened her focus through the Environmental Law Journal, the Natural Resources Clinic, and research roles with the Getches-Wilkinson Center and Professor Mark Squillace. Her internships with Earthjustice and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office gave her practical experience with the legal frameworks that govern land, water, and air.

She now hopes to build a career as a public interest attorney in the American West, working on public lands, resource management, and conservation. Her goal is to join the Colorado Attorney General’s Natural Resource Fellowship Program and continue serving the state through work that supports both ecological health and community needs.

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Aden Choate and Leah Dory Named 2026 David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows

Annie Carlozzi — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:24:26 +0000

Aden Choate and Leah Dory Named 2026 David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows Annie Carlozzi Fri, 03/20/2026 - 14:24

University of Colorado Law School students Aden Choate ('28) and Leah Dory ('28) are this year’s David Harrison Innovations in Water and Energy Law & Policy Fellows. The Fellowship, initiated in 2010 by partners of the law firm of Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C. in honor David L. Harrison (Law ‘71), is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of water and energy law and policy. This year, for the first time, we are thrilled to support two Harrison Fellows.

Aden Choate is a first-year law student from Charleston, IL, with a keen interest in environmental governance and water law. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in 2021, where she majored in Culture & Politics with a focus on political ecology in the Andean region. While studying abroad in Ecuador, she first encountered rights-of-nature frameworks, which the country codified in its 2008 constitution to grant legal rights to natural bodies. Before law school, Aden worked for three years as a journalist, most recently as a staff reporter in Provincetown, MA, covering local government. Her reporting on water-related conflicts sparked her interest in water law and its role in community governance. Through the Harrison Fellowship, she looks forward to advancing her understanding of rights-of-nature frameworks and comparative water law, and to building a foundation to further explore their applications for water security in the United States.

Leah Dory is a first-year law student interested in water law and policy. Inspired by growing up on a farm in Colorado, interning with a U.S. senator, and studying water policy in China, Leah is interested in the ways law shapes our relationship to water, land, and one another. Through the Harrison Fellowship, Leah seeks to engage more deeply at the intersection of law and environmental systems while learning new ways to advance the sustainable management of water. Leah is a Student Deputy Director of the Acequia Assistance Project, the incoming Vice President of NALSA, and ELS Bar Association Liaison and Coordinator for the �鶹��Ѱ��Undergraduate Colorado Water Fellows. When not reading for class, Leah climbs rocks, makes stained glass art, and plays in the snow.

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Samantha Crosby (Colorado Law '28) Named 2026 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow

Annie Carlozzi — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:44:46 +0000

Samantha Crosby (Colorado Law '28) Named 2026 Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow Annie Carlozzi Wed, 03/18/2026 - 13:44

University of Colorado Law School student Samantha Crosby ('28) is this year’s Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow. The Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellowship, initiated in 2023 by leaders of the Conscience Bay Company, is awarded each year to a Colorado Law student on the basis of academic performance, commitment to public service, and interest in the study of Western water law and policy. To the extent practicable, each Conscience Bay Company Western Water Policy Fellow will focus on a specific project in advancing innovative solutions for sustainable management of water in the Western United States.

Samantha Crosby is a 1L student at the University of Colorado Law School. She grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and spent a lot of her childhood on the water in Arizona — Bartlett Lake, Lake Powell, etc. Watching the Phoenix area expand despite water shortages led to her interest in water law. She hopes to explore the water policy issues impacting her new community in Colorado and her community back home in Arizona. She's hopeful that her research through the Fellowship will supplement her learning in the environmental classes she plans to take throughout her time at Colorado Law and give her an interesting perspective on the legal issues that impact Western water policy.

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April 1: Wyss Scholars Host Steve Bloch for Student Conversation

Annie Carlozzi — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:31:34 +0000

April 1: Wyss Scholars Host Steve Bloch for Student Conversation Annie Carlozzi Tue, 03/17/2026 - 11:31

Obie Johnson ('26) and Andrea Shipton ('26), current Wyss Scholars, will moderate a discussion with Steve Bloch regarding his experience in land conservation law and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). Bloch's visit to Colorado Law is thanks to the Wyss Foundation Scholars Program which supports the graduate-level education of emerging leaders in U.S. land conservation by providing scholarships, mentorship, and community.

Wed, April 1 12-12:50pm
Wolf Law Building Room 204
Lunch will be provided!

Steve Bloch
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Stephen Bloch is an attorney and legal director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). SUWA is Utah’s largest conservation organization. Formed in 1983, its mission is the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans. Steve received his law degree from the S.J Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and has worked at SUWA since 1999. In 2011, he was the Utah State Bar Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law (ENREL) Section’s Lawyer of the Year and he served as ENREL Section Chair in 2019-2020. Steve currently serves on the Salt Lake City Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry & Trails Advisory Board. He and his family live in Salt Lake City.

