Confluence Santa Fe 2026 Weaves the Santa Fe River into Our Lives

The Santa Fe Watershed Association (SFWA) and the City of Santa Fe's River and Watershed Section invites the public to Confluence Santa Fe 2026, an annual fall celebration of the land, water and people that connect the Santa Fe River Watershed.

Beginning September 10, Confluence Santa Fe offers several educational programs, steward workshops, and community events to care for the watershed, including guided hikes, water facility tours, children's activities, river cleanups, and more.

"Confluence Santa Fe celebrates the special power of connection. Our shared watershed is always the perfect inspiration to come together, learn from each other, be inspired, and continue the practice of building resilience as a community," says SFWA Executive Director Morika Vorenberg Hensley.

The centerpiece of this year's celebration is Confluence Film Night on Wednesday, September 16, featuring Requiem for a River. The film examines the profound changes reshaping the Rio Grande and considers what its uncertain future means for the communities and ecosystems that depend upon it. The evening will also include the official premiere of The Hidden Life of the Santa Fe River, a locally focused film revealing the plants, wildlife and ecological relationships sustained by the river corridor.

A special trailer for Thinking Like Water will introduce an educational series exploring ways to understand, restore and care for the watershed. Beginning in 2027, each episode will become the basis of a corresponding hands-on community workshop.

"Confluence Santa Fe 2026 celebrates the connections that turn a watershed into a living community, linking people, water, wildlife, and place," says Zoë Isaacson, River and Watershed Manager for the City of Santa Fe. "We are thrilled to host the River Talks: Love Letters to the Watershed, where community members can share what watershed means to them. It's a wonderful way to kick off Confluence Fest, reminding us all that protecting our watershed begins with knowing it, experiencing it, and staying connected."

For the latest schedule, registration information and ticket details, visit www.santafewatershed.org/csf-26 or follow the Santa Fe Watershed Association on Facebook and Instagram.

EVENTS INCLUDE

River Talks: Love Letters to the Watershed
Thursday, September 10, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.; doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Iconik Red, 1366 Cerrillos Road

Confluence begins with an evening dedicated to the many ways people experience and care for the Santa Fe Watershed. Community members are invited to share a poem, letter, story, song or meaningful object inspired by their relationship with the watershed. Advance sign-up is encouraged.

Confluence Film Night
Wednesday, September 16, 6p.m. - 8 p.m.

Center for Contemporary Arts

Buy your ticket: https://bit.ly/ConfluenceFilmNightRequiemforaRiver

The evening's featured film, Requiem for a River, explores the history and uncertain future of the Rio Grande. Audiences will also be the first to see the official premiere of The Hidden Life of the Santa Fe River, along with a special trailer for Thinking Like Water. Advance tickets are required.

Historic Santa Fe River Greenway Tour
Thursday, September 17, 10a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

San Isidro River Park Trailhead

Register: https://bit.ly/HistoricSanYsidroCrossingTour

Led by SFWA Executive Director Morika Vorenberg Hensley in partnership with the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, this guided tour will explore the Santa Fe River Greenway between San Isidro and Romero Parks. Participants will learn how an area once characterized by trash, erosion and flood risk was transformed into a thriving refuge for riparian life through decades of community vision and collaboration.

Municipal Santa Fe Watershed Hike
Saturday, September 19, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Dale Ball Trails parking lot (Santa Fe Canyon Preserve)

Join the waiting list: https://bit.ly/Waitlistupperwatershedhike

This special five-mile roundtrip hike offers rare access to the protected Municipal Santa Fe Watershed. Guided by experts from SFWA, the City of Santa Fe and the U.S. Forest Service, participants will visit Nichols Reservoir and Agua Sarca while learning about Santa Fe's drinking-water system, forest health and watershed ecology.

The excursion will also include a tour of the new pretreatment facility and metering vault at Nichols Dam, led by Jonathan Montoya, Canyon Road Water Treatment Plant Manager. Advance registration is required.

Toss No Mas
Saturday, September 19, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (noon)

Supply Pickup: 8 -10 a.m. on event day at 1142 Siler Road, Building C

Register: https://sustainabilitysantafe.org/event/toss-no-mas-2026/

Community members are invited to roll up their sleeves and care directly for the watershed for Toss No Mas, a citywide cleanup hosted by the City of Santa Fe's Keep Santa Fe Beautiful office.

SFWA Steward Teams and volunteers will work throughout the watershed, contributing to a collective effort to keep Santa Fe's rivers, arroyos and public spaces healthy.

The public is invited to join SFWA Steward Teams Rotary Club and Hensel Phelps, and District 1 Councilors Pat Feghali and Alma Castro at De Vargas Park from 9-11 a.m. to clean up the river and surrounding environment.

Buckman Direct Diversion Water Treatment Plant Tour

Tuesday, September 22, 12:30 p.m. -2 p.m.
341 Caja del Rio Road

Tour is currently full

Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how water from the Rio Grande is treated and delivered to the Santa Fe community. This public tour will include both indoor and outdoor portions. Advance registration is required.

Paseo Real Water Reclamation Facility Tour
Wednesday, September 23, 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
73 Paseo Real

Register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXWJd1j5hJjK-EHZDaPkR6nCTHNV-G3sriuy6ynd4xOJFL2Q/viewform

This guided tour will introduce participants to the systems and people responsible for treating Santa Fe's wastewater. Guests will learn how water is cleaned, managed, and returned to the environment. Advance registration is required.

Watershedders Storytime
Tuesday, September 22, 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m., Southside Library

Wednesday, September 23, 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m., La Farge

Thursday, September 24, 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m., Main Branch

Saturday, September 26, 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., La Cienega Valley

Designed especially for young children and their caregivers, Watershedders Storytime will feature water-themed books, playful movement and a hands-on rain-stick craft led by the SFWA Education team.

Additional activities and event information will be announced throughout the celebration. The schedule is subject to change, and some events require advance registration or tickets.

About the Santa Fe Watershed Association

The mission of the Santa Fe Watershed Association is to build a thriving, resilient Santa Fe River Watershed through collaboration, stewardship and education that inspires us all to care for our land, water and each other.