By BEN NEARY
NMWF Conservation Director
A bill to protect some 450 miles of the Gila River and its tributaries under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act got its first hearing before a U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday.
The Gila bill appears unlikely to proceed in the few months remaining in this session of Congress. However, Wednesday’s hearing sets the stage for future action on the measure starting next year.
Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both New Mexico Democrats, are co-sponsoring the bill, called the “M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act.”
Salmon, an ardent conservationist, was a fierce defender of the Gila River. He was also a frequent contributor to the New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s “Outdoor Reporter” publication before his death last year.
Both Udall and Heinrich testified for the bill Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. They emphasized that the Gila is the last free-flowing river in the West and deserves full federal protection.
Heinrich said the legislation would protect some of the most dynamic and spectacular rivers and streams in our country. Designating the rivers as wild or scenic under the federal law would restrict activities that would change their character.
“The Gila and San Francisco Rivers are the beating heart of Southwest New Mexico,” Heinrich said. “They’re home to some of the most spectacular places in the West. Full stop.”
Udall said the greater Gila Watershed — including the San Francisco River and other main tributaries — comprises the largest remaining network of naturally flowing river segments in the Southwestern United States. He said it provides unique outdoor experiences for families, including wildlife habitat, and the foundation of a rural economy that includes farming, grazing and recreation.
“Designating the river as Wild and Scenic will protect abundant cultural resources and the integrity of this important water source and existing traditional uses to make sure future generations can enjoy the Gila like we and so many generations of New Mexicans have,” Udall said. “We must take action to protect it. Designating portions of the Gila River and its watershed as Wild and Scenic will protect one of the nation’s most iconic and treasured river systems, as well as support the booming outdoor industry in that part of the state and the agricultural economies that rely on it.”
Both senators said in their testimony that they had been friends with Salmon. They said the river legislation was the result of many years of advocacy from local community members who want to see their rivers protected.
Salmon had served as chairman of the Gila Conservation Coalition, a group that continues to fight to protect the river.
The coalition was instrumental in beating back a recent proposal to build a diversion system to take about 15,000 acre feet of water per year out of the Gila River for irrigation. The coalition said taking the water out of the river would be harmful to fish and wildlife and harm the river’s wild character.
New Mexico is entitled to the water for the diversion project under federal law. Yet, despite years of effort, proponents failed to devise an economical plan for the project. The federal government this year pulled its support for the diversion and it appears likely that some $70 million in remaining project funds will go instead to other water projects in southwestern New Mexico.
“We named the bill in honor of my friend Dutch Salmon, a writer, an angler, conservationist, and the Gila’s most ardent defender, who passed away last year,” Heinrich said. “The Gila is wild and free today, undammed and undiverted in no small part because of Dutch’s decades and decades of work to keep it that way. This legislation will make sure that it will stay that way for generations to come.”
Udall said others in addition to Salmon had worked for years to protect the river. “Sen. Heinrich and I have both spent time on the river and in the Gila wilderness, the nation’s first wilderness. We’ve been working on this legislation for two years, and introduced this bill at the urging of New Mexicans from all walks of life who also value this jewel of the Southwest.”
Haydn Forward, a principal with the San Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District, testified to the subcommittee that he’s also a board member of the “Heritage Waters Coalition.” He said both the conservation district and the coalition oppose the river bill.
Forward said the coalition has gathered 3,500 members since its founding in June. He said four local county commissions, five local governmental entities, and 39 New Mexico conservation districts all oppose the bill.
The bill would protect designated sections of river that are above and below private lands, Forward said. He said the owners of those properties have diversions, wells, livestock use and other activities that make them inherently incompatible with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
Some of the river segments proposed for protection under the bill are fractions of a mile, Forward said. “These short segments are not in line with the spirit or the meaning of a free-flowing wild and scenic river,” he said.
Jamie Crockett of Gila Hot Springs owns and operates Gila Backcountry Services with her husband. Their business includes taking people on raft trips on the Gila River. She testified in favor of the bill.
“New Mexicans travel great distances to get to the water’s edge,” Crockett said. “It’s where we connect with family and friends. It’s where we escape the summer heat in the cool, clear water, and it’s where we raise our children to respect nature, God and each other.”
Tourism is a fast-growing sector of the local economy, Crockett said. She said she expects the wild and scenic river designation would increase tourism’s draw in the area and said the vast majority of area residents support wild and scenic designation.
“In the American West, we measure our wealth in water,” Crockett said. “So while southwestern New Mexico isn’t dominated by wealth in a traditional sense, we’re the heirs to an incredible fortune by way of this free-flowing gem of the Gila River. We carry the honor and the burden of protecting the river and its traditional uses indefinitely through this important legislation.”
Heinrich also presented a bill to the subcommittee that would designate Cerro de la Olla, a peak in northern Taos County, as a wilderness area within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. He said the Taos County Commission and Taos Pueblo both support the bill, along with a wide range of community members.
“Protecting this peak and its spectacular views has long been a priority for the Taos community, and I’m glad that this bill is moving forward today,” Heinrich said.