Channel restructuring is a term in ecological restoration work that implies changes to the river channel itself. There are various techniques and methods for channel restructuring, many examples of which can be drawn within New Mexico river systems, specifically the Middle Rio Grande (MRG). Some channel restructuring techniques are bank lowering, swales for wetland regeneration, and channeling along the riparian zone. Re-channeling projects have the potential to offer flooding relief to the communities along the river and they also can encourage ecosystems that are more adaptable to climate change. Ultimately, these projects will need to be combined with other techniques, such as structure consolidation and the changing of flow regime, to improve the overall resilience of the system, both human and natural. This integration of techniques needs to be approached from a system-wide perspective, as the resilience paradigm suggests.
A planned order of operations may be necessary in order to begin channel restructuring, for example flushing the sediment and gravel to increase channel capacity may be needed before beginning to lower banks and creating swales for wetlands. Agritourism start-up businesses may be a great way to bring about community awareness and gain support from government institutions, which will in turn be necessary to support restructuring tasks and tourism activities. Some of these tasks can be paired for greater efficiency and more leverage when proposing change to decision makers. Higher flows to flush river sediment can also be used to accommodate floating activities for visitors and perhaps also used to flood banks for ecological recruitment. Cultural preservation can be integrated with each tourist activity to ensure visitors are educated on the acequia’s history and way of life. No matter the desired order, a holistic approach must be applied to ensure there is equal emphasis on ecology, flood risk, the local culture and climate change. A basin approach from the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) framework would be ideal to ensure all of these efforts were incorporated in the channel restructuring process while keeping the river’s well-being at the forefront of all activities.
Cultural Preservation
Acequias are a defining feature in water management in the southwest. These gravity flow irrigation canals interwoven with rivers have shaped the region’s communities as much as the landscape for centuries. These long-standing water governance structures face a number of threats -- social, economic, environmental, legal, governance scopes, and cultural risks. Natural uncertainties in arid landscapes such as drought are being compounded with the effects of climate change. The largest insecurity acequias face may be a lack of cultural participation and adaption of practices. When acequias that have developed for hundreds of years on the principle culture of community-lead governance loses its participants, or parciantes, the structure of the system can collapse. Adaption to threads needs to come in many forms. To remain a resilient system and promote cultural preservation, acequia systems need to build in resiliency through new forms of management that meet challenges.
To learn more about the acequia culture in the lower Rio Chama region, visit the Cultural Preservation section.
Agricultural and Ecological Tourism
Developing a market for agritourism in the lower Rio Chama region fits into the plan for channel restructuring as both a tool by which to incentivize action and as a finished product by which the acequia owners would secure a legacy that continues for the next generation. Agritourism can be the vehicle by which to propose future plans for a both a resilient channel and diversified economy. It can also be a means to ensure that certain aspects of the acequia culture are protected and shared with others. Visitors would be lured to the region to participate in the new tourism industry, and this would help further justify any costs and institutional changes that would be needed to restructure the channel. In return, once the channel is restructured, the new ecological diversity would be even more attractive to visitors and could provide opportunity for more businesses. This could encourage crop diversification and even greater economic diversity. In order to sustain a resilient river system, agritourism planners should be mindful to incorporate their tourism model into a larger integrated water resource management plan, whereby the river basin is the main concern. This would ensure that there is a balance among work done for ecological recruitment, cultural preservation, flood management, and future climate change effects and all efforts are considered in order to protect the river system. If greed overpowers the desire to maintain the basin in its entirety, the resilience of the local river system could be at risk. There needs to be continued communication between all the efforts of the channel restricting process. Another important consideration with regards to agritourism is that the local acequia residents maintain control of the planning process. Support and investment from outside the region would be a great help to the community, but there could be increased social and environmental risks if control over management and development is taken over by outsiders. For more a more in-depth discussion on Agritourism ideas, visit the Ecological & Agricultural Tourism section.