New survey identifies natural resource concerns

Under New Mexico law, soil and water conservation districts promote the responsible use and conservation of natural resources for the benefit of the people, wildlife and economy of New Mexico. The Soil and Water Conservation District Act outlines specific measures for natural resource conservation, wildlife preservation, flood mitigation, and the well-being of New Mexicans.

Soil and water conservation districts were designed to lead a resource-driven conservation process at the local level. To accomplish this mission and meet the objectives of the act, Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District had to understand the current natural resource concerns of its stakeholders.

Accordingly, the district requested local expert Cliff Sánchez to write survey questions about natural resource issues and concerns, analyze the results and write a new conservation plan informed by survey results. Mr. Sánchez wrote the district’s current plan in 1997.

Valencia SWCD sought and received a grant for the survey and long-range plan from the New Mexico Legislature’s Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, which is administered by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.

In 1997, Valencia SWCD’s “cooperators” completed a similar survey. Cooperators were residents who actively engaged with their districts. As maintaining a cooperators list faded over the last 25 years, the district had to approximate current engagement. It would have been cost-prohibitive to attempt to survey today’s estimated 91,000 district residents, primarily because postage alone would have amounted to at least $61,880.

Instead, Valencia SWCD landed on the idea of estimating district interest by those who voted in the 2023 district election on Nov. 7, 2023 (the last local election). Valencia SWSCD mailed a postcard to the 8,474 voters, inviting them to participate in a survey of natural resource issues and concerns.

Only three votes were cast among the 103 registered voters within Socorro County, who resided within Valencia SWCD’s boundaries at the time of the 2023 election. Because the district wanted to include their voices in this survey, all currently-registered voters in Socorro County who are Valencia SWCD residents (69) also received a postcard. In total, Valencia SWCD mailed 8,543 postcards in April.

The survey was accessible by scanning a QR code on the postcard. For those who could not use the QR code, they were either mailed, emailed or delivered the survey. The survey closed on May 2.

The district envisioned that a new conservation plan would include relevant information from the prior plan, analysis of the current natural resource base in the district, and data-driven identification of the natural resource concerns of the residents of the district.

There were 268 survey respondents. Most (260) completed the survey by accessing the QR code on the postcard. The first four survey questions asked respondents to indicate their top five answers concerning natural resource concerns.

Water, by far, was the No. 1 natural resource issue within the communities of the Valencia SWCD. Respondents were concerned with the depletion of groundwater from aquifers, water quantity, and water access. In their view, increasing aridity/drought, decreasing snow mass and spring runoff and increasing temperature would likely lead to water scarcity.

When given the opportunity to list other important natural resource concerns, 57 of 268 respondents (21 percent) identified the common theme of water. Their answers included: groundwater/underground water, water rights, water flow, water supply, irrigation water, water resources, water managers, water quality, water table, water access, brackish water, water testing, bottled water, and water companies.

Issues affecting water quality also made the top 15 natural resource concerns. Respondents identified the impacts from animal nutrients, chemicals and storm water on water quality. As regards the latter, respondents were concerned about storm water management and flood control.

In the district’s 1997 long-range plan, the top three natural resource concerns were water quality, water availability and irrigation/water management.

The top five natural resource conservation issues in need of the most attention within Valencia SWCD were bosque management, erosion control and prevention, the adoption of rules/ordinances to require certified plans to control soil erosion, stormwater flooding and sediment before local construction permits are issued (as done in other jurisdictions); flood control and prevention (through partnership between Valencia SWCD and the new Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District); and food grown locally.

Readers who are interested in reading the entire survey results can request a copy of the district’s forthcoming long-range conservation plan by writing public-input@valenciaswcd-nm.gov or by calling 505-864-8914.

Finally, youths interested in learning about natural resource conservation with on-the-ground training at Whitfield should contact the district now. Valencia SWCD will offer paid training for seven youths, thanks to another grant from the state’s Youth Conservation Corps.