Adopt Your Watershed – Overview

The Santa Fe Watershed Association (SFWA) is working to rebrand and grow our quintessential Adopt-the-River and Adopt-an-Arroyo programs into the singular “Adopt Your Watershed.” We believe this will help us further strengthen our holistic, watershed-wide approach to community care. Thank you for your patience and involvement as we work through this exciting evolution!

A watershed is an area of land that drains to a lowest point. In our case, the Santa Fe Watershed starts at Lake Peak in the municipal watershed (closed to the public since 1938) and terminates where the Santa Fe River meets the Rio Grande.  

We all play a role in the health of our watershed by disposing of chemicals properly, maintaining landscaping/hardscaping that encourages water catchment and soil penetration, cleaning up litter, and supporting diverse habitat for wildlife and native plants.  

The Santa Fe Watershed Association, the City and County of Santa Fe, and multiple community partners collaborate on these efforts. As the climate becomes drier and hotter we can work together to help create a sustainable water future for us all. 

You can get involved by adopting your watershed!   

By becoming a fiscal sponsor or volunteer steward, you are supporting efforts throughout the watershed to: 

  • Maintain clean water 
  • Reduce erosion, sedimentation, and excessive flooding  
  • Encourage storm water infiltration and aquifer recharge 
  • Educate youth and adults about water conservation and impacts 
  • Clean up our community waterways for safe and enjoyable recreation 
  • Advocate for water-smart policies and equitable water access 

Map of reaches:

Watershed Sponsors 

Local businesses, community groups, and individuals support the watershed with annual, tax-deductible, financial contributions.  

2023 Adopt Sponsor Agreement 

Watershed Stewards 

Local businesses, schools, neighborhood associations, community groups, and individuals volunteer to keep specific reaches of our river and arroyos free of trash. Stewards provide eyes on the watershed and report issues of concern, assist with planting and watering native trees, shrubs and grasses, and support community-wide stewardship efforts. 

Volunteer handbook 

 2023 Adopt Steward Agreement