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Betsy Diaz

About Betsy Diaz

Posts by Betsy Diaz:

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Rivering Music — A Poem

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Amidst cacophony of chaotic wars of life,

young springs of music

stream rivulets of hope

 in bubbling harmonic patterns.

Deep within

music spills from auditory visions

of agile breath, fingers, hands

into woodwinds, strings or keys.

Joyfully, it resonates within my being

as sunlit ripples flow,

rivering

splashes and burblings,

slipping and sliding

through my ears to my mind,

immersing my heart

 in layered enchantment.

Several streams merge

peacefully pooling

ever so close to silence;

abruptly erupting into fiercely foaming waters

   expertly navigating submerged rocky interludes,

 its rapids race to crashing waterfalls,

crescendoing

into fluid variations that explode into rainbow hued sprays.

Now melding into

legatoed rivering

past fresh green meadows,

through tree shadowed narrows,

 these liquid sounds reach sandbar codas.

Their virtuoso streams stilled,

permeate soil, aquifers and minds.

  1. Betsy Diaz 6/27/24

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Update on Pilgrimage in Support of Clear Horizon Act – SB 18

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The Clear Horizon Act pilgrimage is East of the Manzano Mountains now, close to Cibola National Forest with its elevation varied flora & fauna zones.  The Forest Service just announced a Revised Gas & Oil leasing rule rolling back protections permitting extraction of Oil & Gas in these precious ecosystems. This underscores the critical role Sen. Mimi Stewart’s Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizon Act could play in regulating pollution to keep water & air near extraction sites clean, protecting NM’s land, water and health of natural ecosytems and NM residents near extraction sites.

            There had to be a rotation of pilgrims, as Jim had to leave to help his wife, hospitalized with pneumonia, and Rev. Clara had to resume her church duties for a short time.  James & Joyce Skeet of the Future Water Ancestors, Sierra Club & Global Warming Express folks have been walking with Desiree Bernard, NM/El Paso IPL executive Director, who is valiantly, in sun, snow and cold walking & sleeping during the entire route from Carlsbad, NM to the NM Capitol Roundhouse.  At 1 point when she was walking alone ranchers came to check that she was all right.

            Rev. Clara reported that though walking in Artesia’s toxic atmosphere was horrible. Pilgrims learned that people who reside there with governance that does not permit dialogue about its pollution, were greatly relieved that the pilgrims are going to share information about their situation with NM legislators & hopes for passage of the Clear Horizon Act. Artesia drivers honked, giving thumbs up, which must be because a local paper actually reported that the pilgrims were walking there. Further on near Corona, they spotted with great relief renewable energy systems. People along their route have been friendly and interested in why they are making this winter 340 mile trek.

            The attachments detail information about the Clear Horizon Act. Senate Bill 18. Desiree asks that you contact your legislators and check where SB 18 is when you read this to plead that it is passed to protect clean air & water statewide.  It was likely heard in the Senate Conservation Committee today. If you are a person of faith, add prayers that Senate committee members are moved to pass SB18 to prevent degradation of NM’s natural life & to protect the health of fauna and humans.

 

Healthy Climate New Mexico Clear Horizon Act One Pager (1)

SB18 – Clear Horizons Act

 

Legs in hiking boots closeup, a girl walks on a rocky desert ter

Arduous Pilgrimage to Protect New Mexico Communities from Oil and Gas Pollution

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1/12/25 – 2/5/26 from Carlsbad, NM to the State Capitol in Santa Fe, NM on Climate Action Day – 320 miles, 12,425 ft./elevation, 25 days

This Sacred & Moral Pilgrimage is an offering of bodies & feet of 3 Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) Leaders who will walk 7-9 miles a day to witness communities who suffer from effects of fossil fuel extraction through polluted air and water. The pilgrims will be fueled by the prayers and voices of many New Mexicans calling for a livable & sustainable climate for all New Mexicans now & in the future. You can follow their progress at https://www.nm-ipl.org .

This trek echoes that of the father of George Munoz, Chair of the NM Senate Finance Committee, who walked to the Capitol in 1989. As mayor of Gallup, he was furious that his concerns about addiction in his beloved community were not being addressed. Now George Munoz, his son, has not taken seriously the concerns of New Mexican communities who need healthier air, land & waters. Walking this path is a call to address needs of New Mexicans living with extraction caused air & water pollution health problems, as well as water shortages.

The IPL pilgrims, honoring centuries of spiritual earth stewardship by NM Native & Hispanic ancestors, walk now to uplift the urgent need for a livable climate and a flourishing future all New Mexicans.  As they walk, they will be wrapped in prayers of many, confessing through faith, complicity in greed, waste, exploitation & extraction of their Creator’s Earth. They walk, hoping we, the public & lawmakers, will acknowledge & understand the interdependent nature of our lives within all Creation. They pray that this will guide us in repairing & healing Earth’s wounds to support resiliency of all life of Earth’s creatures, plants, waters, land, & air .

