John Fleck

Author, journalist, and Director of Education at the University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM

October 28th, 2024

As John Fleck, a self proclaimed “river nerd,” took us on a tour of Albuquerque, he emphasized how visiting the river was essential to understanding the city. John, a class of 1981 Whittie, is the current director of the University of New Mexico’s Water Resource Program. By trade, he is a journalist. He has dedicated over 35 years writing for various newspapers, including the Albuquerque journal.

As we stood under the yellowing cottonwood trees, gazing out onto the low flowing Rio Grande, John explained how the series of villages along the Rio Grande came together to address their community’s water needs as it transformed into the city of Albuquerque. He explained that where we were standing at Tingley Beach was once a wetland. In order to build the city, major infrastructure was put in place to tame the meandering and periodic flooding of the Rio Grande. In the 1920’s the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy was formed and they carried out a series of projects including building levees around the river as well as a system of ditches throughout the city to provide irrigation water.

John showed us around a series of irrigation ditches throughout the city that serve as a forested recreation path for community members. These ditches that are integrated into the city reflect the long standing history of agriculture in the valley that informs the city’s culture and infrastructure to this day. We left out tour of Albuquerque led by John with a new understanding of how water use shapes life in a city, especially one located in a desert where water can be scarce.

By Johanna Duncan