Feb 5, 2007, Albuquerque Journal:

     Project Aims To Save Ditches In N. Valley

     By Carolyn Carlson
      Journal Staff Writer

     North Valley residents hope a new project will protect one of their most prized
     pastimes -- walking along the ditches.

     In October, the North Valley Coalition received an assistance grant from the
     National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program to
     do just that.

     Last summer, the coalition applied to the Park Service for an assistance grant,
     which does not contain any money. In the grant proposal for the Acequia
     Preservation Project, coalition members said they wanted to be able to preserve
     the North Valley's ditch network.

     Claude Morelli, president of the North Valley Coalition, said area residents use
     the ditches to walk, ride their horses and to get from one part of the valley to
     another.

     "Everybody loves the ditch trail network. It is a popular de facto amenity but it
     is not officially recognized as a trail system," Morelli said.

     The project takes in the entire North Valley ditch network but the demonstration
     project area is along the Griegos Drain from Chavez Road on the north to Griegos
     Road on the south.

     Morelli said the project's demonstration area goes through city land, the Los
     Poblanos Open Space and into the village of Los Ranchos.

     "This segment has a key issue we want to address -- road crossings," Morelli said.

     At Thursday's coalition meeting, Morelli said the plans for the project's
     implementation have not been outlined. He said the project is in its preliminary
     stages.

     "There is no money involved, just technical assistance," said Attila Bality, a Park
     Service recreation planner. "Our role is not to just get a plan done, but we want
     to come back in five years and see if the projects have moved forward."

     The Rivers and Trails program helps communities develop, build and preserve
     open space, trails and greenway systems, and restore rivers and wildlife habitat.
     Their work focuses on urban and suburban locations where the demand for trail
     systems is the greatest, Bality said.

     He said the North Valley Coalition wants to protect the network of ditches that
     criss-cross the North Valley, linking one neighborhood to another.

     "They believe the North Valley ditch system is a national cultural landscape,"
     Bality said. "They were concerned about a loss of this resource."

     Bality said the Park Service's role will be to bring all the players to the table.

     "Our role is as simple as walking the ditches to bringing all the partners together,
     facilitating workshops and helping to build a consensus among the partners,"
     Bality said.

     Bality said the first step of the project is contacting the Middle Rio Grande
     Conservancy District's board of directors to talk with them about getting on
     board as a partner.

     The conservancy district maintains and rehabilitates the intricate systems of
     ditches and canals and levees that prevent the Rio Grande from overflowing its
     banks while also allowing for irrigation, agriculture, recreation and environmental
     sustainability.

     "This project is all about working with the conservancy district to preserve the
     ditch system," Morelli said.

     At Thursday's meeting, Bality urged members to support a bill introduced in the
     Legislature that would address the conservancy district's liability when the public
     uses the ditches as trails.

     The bill, Senate Bill 332, and its companion House Bill 430 provide an exemption
     from liability to governmental entities that grant a right of way or easement for
     use in the state trails system.

     Bality said this means the conservancy district would not be liable for any injuries
     suffered on ditches unless the injuries were caused by the willful or wanton
     misconduct of the district.

     "This bill would help us provide more trails," Bality said.

     Morelli said the coalition is looking for people interested in helping with this
     project.