Greenhouse on the Mesa. Townsend Farms.

Above the Animas between Aztec and Cedar Hill. Irrigation brings a green oasis to floral and vegetable offerings at Townsend Farms.

This photo was a submission to the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

Cedar Hill Cemetery Grave, Snow Line.

Melting snow in the small New Mexico community of Cedar Hill, comforts a grave in the rural cemetery.

This photo was a submission to the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

Misty October Morning. West Hammond Farm.

Goatvalley Farms on a Misty morning after a heavy rain. Flooding occurs during the monsoon season. One house down from the San Juan River. Bloomfield, New Mexico.

Accompanying Water Reflection: From cracked dry land to underwater. Our small farm survives all seasons by the San Juan River.

This photo was a submission to the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

Below the Bluffs of the San Juan River

Fall 2021 southside of Farmington, just north of the San Juan River. In amongst trailer parks, subdivisions, is a reminder of the farming past of Farmington, once called Farmingtown.

Accompanying Water Reflection: Our rivers, the San Juan, Animas and La Plata, nourish and makes our arid high desert bloom, and nurtures us in greenery.

This photo was a submission to the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

Ready to Set Sail on the Animas River

In the beautiful Animas River Valley, west of Aztec, is the home of a herd of cows. Feeling restless and bored with winter, Shirley imagines setting sail for greener pastures.

Accompanying Water Reflection: I have lived in the valleys of the Animas River for 35 years. The river and her valleys are my home and place.

This photo was a submission to the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

Spring on Display

Aztec yard filled with spring color, trees and royal wicker chairs.

Accompanying Water Reflection: Because of the blessings of irrigation, my yard in central Aztec is rich with color and sheltering trees, a true urban forest filled with the songs of birds.

This photo was a submission to the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

Sunrise at Cutter Dam Reservoir

The reservoir is located south of Blanco and east of Largo Canyon. Photo was taken July 3, 2021 at sunrise. Great little getaway gem for fishing and hiking. The lake is part of the main stream of water for the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry.

Accompanying Water Reflection: I have the utmost respect for water and feel that our community is blessed to have the water resources we have in the Four Corners region. Water is Life, the process by which energy and resources are transformed. Cutter dam is part of that transformation. It is beautiful and quiet in its own little part of San Juan County. In all of it’s stillness it provides water to one of the largest irrigated farms in the United States. I am honored to enjoy this hidden lake that is like a gem in the middle of New Mexico’s high desert.

This reflection won Best Water Reflection in the 2022 We are Water Photo Contest.

The overflowing spillway at Navajo Dam in New Mexico.

I posted a story about the Navajo Dam spilling for the facebook page of the San Juan County Historical Society (New Mexico). I noted that it had only spilled once, in 1973. The comments were interesting. Many people fondly recalled seeing it spill in the 1980s and 1990s. I was the park superintendent of Navajo Lake State Park (the New Mexico side) for many years and knew I was correct about the 1973 spill and the Bureau of Reclamation historical records support my recollection. Here is a link to that story.

The Animas River flood in Aztec, New Mexico - September 5th and 6th 1909.

The Animas River flood in Aztec, New Mexico - September 5th and 6th 1909. It would flood again in October 1911.

The Thurston Bridge in Aztec in the snow. It was built in 1908.

The Thurston Bridge over the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico in the snow. It was built in 1908. The smaller bridge close to the photographer is over the Estes Arroyo.

The Thurston Bridge Company’s bridge over the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico.

The Thurston Bridge Company’s bridge over the Animas River in Aztec, New Mexico.

Warning sign

Warning sign near Shiprock, NM

Wildlife habitat restoration

One experienced Ancestral Lands saw crew trains another crew in removing invasive Russian olive trees from a stream outside of Navajo, NM. The Ancestral Lands Program empowers local Native young adults to be active transformers and restorers of their natural world. In this case, removing invasive tree's and ultimately re-planting native species to restore critical wildlife habitat, increase viability of grazing land, and maintain ecological health and balance.