San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District

02/06/2026

02/05/2026

🌱 Healthy soil starts from the ground up!

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is now accepting grant applications for its Healthy Soil Program from Friday, Jan. 16 through Friday, March 20 at noon (Mountain Time).

Pictured here is a multi-species cover crop planted with funding from NMDA’s Healthy Soil Program, helping reduce erosion, suppress weeds, and improve overall soil health.

👉 Learn more about the grants:
https://nmdeptag.nmsu.edu/healthy-soil-program.html

Together, we’re building healthier landscapes and stronger communities across New Mexico.

www.nmacd.org

08/14/2025

08/12/2025

From the Office of the State Engineer:

With this year’s dry conditions and very low snowpack in the Animas watershed, we may be facing shortages for at least part of the remaining irrigation season. In past years, rather than going straight into a priority call, the ditches have worked together on a voluntary rotation — four groups, each taking three days OFF and nine days ON.
Starting August 3, flows at Cedar Hill have dropped under 200 cfs, and the lower (downstream) ditches are already being impacted by this shortage of water. We may get some relief if monsoonal rains arrive, but no significant precipitation is in the forecast. Even if we do get some rain and can pause the rotation, shortage conditions could return later in the summer.

OSE will provide assistance with determining when to start, pause, and call off the rotation, as well as managing diversion measurements and keeping the diversion website up to date.

To help ensure the rotation is fair for everyone, here are the suggested guidelines:
• When rotation begins, all municipalities should implement their Drought Management Plan (Stage 1).
• City of Farmington should be limited to the Penny Lane river pump only.
• Farmers Irrigation District should not divert water for the City of Farmington.
• City of Aztec should be limited to its river pump only.
• Farmers Mutual Ditch should be limited to its San Juan River diversion plus any
remaining water available in the Animas River at its headgate.
• Lower Animas Ditch and Aztec Ditch should not divert water for the City of Aztec.
• All diversion dams should be in good working order (and not set too high) after peak runoff. All ditches must keep diversions at or below their adjudicated/permitted rates.
• Once rotation starts, a full cycle should be completed unless officially called off; the
schedule will continue rolling until that time.
• On OFF days, ditches may divert from the river, but all water must be sluiced back to the river before passing the OSE measurement flume.

Please see the attached 'Animas River Ditch Rotation Schedule 2025.' Representatives from ditches in Group 1 have already been notified and have agreed to tum off at or around 8 PM on Wednesday, August 13. These ditches will remain off for three days, and will start diverting water again on Saturday, August 16 starting at 8 M. Group 2 will go into rotation and tum off on Saturday, August 16 at 8PM, and so forth. Please see the schedule for specifics.

We can adjust the schedule as needed-this might include pausing between cycles or modifying off-periods. For example, if there are sufficient flows to satisfy everyone, the rotation could be paused early, and if shortages return, the rotation could restart with the next group. This rotation approach helps share the shortage fairly among all users rather than expecting the earlier groups to absorb most of it. In the meantime, we'll keep watching the weather and snowpack reports.

Participation in this rotation is voluntary and based on good faith. It is a preferred alternative to a priority call. However, if participation is insufficient, OSE will administer a priority call as needed.

Please be ready and make all necessary preparations to support and participate in this voluntary rotation and call us at (505) 334-4571 with any questions or suggestions.

07/22/2025

🌽🍅 Got a garden full of goodies? Show it off! 🌿🍓

Enter your homegrown fruits, veggies, and herbs (this is just a short list, there’s so much more you can enter in this department) in the San Juan County Fair! Whether it’s a giant zucchini or the juiciest tomato, we want to see what you’ve grown.

📅 Enter on Saturday, August 9th
📍McGee Park Convention Center Building
🔗 https://online.fliphtml5.com/osooj/xxdz/ =10

07/22/2025

🌾🚜 Calling all growers, ranchers, and hay stackers! 🌾
Think your grass is greener? Or maybe your forage is the finest in the county?
Then enter the Grass & Forage Category in the Agriculture Department at the San Juan County Fair!
Whether it’s baled hay, native grasses, or pasture blends, this is your chance to show off the hard work that feeds the herd and fuels the land. 💪🐄

📅 Saturday, August 9th
📍McGee Park Convention Center
🔗 https://online.fliphtml5.com/osooj/xxdz/ =10

05/20/2025

Check out this training for homeowners who use a septic system for wastewater from :
Septic System Operation and Maintenance for Homeowners (New Mexico)
May 29, 2025, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
More info here:

https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=4735

08/08/2023

If you happen to come by the fair this week stop by say hello and see our booth

07/06/2023

We enjoy seeing this beautiful guy around the building

06/01/2023

Come out to SWCD and smell the flowers!
Species blooming on our property, in order of appearance: Snowball sand verbena,
Sweet Williams, Twolobe Larkspur, Lewis Flax, Desert Globe Mallow, Shasta Daisy, Apache Plume, Cornflower Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Bridge Penstemon,(yellow and orange)
Sego lily, Narrow Leaf Yucca, Spinystar, and Plains Pricklypear.

03/20/2023

Special THANK YOU to the volunteers, the San Juan Watershed Group, and the Riverside Nature Center for your combined efforts on enhancing the local community! AWESOME JOB!