Goals of this pilgrimage are to:

  1. to secure a stable climate and livable future for all,
  2. act boldly for a just transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy,
  3. hold industry accountable for pollution & waste, &
  4. protect communities already facing climate impacts.

This pilgrimage is both confessional & prophetic; a call to act with courage, integrity & love for our shared home. It is a journey of hope, learning & work as a community, & witnessing a more just & sustainable future taking root.

The focus of this call to action for legislators is to join with climate coalition advocates in supporting the 2026 Clear Horizons Act to codify NM’s ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets into law; establish a Community Benefit Fund for climate investments; & create an Innovation in Government Act for climate solutions.

NM/El Paso Interfaith Power & Light invites all New Mexicans & legislators to follow their pilgrimage in the Event Section of their website for details and registration for events.  All are invited to join in the dinner at the start of their pilgrimage at United Methodist Church in Carlsbad and later with different stages of their journey’s end to the point of arrival at the NM State Capitol on Climate Change Day, where there will be tabling and speeches in the Rotunda of the NM Roundhouse.

Rio Grande slowly flowing

Life & Death of the Rio Grande

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Disappearance of Brother Rio Grande

On a sun warmed day in 24,

we gathered at the river

where green leaves on tall tree branches danced,

softly whispering in light breezes.

Waters filling green grassed banks glistened

as sunlight laughed upon its rippling surface.

We honored Brother River there,

listening to deep Conch shell sounds

 while smudging sage scents

lifted our prayers of gratitude above Life’s fluid Essence.

Blessed with river’s dynamic ribbon gliding past,

we relaxed in calm relief,

for in this brief Sacred time of Brother River’s life,

he freely shared his gifts with

whatever moved within his tree-lined reach.

We swayed, sang, & with poems

traveled Brother River’s restorative paths

through New Mexico’s drying land.

Our dancing slowly swirled beside his waters

on that warm, hallowed summer day.

In those moments we were immersed in deepened sense

of his tenacious Stream of Life.

Our prayers drifted into him,

giving heart strength to his connection

 with life from mountain springs to ocean shore;

carrying our beliefs, hopes and joy

from ancient origins to these quiet moments with him now,

imploring Creator God

to guide us in alleviating what we knew as his demise.

Thus spurred, we moved to help our Brother in distress,

whose fresh waters were flowing less & less.

We joined others planting trees,

slowed water to help drought dried Earth drink it in

and captured rare cloud bursts of rain.

 We then shared tales of Brother River’s ebbing life

stemming from human climate change denial, toxic waste, & overuse.

Our numbers thus multiplied,

we can engage our legislators to fund Regional Water Security

Water Planning & Management Councils,

inclusive of regional community concerns, ideas, spared & shared water

to blend with science based models of resilience

for lifting Brother River from his desiccated riverbed

to once again life giving vitality.

People at round tables in discussion

The Role of Public Education in Addressing New Mexico’s Water Crisis

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New Mexico, the state with the least surface water, is facing a worsening water crisis. Since 1985, 25% of the Rio Grande’s water has been lost; experts predict similar lor greater losses in surface and groundwater by 2070. Rising temperatures intensify soil aridity, evaporation, and plant transpiration, further reducing water availability. Meanwhile, agricultural demands, industrial use, and reliance on dwindling aquifers continue to strain the state’s water supply. Despite water flowing from faucets today, New Mexico’s water crisis is a present and growing reality that requires urgent collective action.

The Need for Education to Secure Funding for Water Laws

Although New Mexico has enacted essential water management laws, many remain unfunded or only partially funded. Public and legislative education is crucial to build the political will necessary to fund these initiatives, which include:

  • The 2023 Water Security Planning Act (WSPA): Establishes regional water planning Councils under the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC). Needs full funding.
  • The 2019 Water Data Act: Supports water data collection to model availability and plan for future resilience. Needs partial funding.
  • Aquifer Mapping: Critical for planning, monitoring, and measuring available fresh and brackish groundwater. Needs partial funding.
  • The 2004 Active Water Resource Management Program (AWRM): Utilize water rights enforcement authority the Legislature passed in 2003 to ensure New Mexico meets its Rio Grande Compact water delivery obligations.

Without adequate funding, these efforts remain incomplete, leaving the state vulnerable to worsening water shortages. Education is essential to mobilize public and legislative support for full implementation.

