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Protect the Gila, The Last Free Flowing River

The New Mexico Wildlife Federation encourages you to join the New Mexico CAP Entity regular monthly meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6th at the Mimbres Valley Special Events Center. There will be an opportunity for public comments and we encourage you to make your voice heard regarding the importance of preserving the Gila River!

The Gila River is the last free-flowing river in New Mexico. The Gila is a world class destination right in our backyard, a historic and sacred resource, and an ideal place for hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking. Most importantly, the free-flowing Gila River is part of our heritage that has been cherished by generations of New Mexican families. A free-flowing Gila River sustains our native fish and wildlife, and contributes to New Mexico’s multi-million-dollar tourism industry.

If we allow the New Mexico CAP Entity to divert the natural flow of the Gila River, we will forever alter the health of the river ecosystem and rob our children of this living legacy. Deming and all of New Mexico should be pursuing water conservation efforts, not wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary diversions.

The New Mexico CAP Entity will hold its regular monthly meeting in Deming to discuss their plans to use taxpayer dollars to plan, design, and build a diversion project on the Gila River. As it stands, the City of Deming—the area’s largest population center, and the remaining population of southwestern New Mexico would receive no water and no benefit from the proposed diversion project.

On September 6th, ask the NM CAP Entity representatives:

  • To oppose the Gila River diversion.
  • To utilize the federal funds under the Arizona Water Settlement Act to fund local water conservation and other beneficial water utilization projects – not the diversion.
  • To protect the Gila River for our families, future generations, and our fish and wildlife.

Join us on September 6th so that ideas to increase Deming’s and the region’s water supply through conservation become tomorrow’s solutions.