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The Acequia de Alcalde is located within the Sebastian Martin land grant. It was named after Sebastian Martin Serrano who along with his brother Antonio Martin Serrano petitioned the King of Spain in 1703 for the land north of San Juan Pueblo currently known as Ohkay Owingeh. It was previously known as San Juan de los Caballeros established in 1589 and later renamed back to it’s ancestral name of Ohkay Owingeh. Sebastian Martin's great grandparents, Herman Martin Serrano (a native of Zacatecas in Mexico) and Juana Rodriguez were among the original settlers of the 1598 Onate colony.

In 1705 the Serrano brothers were given possession of land which extended North of San Juan Pueblo to Embudo and from Black Mesa west of the Rio Grande, east to the river that runs between Picuris and Chimayo as far as Las Trampas.

Before the grant was assigned, the petitioners were required to construct a water system or acequia. Sebastian Martin started construction of the acequia, adding a house and a two story defense tower six years before his petition the King of Spain was accepted. The first lands on the grant were irrigated in 1698. In 1712 Sebastian Martin described his activities in developing the grant as follows. "For 15 years prior I have opened up plans for farming, constructed and opened up a main ditch from the Rio del Norte for irrigation, constructed the church (Nusetra Senora de la Soledad) and have close to 100 people residing here". Thus the Acequia de Alcalde was officially established in 1698 when conditions for the petition were meet and the water rights established.

 

Acequia de Alcalde

PO Box 99

Alcalde, NM 87511