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June 3: The American Southwest Film Screening

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:37:48 +0000

June 3: The American Southwest Film Screening Annie Carlozzi Mon, 03/16/2026 - 10:37

The American Southwest Film Screening
Wednesday, June 3rd
6:00-7:30pm: Film Screening followed by Q&A with Filmmaker Len Necefer

On the eve of the 2026 Conference on the Colorado River, GWC and American Indian Law Program are pleased to invite the public to join us for an inspiring film and an engaging conversation with Filmmaker Len Necefer.

This is a free, in person event. Advanced registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

The American Southwest is a wild and unforgettable journey down the mighty Colorado River. Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse, the film beautifully showcases the region’s abundant wildlife, confronts the ecological impacts of dams and river depletion, and boldly advocates for increased water and wildlife conservation. This Fin and Fur Films production travels through legendary landscapes from the perspective of some of the Southwest’s most charming characters—such as wetland-building beavers, bugling bull elk, and desert-adapted rattlesnakes.

Created in association with Natives Outdoors, The American Southwest highlights the region’s deep cultural history and the urgent need to manage the river more sustainably so that both wildlife and society can thrive.

Dr. Len Necefer, Ph.D. — Producer
Len Necefer is an Indigenous (Diné) scholar, filmmaker, and founder of NativesOutdoors, a media and advocacy collective focused on outdoor recreation, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of Arizona. Raised between urban and reservation life, Len offers a distinctive perspective on environmental storytelling—rooted in scientific rigor, cultural knowledge, and lived experience. His work centers on building more inclusive narratives around public lands, water, and the future of conservation.

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Acequia Assistance Project Student Attorneys Attend 12th Annual Congreso de Acequias

Annie Carlozzi — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 19:37:36 +0000

Acequia Assistance Project Student Attorneys Attend 12th Annual Congreso de Acequias Annie Carlozzi Mon, 03/09/2026 - 13:37

Leah Dory and Conor Hughes

Acequia Assistance Project student attorneys, along with MENV policy students, went to the San Luis Valley this month to attend the 12th annual Congreso de Acequias. While there, students met with their clients, experienced the local culture, and learned about the generational traditions of ranching and farming in the Valley. This visit allowed students to connect more deeply with the community and gain hands-on legal experience.

The trip to the Valley began on Friday afternoon with client meetings, where students met one-on-one with their clients regarding a variety of issues, such as bylaws and incorporations for acequias. These conversations grounded students' work in real relationships, offering a deeper understanding of the legal questions at hand. The team then rounded out the evening at the infamous Mrs. Rios for a Mexican/Thai dinner. This year, the group was joined by activist Shirley Romero Otero for an engaging dinner speech about the history of the Valley and the ongoing issues the Valley is facing.

Before the start of Congreso de Acequias at the local school, students went on a ditch and farm tour with local fifth-generation farmer, Aquino “Jerry” Gellegos. Students walked the People Ditch, Colorado's oldest continuously used ditch, with court decree priority number one from 1852, while Jerry shared the ditch’s importance to the community. Students then visited Jerry's cattle operation and met the cute new calves.

The main event, Congreso de Acequias, is an annual full-day conference that centers local voices, issues, and plans for the future. The event began with a bendición de las aguas – the blessing of the water – where water from each acequia in attendance was combined and blessed by a priest. The water was then poured into small jars and distributed to the community.The ceremony set the tone for the day, that water is not just as a resource, but something communal, cultural, and deeply relational.

The first presentation was from the Division of Water Resources, which examined the forecasted flows in the area. This bleak forecast was followed by a cautionary presentation from Gerald Romero, who shared about surviving and rebuilding in the aftermath of the Hermit Peak Calf Canyon fire in northern New Mexico. Drawing parallels to the San Luis Valley, he offered both warning and guidance, emphasizing preparation, resilience, and community response in the face of increasing fire risk.
These stimulating presentations were followed by Acequia Assistance Project Director Gregor MacGregor’s invitation to community members in need of legal assistance to fill out a program intake form. The annual student art contest then presented awards to students from kindergarten to high school for the art they made representing water and the community. A delicious lunch, entirely composed of locally sourced food, followed.

The afternoon began with a discussion of beavers. While an integral part of the landscape and providing many watershed benefits, beavers have also been a thorn in the side of many irrigators in the Valley. A variety of solutions, “beaver deceivers,” have been created to promote coexistence between irrigators and beavers, such as culvert protectors and tree wrapping. Attendees then headed out to the field for a demonstration on two methods for improving soil health, no-till and fungal-rich compost.

Throughout the weekend, students took this opportunity to learn, listen, and build relationships with the community. These experiences will shape how they approach their clients and understand the broader significance of their work. The Acequia Assistance Project is grateful to all the community members who provided such a warm welcome to the students this year. Students are already looking forward to their next trip to the Valley!

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