Santa Fe Standard

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THE US BUREAU of Reclamation has notified the City that the San Juan-Chama Return Flow Project (SJCP) is recommended to Congress for an award of $6 million in federal funding. 

Santa Fe has been a leader in municipal planning and water conservation for decades. The City has developed a diversified water supply portfolio comprised of surface water, groundwater, water conservation, and non-potable reuse. SJC water currently makes up about half of our annual water supply.

“The foresight of our predecessors gave City of Santa Fe Water the benefit of imported San Juan-Chama water," says Water Division Director Jesse Roach. "Now we are taking the next step to fully utilize that resource. This will provide us resiliency in the face of climate change for decades to come, and allow our local and regional aquifers to continue to recover.”

The grant application for the Project received letters of support from several large water rights holders and regulators along the Rio Grande who recognize the Project’s water resources and environmental benefits. The City, in partnership with Santa Fe County, is currently updating its 80-year water supply plan through a science-based, stakeholder-informed planning process. 

Deeper dive: San Juan-Chama Return Flow Project details are available here; City/County water planning details can be found here.

Because COVID remains a global threat and because many Santa Feans remain vulnerable to infection, I'll renew my Emergency Proclamation on Monday. We need to stay vigilant against this pandemic. Just as important, we need to give our thanks to everyone in our community taking the right precautions against the virus and its variants.

 

Over 90% of Santa Fe County residents 18 and older have had at least one vaccination; more than 80% have had two. Dr. Wendy Johnson of La Familia says that if the county were a state, we would have the lowest number of cases per thousand in the country. In the country! 

 

I also want to thank our City employees. Last month we implemented a policy calling for proof of vaccination or a weekly negative test result for City employees. At first, 50% of our workforce was fully vaccinated. Six weeks later, we’re over 75%. This kind of cooperation gives me a great deal of comfort and pride in our team.

 

We Santa Feans are taking good care of ourselves and one another, as we have done throughout the pandemic. Let’s keep it up!

The popular 2021 River Talk Series finished with a great talk by Reese Baker of The Rain Catcher. In total there were eight lectures concerning all things River and Watershed -- vegetation management, Santa Fe Basin geology, how to be a watershed hero, and rain gardens. The City extends sincere thanks to the over 150 attendees for their participation in these events. Stay tuned for the 2022 River Talk schedule

Volunteers from all walks of life showed up to give back during Keep Santa Fe Beautiful's fall cleanup, Toss No Mas, last Saturday. Together, they showed how a little teamwork can make a big difference in the appearance of our beautiful city – great job, everyone! (If you missed it or want to do more, you can always organize your own volunteer-led cleanup at any time, any place.)

Choice Voting

  Ranked Choice Voting was voted into effect in 2008 and used in 2018. With municipal elections coming up on November 2, it's time to brush up on how it works. The bilingual votedifferentsantafe.com provides a brief video explanation (including a sample ballot) and answers to some frequently 

asked questions.

Inspired by TreeSmart Santa Fe, Girl Scout Sofia Horn (pictured here with Councilor Romero-Wirth) has adopted Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, at 2739 Calle Serena. To improve the flora and habitat sustainably, Horn met with the neighborhood and local experts, planned the design and installation, and will now coordinate the effort to plant the right trees, shrubs, and pollinator flowers. The public is welcome to dig in tomorrow morning from 8 to noon. Find out about other upcoming TreeSmart events here.