| Acequia Madre | |
| Location: | Roughly from Gallinas River to intersection of S. Pacific and U.S. Route 85, Las Vegas, New Mexico |
| Coordinates: | 35.5847°N -105.2239°W |
| Built: | c.1835-36 |
| Added: | March 19, 1987 |
| Area: | 3.6acres |
| Mpsub: | Las Vegas New Mexico MRA |
| Refnum: | 87001118 |
The Acequia Madre, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, is a historic acequia which was built at the time of Las Vegas' settlement in 1835–36. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
It runs from the Gallinas River to the approximate intersection of S. Pacific and U.S. Route 85 in Las Vegas.[1]
"Description: An earthen irrigation channel; 3-5 feet wide; and 2-3 feetdeep. Leaving the Gallinas River at a point due northeast of TaosStreet; proceeding southwest through unplatted land to the northeastcorner of Block 3 of the Baca and Sandoval Addition; proceeding southalong the east boundary of Blocks 3-4 of the Baca and Sandoval Additionand Blocks E and F of the Original Town; proceeding through, then alongthe west edge of, then through Block L of the Original Town; proceedingsouth along the east boundary of blocks 50-53 of the Addition to theTown of Las Vegas; proceeding south through unplatted land, dissipatingbeyond the intersection of S. Pacific and U.S. 85."
"Significance; Work on the Acequia Madre, or main irrigation ditch,undoubtly started the first or second year of settlement (1835-36), suchwas its importance to a traditional Hispanic farming village. An eastside ditch and another on the west side, La Acequia Nuestra Senora deLos Dolores, were constructed later, but both disappeared by the mid-1920s. The Acequia Madre appears as a property boundary in deedsfrom the 1850s; were it served this secondary function, its location hasprobably not changed."
"The system starts with a rubble stone diversion dam on theGallinas River due east of Taos Street. The earthen ditch itself, fromthree to five feet wide and two to three feet deep, wends its way southparallel to the river. In some communities, the ditch association, withits elected leader or mayordomo served as a quasi-governmentalinstitution which sometimes became a focal point for resistance toAnglo-American control. In West Las Vegas, where the Spanish-speakingpopulation retained a large measure of political control, the ditchassociation has remained a secondary institution. That the associationand the ditch still operate, bringing water to fields along the river,represents a still vital aspect of the original Hispanic village."
The National Register listing is defined narrowly to include just the waterway and its embankments.[1]
The Eugenio Gatignole House is one historic house directly adjacent to the acequia (and its National Register photo also shows the acequia).