Understanding the Water Crisis: The Need for a Paradigm Shift

Public awareness of water scarcity remains low, especially in areas where taps still run freely. Many do not realize that New Mexico is overusing its water resources, including accumulating debt under the Rio Grande Compact, which requires delivering water for all uses downstream from Elephant Butte Dam and limiting New Mexico’s uses of that water to its legal share. The Middle Rio Grande’s overuse and resulting water debt prevent upstream storage of Rio Chama water for later release.  Without storage releases, the people depend solely on monsoon rains.

To foster sustainable water practices, New Mexicans must shift their perspective, recognizing water as a finite, cycling resource rather than an unlimited commodity. Understanding the long history of water formation—such as the 3-6 million years it took for the Ogallala Aquifer to develop—reinforces the need for careful and respectful use of water.

Lessons from Local Communities

Several New Mexico communities have already faced severe water crises and adapted accordingly:

  • Santa Fe: Residents changed their water habits following stringent restrictions imposed during severe shortages. They continue to conserve water proactively, treating it as a limited resource.
  • Clovis: After learning of its rapidly depleting Ogallala Aquifer, the city organized a water sustainability effort. Led by Dr. Ladona Clayton, residents partnered with Cannon Air Force Base and ranchers to implement rain catchment, conservation, leak repair, and monitoring efforts. Grants, including funding from the Department of Defense, have supported long-term water planning and resilience initiatives.
  • Portales: Lacking similar organized efforts, Portales has been under Level 3 water restrictions for an extended period, severely impacting families, businesses, and city services.
  • Regional Collaboration: Dr. Clayton and the Ogallala Conservancy have expanded their water resilience efforts to southeastern New Mexico and East Texas through regional water institutes.

These examples highlight how proactive water management can prevent crisis conditions and should serve as models for the rest of the state.

Existing Public Education Efforts

Various organizations and agencies provide water education in New Mexico:

  • State Agencies: The Office of the State Engineer (OSE) has conservation programs, and the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) hosted statewide open houses in 2024, gathering input and answering questions on water planning.
  • Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority: Offers conservation education for residents, landscapers, and students.
  • The Water Dialogue: Holds annual conferences on water issues.
  • Amigos Bravos & NM Acequia Association: Advocate for water rights, create public awareness campaigns, and produce educational media.
  • NM Water Advocates (NMWA): Hosts monthly workshops featuring experts on water management, policy, and legislation, with recordings and resources available online.

Despite these efforts, many New Mexicans remain unaware of the state’s water crisis or how to engage in solutions. Expanding and coordinating educational outreach is essential.

Educating Legislators: Building Support for Action

Legislators’ knowledge and priorities vary widely. Some recognize the crisis and have sponsored critical legislation, while others remain skeptical, delaying funding for solutions. Strategies to educate and engage lawmakers include:

  • Professional Training: NM Tech provides legislators with data-driven aquifer analysis and graphic-rich presentations.
  • On-Site Learning: Senator Mimi Stewart has organized educational sessions along the Rio Grande, allowing legislators to experience the river’s conditions firsthand.
  • Constituent Advocacy: New Mexicans must inform their representatives about local water shortages, conservation efforts, and funding needs. Reports of dried-up wells, farming restrictions, trucked-in water, and severe restrictions in rural communities can help legislators grasp the crisis’s real-world impacts.

Public pressure is a powerful tool in driving legislative action. Constituents who share their experiences can help lawmakers understand the urgency of fully funding water security initiatives.

Grassroots Water Conservation Efforts

New Mexicans are adopting a variety of conservation measures:

  • Urban Adaptations: Residents install drip irrigation, xeriscaping, rain catchment systems, and composting toilets. Some use gray water for plants, reduce red meat consumption (which requires significant water for production), and buy second-hand clothing to minimize water-intensive textile manufacturing.
  • Innovative Farming Practices: The Spirit Farm, near Gallup, uses regenerative farming with trucked-in catchment water. James and Joyce Skeets teach conservation techniques, composting, and sustainable agriculture methods.
  • Community Projects: The Little Sisters of the Poor showcase modern rain catchment systems. Zuni Pueblo is organizing 2025 Water Conferences to promote regional water sustainability efforts with the Honoring Water Group.

These individual and community actions demonstrate that water conservation is both necessary and achievable.

Preparing for the Future: Workforce and Education Development

New Mexico must expand its water management workforce to implement regional water planning and conservation initiatives effectively. Recommended steps include:

  • Higher Education Programs: NM Tech and other institutions should develop degree tracks in advanced water planning, management, and community engagement.
  • Community College & Journeyman Training: Establish hands-on training for infrastructure repair, water monitoring, and conservation system implementation.
  • Public & Decision-Maker Education: Workshops should educate officials and the public on becoming informed participants in regional water planning efforts.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

New Mexico is already in a growing Water Crisis.  Without immediate action, communities across NM will face severe water shortages, restrictions and economic hardship.  It is critical that legislators, water professionals, governing officials and residents respond thoughtfully instead of reacting without thoughtful consideration of what will help and hurt NM’s water crisis.  We must work together to make the regional water security planning program all that the law allows and New Mexican’s need it to be.  Rational water planning will help regional councils work together to develop systematic fact-based solutions to increase community water supplies resilience. Our planning process must consider  multiple perspectives and responsive group interactions, which improve decision making processes even when voting is necessary.  These skills also are essential in securing funding to more fully implement existing water laws, foster a culture of conservation, and prepare a more resilient water future for our communities.

New Mexicans must act now to ensure a sustainable water supply for future generations. By embracing a culture of stewardship, advocating for policy change, and adopting responsible water practices, we can collectively build a water-secure New Mexico.

New-Mexico

Without Water, There’s Nothing! – Middle Rio Grande Water Advocates

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A stone discovered in ancient rock layers exposed by tectonic shifts
delicately picked out of its strata and examined,
was found to contain a bit of water billions of years old:
young water of our home, planet Earth.

Young water, which itself took eons to become a source of all life:
around, within, below, above,
A sacred gift.
There is ONLY ONE supply of Water for the EARTH’S ENTIRE LIFE.

Of Earth’s Water, 97% is oceanic salt water,
leaving, yes, only 3% of fresh water for all land based life.
Our own bodies are made of 50-65% of water,
blood, spinal fluid, eyes & more, even bones.

Earth’s water continually cycles, thus recycled water abides in us.
Most fresh land water had been in the ground,
rather than in air or surface rivers, lakes, snow, glaciers, Polar ice.
Traditional peoples keenly observed life to survive.
As their survival skills grew they realized
lives depended on sustaining what they used in nature.
Discovering their own lives inextricably linked to those of all other life,
including life of water,
awed by what they observed in mysteries of night’s dark skies lit by
moon, stars & comets, with sun’s vital warmth and light by day,
they honored a creator beyond the Earth.
Daily community lives involved ritual practices of gratitude.

Knowing they belonged to the land,
young & old honed skills of sustainability
as they found how all life is inter-related to be fruitful;
& reflected that in traditional daily life,
languages, stories, sacred spaces, art, dance and song.

Conquests of land and people erased sustainable ways of life
through dominion over, rather than inter-relationship with nature.
Pressures of subjugation for power/profit/pleasure
objectified natural resources.
Science was at times controlled by rulers of lands or church.
While science thrived, sustainability was only at times prioritized.
Working for the common good of even people fell away.
Gradually seduced by the 3 Ps, & commodification,
human hubris overwhelmed Water & Air on which all animate life depends.

Air & Water, how terrifying you’ve become!
Poisoned with human pollution,
altered by thoughtless extraction & careless overuse,
your ravaged life cycles plummet over precipices
to escalating heat waves creating permanent deluge, drought & raging fires.
Each year is hotter for longer now.
Each year extreme weather expands.
Each year more animals & habitat become extinct, unable to adapt.
Each year more natural & ‘civilized’ resources are destroyed by you,
as your frantic climate strained life cycles are disarrayed.
Air & Water, many humans deny your desperate extreme effects,
continuing to cling
to life riddled with power, profit, pleasure.
They blind their minds while polluting wastes proliferate.
They numb themselves to effects of their casual use of natural resources.
Earth’s essential elements rapidly spiral to extinction.
We with that.

Mother Earth, there still are humans
who hear your desperate pleas of floods, fierce winds,
extreme swings of heat & cold.
Right here, right now,
many traditional and modern New Mexican scientists with skill & will
have joined together to help communities across
our Land of Enchantment
weave differing regions of our land and cultures
into comprehensive systems of water planning & management.
Led by carefully conceived visions of these sustainability experts,
we have hope of using current water data
to help us adapt to climate degradation in our deserts, valleys, mountains, plains.

Laws were passed to create Regional Water Utility Authorities
to adjust to decreasing precipitation & rapidly depleting groundwater.
These comprehensive community actions must be well funded now
to be established before time for adaption runs out.
Clovis energetically & systematically has made these complex changes.
Its success is urgently needed in Portales

in 3rd stage (of 5) water loss requiring stringently restricted uses.
250 other rural NM communities may need these soon.
We can slow progress of NM’s permanent drought by
conserving and catching water, helping Water reclaim her cycling life.

Every NM citizen can join in this work by:
– looking at the NM Water Advocates website,
– knowing that quick fixes fail to secure sustainability,
– conserving water & catching precipitation,
– contacting your legislators and telling them how urgent
it is to fund community regional water utility work now, and
– share information about all this with everyone you meet.

Betsy Diaz is a board member for the Water Advocates and Interfaith Power & Light/Sacred Land & Water. She has been in New Mexico for over 45 years and considers herself a seasoned water advocate.



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