2025 Annual Congreso de las Acequias

December 5th - 6th | Highlands University | Las Vegas, NM

The New Mexico Acequia Association invites you to join us for the 2025 Annual Congreso de las Acequias, our statewide gathering of acequia leaders, parciantes, & supporters on Friday, December 5th and Saturday, December 6th. Once again, our Congreso will be held at New Mexico Highlands University at the Student Union Building, 800 National Avenue, Las Vegas, NM 87701. 

Since 1999, Congreso has brought together our vibrant acequia community to celebrate our culture, share stories from across the state, and determine our priorities for the coming year.

Join nearly 300 passionate Acequia leaders, parciantes, supporters, agencies, and collaborating organizations as we unite to share knowledge, strengthen bonds, and mobilize for a vibrant collective future. This is more than just an event—it’s a powerful movement that celebrates our heritage and inspires change.

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to be part of something special! Become a SPONSOR and help make this Congreso a success.

Are you representing your regional association? Click the button below to update your delegate forms and membership.

Agua y Justicia

This year’s theme, “Agua y Justicia,” is a recognition of the profound importance of water to justice and equity in our communities. For over 30 years, acequia leaders have fought to protect acequias and our agricultural and food traditions for future generations. Our grassroots movement includes:

  • Protecting water rights from mounting pressure from development and industry to move water out of agriculture. Our work has also grown to defend the interconnected waters of watersheds, rivers, and aquifers. 
  • Defending clean water by ensuring that our state has robust policies to prevent pollution of our waterways that support agriculture, ecosystems, and aquifer recharge. 
  • Advocating for restoration of our infrastructure and watersheds to continue to use our historic water rights. Water justice for acequias includes funding for acequia infrastructure and disaster recovery. 
  • Building an educational system where our youth in rural communities can benefit from place-based education and culturally relevant curriculum that includes acequias. 

At the 2025 Congreso, we will convene acequia leaders from across the state to share stories, experience, and knowledge while also creating spaces for local acequia parciantes, community members, youth, and our supporters to network, dialogue, and strategize for the future. 

On Friday, NMAA will host several workshops in the Student Union Building Classrooms with exhibits in the lobby area followed by dinner at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom. On Saturday, we will have the Congreso de las Acequias main event in the Student Union Building Ballroom. More details on the program will be available soon!!

Join acequia leaders to celebrate our heritage and to strategize for our collective future. Be part of a grassroots movement to work for justice in our communities by protecting water for future generations and defending clean water. Learn how we can work together for more equity and justice in infrastructure and disaster recovery. For more information, please contact Rudy Montoya at rudy@lasacequias.org.

2025 Resolution Drafts and Full Program Coming Soon

Congreso de las Acequias 2025 Program Overview will be posted here soon

All sponsorship contributions include admission to Congreso. Sponsors are announced during the live event and in the Congreso Program. We acknowledge our sponsors in our print and electronic newsletter as well as our social media. The following contribution amounts have been popular at our Congreso events.

  • Maíz $2500
  • Calabaza $1000
  • Chile $500
  • Hava $250
  • Alverjon $100
  • Other - Choose Your Amount

This event is made possible by our sponsors. There is no contribution too small. If you want to discuss sponsoring a meal or directing your funds toward a particular area of our program, reach out to allison@lasacequias.org.

1st PLACE

$250 Prize and an NMAA T-shirt

2nd PLACE

$150 Prize and an NMAA T-shirt

3rd PLACE

$100 Prize and an NMAA T-shirt