water

Do you know where your water comes from?

From El Verde, about 3 miles up the road and trail towards Cancha Cancha, you'll find the blue structure protected by a fence that’s shown in the photo. This is part of the newest reservoir that serves our community. It is fed by an underground stream coming from deep within the mountain, and (as far as I know) fed by the lagunas and glaciers one can find much higher up. The water is incredibly pure. The current president of JASS (the governing body that oversees the water in our pueblo) has taken important steps to protect its quality, including collaborating with El Verde/Keep the Valley Sacred and Valle Sagrado Verde to plant trees last November. The idea is that the more native trees planted, the better their roots will be able to filter the water and keep it clean.

While we are fortunate to have access not just to water, but to clean water, it is a blessing and should not be taken for granted. As our community grows, we can remember simple ways to be more conscious of our water use: for example, not letting the water run when brushing our teeth and the old saying, "if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down.” ;)

As a business, conscientiousness about the potential impact on the natural environment is at the forefront of any decision we make. I welcome each group when they arrive with an orientation that includes a brief history of the area, which is still primarily agricultural, in hope that groups will be mindful of their water usage, and the preciousness and sacredness of this resource, during their time here. (But, of course we’re not monitoring that, as we want to make sure everyone is comfortable, and comfort is subjective!)

More good things happen when many people make small positive choices instead of relying on just a few people to make the "big" things happen.