Department of Natural Resources

The DNR’s Water Resources Division (WRD) consists of five programs: Watershed Protection, Safety of Dams, Water Quality, Water Rights, and Hydrology. Within each program there are several ongoing projects with various sources of funding.

The Watershed Protection Program within the WRD involves local and regional collaboration regarding water issues that pertain to the Pueblo of Santa Ana. This includes evaluation and protection of all wells on the Pueblo; community outreach to Pueblo members regarding water resources; and irrigation and flood control.

The Safety of Dams Program involves flood protection and reconstruction of the Santa Ana Detention Dam in an effort to safeguard the Pueblo’s community and lands.

The Water Quality Program is partially funded by a Clean Water Act 106 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Significant components of this program involve working with the Tribal Government to plan and protect the Pueblo’s water resources. Stakeholder involvement in this program is critical and annual water quality reports are distributed on the Pueblo via the Safe Drinking Water Act mandated Consumer Confidence Report. The Water Quality Program actively participates in environmental education through outreach with the youth and elders of the Pueblo of Santa Ana. These programs promote awareness of water quality issues through hands on activities and interactive discussions.

The Water Rights Program is involved with the adjudication of the Rio Jemez, water resource planning, and further development of the Pueblo’s water rights. The WRD provides support for technical and administrative tasks related to the Pueblo’s water rights within the Rio Jemez and Rio Grande Basins.

The Hydrology Program collaborates with other Divisions of DNR on numerous projects including river and bosque restoration, the Jemez Canyon Dam, and water resource management on the Pueblo’s rangelands. As the contact for well drilling, geotechnical investigations, fluvial geomorphology, and sediment analysis, the WRD contributes hydrologic data and analysis to many Pueblo of Santa Ana interdisciplinary projects.

Collaborators and partners in implementing these programs include the Pueblo of Santa Ana, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR).