Perspectives on Water

A Storymap of Storymaps on the topic of water.

Valerie Rangel, City of Santa Fe Historian, IV

01 / 13

Community Voices on Water

Water is the element that exemplifies our interconnectedness with the environment and all living things—being a necessity for almost all life on the planet. Given its importance, the intention of this Storymap is to raise awareness for our precious natural resource, its current state of water quality and quantity, and the human connections to it.

Santa Fe's fourth city historian, Valerie Rangel, created a StoryMap of diverse perspectives on the topic of water through stories, research, data, videos, and maps. This StoryMap incorporates perspectives of community organizations around the city to share their thoughts on planning and future needs, as well as their work on water-related projects. There are also cultural stories on water, historical context of our arid environment, Indigenous perspectives, advocacy on environmental issues, as well as research that documents the present human condition with respect to our shared resource.

Click anywhere on the StoryMap to explore.

River Source

This StoryMap is based on years of work in northern New Mexico by River Source and the engagement of many participants and partners of their programs. River Source is an organization located in Santa Fe that has provided science and policy education, planning, monitoring, and ecological restoration services throughout New Mexico since 1997.

Click anywhere on the StoryMap to explore.

Santa Fe Watershed Association

The mission of this association is to protect and restore the health and vibrancy of the Santa Fe River and its watershed for the benefit of people and the environment. Thier work involves education, restoration, stewardship, and advocacy.

Click anywhere on the StoryMap to learn more!

City of Santa Fe Water Division

Learn about the protective measures that ensure the city's drinking water supply, management of natural resources to ensure sustainability, the population's resiliency, and current planning efforts for future generations.

Click on the StoryMap to explore Santa Fe's water sources for the city.

Stormwater in Santa Fe

The City of Santa Fe is not only a treasured community of rich culture, history and natural beauty, it is also a watershed which provides the city with drinking water, open space, and community cohesion.

Click anywhere on the image to learn more about this urban watershed's acequias, storm pollution, flooding cycles and the City’s mitigation and management actions to steward this valuable resource.

Source: Santa Fe River Commission and the City of Santa Fe

Click this link to read a historical essay:  Santa-Fe-River.pdf (santafelibrary.org) 

National Watershed Boundaries

This United States Geological Survey (USGS) web map displays the National Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD). It defines the perimeter of drainage areas formed by the terrain and other landscape characteristics. The drainage areas are nested within each other so that a large drainage area (Upper Mississippi River), will be composed of multiple smaller drainage areas like the Wisconsin River. Each of these smaller areas can be further subdivided into subsequently smaller drainage areas.

More information can be found at this site:  WBD information .

Click on the image to explore the map.

Know Your Watershed

The Gallinas Watershed is located to the east, between Santa Fe and the city of Las Vegas. This is an ArcGIS StoryMap, developed with the goal of taking a person on a virtual trip through the Gallinas Watershed, from the Headwaters to the lower Gallinas.

Click on the image to explore the StoryMap.

Learn more about the restoration and management of watershed:  Restoration and Management – Nuestra Tierra, Nuestro Futuro (hermitspeakwatersheds.org) 

Legacy of Mining Contamination

The waters of New Mexico's Upper Pecos Watershed sustain and enrich the lives and livelihoods of all who live, work, and recreate here. Learn more about the legacy of mining in this watershed.

Click on the image to explore the StoryMap.

Groundwater: Our Precious Shared Resource

Produced by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources' Aquifer Mapping Program, this StoryMap combines a narrative flow with GIS (Geographic Information System) data and other media to provide an interactive learning experience.

Click on the image to explore the StoryMap.

To view other interactive StoryMaps about New Mexico Aquifers, click on this link:  Announcements (nmt.edu) 

StoryMap providing drought information

In an effort to provide local communities with decision-making tools and resources, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) launched a new StoryMap that provides drought information and resources for water utilities on (date). The StoryMap details current drought impacts and provides sector specific information for resources, emergency funding and planning.

Drought in the Western United States is currently at levels unprecedented in the last 150 years. Called a “mega-drought,” increased seasonal temperatures and decreases in both the amount and regularity of precipitation from climate change have and continue to impact the landscape in New Mexico. With serious repercussions for industry, agriculture, municipal utilities and our growing outdoor recreation economy, the current drought emergency is profoundly impacting New Mexicans.

Water is a way of life for New Mexico. Deep traditions reliant on water, like the maintenance of acequias and the annual chile harvest, tie communities together. In this high desert land, “water is life” has tangible meaning. Mitigating the effects of climate change driven drought is essential for continuing our cultural legacy. With a future that includes more frequent and severe periods of drought, resources like this StoryMap are increasingly essential. This innovative web tool allows public water utilities to access critical drought monitoring and mitigation resources. These resources help water systems provide uninterrupted service to their users. Drought can impact water utilities in several ways. Adequately responding to drought related impacts can substantially lower the cost of drought to the economy and public health.

“The Environment Department is helping local communities increase their resiliency against the effects of drought and human-caused climate change,” said Secretary Kenney. “Our drought information StoryMap responds to real-time challenges local leaders face in making informed decisions about their water needs."

This StoryMap uses ArcGIS technology to synthesize current drought information and resources. For more information, contact the NMED Drinking Water Bureau at drinking.water@state.nm.us or call 505-476-8620.

Explore the Colorado River and its tributaries

This StoryMap is about the Colorado River, its tributaries, and the lands upon which all depend—people and wildlife alike. It is also about the places, people, and policies that have shaped water and land management and planning in the past and will shape decisions about how we use, share, and conserve these finite resources today and in the future. 

Click anywhere on the image to view the full StoryMap.

"Colorado River tributaries in New Mexico bring water to the alfalfa fields in the Four Corners and the forested hills of the Gila wilderness in the southwestern part of the state. But Colorado River and reservoir management was designed during a much wetter period. And now, water officials are grappling with how to make do with less..."

"Parched" is a podcast about people who rely on the river that shaped the West – and have ideas to save it. Hosted by Michael Elizabeth Sakas, a climate and environment reporter for CPR News. Click this link to listen:  Parched : NPR 

Does the world have enough clean water?

This StoryMap is a Call-to-Action global campaign to end the water crisis and provide universal access to safe drinking water.

Over 600 million people on our planet lack access to basic, safe, clean drinking water. Despite the fact that our planet is 70% water, less than .5% of that water is actually available in the form of freshwater for consumption. Water scarcity in communities around the world has an impact on all aspects of life and development. Limited water availability in rural parts of the world forces women and children to walk multiple kilometers a day to fetch...

Click anywhere on the StoryMap to learn more.

Create Your Own StoryMap

ArcGIS StoryMaps are a type of digital story-telling platform that combines images, text, and video to enhance learning and illustrate spatial relationships with a visual appeal. StoryMaps inspire and inform, as well as build a stronger sense of place through a deeper understanding of history which can effect change, influence opinion, and create awareness. They can be a learning tool for use in the classroom and a great way for students to share their projects, as well as a new way for organizations and businesses to inform others about the history of their work and mission.

ESRI ArcGIS is offering a free public account to anyone who wants to create StoryMaps. The account is designed for personal, non-commercial use.

With a public account you can:

  • Create, store, and manage maps, scenes, layers, apps, and other geospatial content.
  • Share content with others.
  • Access content shared by Esri and GIS users around the world.

Click this link to start a free public account:  Create ArcGIS Account