This feels weird (Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Alamo: rent to own, live, dangerous)

[Vinegaroon]

Oh yay, more people want to move here. That makes me so happy.

[Joolz]

yup and i just wanna live in a simple old modest home, around art and cutler and history! and NOT with a big-box strip mall across the street. hmm i might have to buy a moped scooter and give up the car until bad weather comes.

[Vinegaroon]

I would be so afraid of getting on a moped and driving it around here. It's just taking your life in your hands if you ask me. I was driving down Saint Francis one day, and there was a big pickup truck with a moped entangled in its wheels. I did not see the moped driver around, so I wonder if he/she is o.k. The only way I would moped around Santa Fe is if I lived in the heart of downtown, and even then the idea frightens me.

[Joolz]

ok maybe not so much a moped, but will enjoy driving around with the top off the jeep for sure!

[Geechie North]

So here's a question based on sheer ignorance. Never been to NM (closest was Utah for 2 weeks), and honestly living in a desert scares the crap out of me, as our species does best in forested areas (if there's enough precip to support trees, there's enough to support a Human population.) Yet having said that, the pictures I've seen of NM are indeed compelling. Actually, last year, was supposed to visit out there, but broke my foot and since I'm an avid hiker that ended that.

Anyway, some (probably dumb) questions:

1. How deep is the water table around Santa Fe?

2. Is it possible to live at an elevation (orographic lift and all) that supports a forest ecosystem in NM, or does it transition from desert to high mountains too quickly?

3. Have any municipal water systems ran dry in the face of the ever-drying climate regime we all seem to be in? If so, what's the back-up?

Any answers (other than "p*ss off" ) appreciated. Me gusta cultura latina y hablo algun Espanol, pero eu falo melhor Portuguese.

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

1. How deep is the water table around Santa Fe?

2. Is it possible to live at an elevation (orographic lift and all) that supports a forest ecosystem in NM, or does it transition from desert to high mountains too quickly?

3. Have any municipal water systems ran dry in the face of the ever-drying climate regime we all seem to be in? If so, what's the back-up?

.

1. It varies markedly. My neighbors 180 foot well failed. Mine is still working. Another neighbor has a 60 foot well. That said, many people in the Pojoaque Valley (northern Santa Fe County) are currently drilling 400 foot wells. It may be very different in the southern parts of the county.

2, Yes. Some people live in Ponderosa forest -- I suspect other types as well as you get higher.

3. Santa Fe recently purchased water rights for Rio Grande water and will use that to give the aquifer a rest and replenish. Santa Fe is also restricting growth to protect water supply and has heavily switched to xeric landscaping. I would be confident that the communal systems in the Santa Fe area will continue to have water. I would be less confident in many other areas of New Mexico where growth is viewed as a unmixed blessing and water as a limitless resource.

Incidentally this is not desert around here, it is savannah and we have a fair number of trees -- junipers -- they are just not very tall. We used to have more pinyon, but the bark beetles got them. I have three or four small pinyon coming up on my land.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by Devin Bent

1. It varies markedly. My neighbors 180 foot well failed. Mine is still working. Another neighbor has a 60 foot well. That said, many people in the Pojoaque Valley (northern Santa Fe County) are currently drilling 400 foot wells. It may be very different in the southern parts of the county.

2, Yes. Some people live in Ponderosa forest -- I suspect other types as well as you get higher.

3. Santa Fe recently purchased water rights for Rio Grande water and will use that to give the aquifer a rest and replenish. Santa Fe is also restricting growth to protect water supply and has heavily switched to xeric landscaping. I would be confident that the communal systems in the Santa Fe area will continue to have water. I would be less confident in many other areas of New Mexico where growth is viewed as a unmixed blessing and water as a limitless resource.

Incidentally this is not desert around here, it is savannah and we have a fair number of trees -- junipers -- they are just not very tall. We used to have more pinyon, but the bark beetles got them. I have three or four small pinyon coming up on my land.

Thank you for the info.

[lakota.woman]

Wow, what a bummer, no pinyon. Well I will be officialy moving back to Santa Fe in July of 2009, I can not wait, I do miss it sooo bad. I am glad to hear that the water situation is taken care of to a certain degree, that was one of my concerns. Peace...lakota.woman

Originally Posted by Devin Bent

1. It varies markedly. My neighbors 180 foot well failed. Mine is still working. Another neighbor has a 60 foot well. That said, many people in the Pojoaque Valley (northern Santa Fe County) are currently drilling 400 foot wells. It may be very different in the southern parts of the county.

2, Yes. Some people live in Ponderosa forest -- I suspect other types as well as you get higher.

3. Santa Fe recently purchased water rights for Rio Grande water and will use that to give the aquifer a rest and replenish. Santa Fe is also restricting growth to protect water supply and has heavily switched to xeric landscaping. I would be confident that the communal systems in the Santa Fe area will continue to have water. I would be less confident in many other areas of New Mexico where growth is viewed as a unmixed blessing and water as a limitless resource.

Incidentally this is not desert around here, it is savannah and we have a fair number of trees -- junipers -- they are just not very tall. We used to have more pinyon, but the bark beetles got them. I have three or four small pinyon coming up on my land.

[Pintada Kid]

Since you mention the Bark Beetles that killed all those Pinon Trees South of Santa Fe. My Question is have these trees been Mulched or Burned there were hundreds of Acres of them for years along the Interstate 25 ready to Create a Fire Hazard for everyone around the Area and towards El Dorado? pintada kid at webtv.net

[rybert]

Santa Fe?

Does this city really deserve a sub-forum?

just kidding... you crazy Santa Feans.