The Alliance for Rio Grande Heritage on a Mission

by Brian Gifford

There is a river that flows from Colorado, through New Mexico and Texas, and ends in Mexico at the Gulf.

This river has supported human occupation of the Southwest for thousands of years and it has supported a thriving ecosystem in this region for a far longer period of time.

I am referring to the Rio Grande, the heart of the lands it flows through.

The Rio Grande is the primary source of life for this large dry region and the Rio is in trouble. This ecosystem that supports numerous species of plants and animals and maintains our quality of life is in grave decline.

The loss of natural river flows and alterations to the river channel from various structures and diversions have resulted in the extinction and endangerment of several species whose habitat is maintained by the water of the Rio Grande.

The Rio Grande blunt-nose shiner and Phantom shiner have become extinct, while the Rio Grande shiner and Speckled chub are no longer found in the Rio Grande.

The Rio Grande also used to support five species of minnows, all of which are now gone except for the infamous Rio Grande silvery minnow that is barely hanging on.

Not only does the Rio Grande support species that live in the water, the Rio maintains the bosque, which is the trees and plants that line the river.

The bosque is ailing due to the loss of natural river flows and the absence of periodic overbank flooding, both a result of current river management practices.

As a result, the Southwestern willow flycatcher, a bird whose habitat is the bosque, has also become endangered.

The Alliance for Rio Grande Heritage was recently formed by environmentalists and conservationists who are concerned about the future of New Mexico's Rio Grande and the many threats it faces.

Their mission is to protect and restore the ecological health of the Rio Grande in its Upper Basin by restoring natural river and floodplain processes and habitats, to protect endangered and other native species, and to protect the ecosystems on which they depend.

While the river cannot be restored to its pre-human condition, it can be restored to the point that it once again is a vibrant ecosystem.

There are many groups that are now involved with the Alliance for Rio Grande Heritage. They include, but are not limited to, Amigos Bravos, Forest Guardians, National Audubon Society,

New Mexico Public Interest Research Group, Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin Coalition, Southwest Environmental Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, National Parks Conservation Association, Rio Grande Restoration, Sierra Club, and World Wildlife Fund.

These groups are taking part in the Alliance's long-term solutions for restoring the Rio Grande, which include the following:

• Creating a public dialogue that emphasizes a common vision built on fairness to the interests of all the river's users.

• Supporting river-friendly alternatives for every engineering or water supply project proposed for the Rio Grande while working to stop projects and processes that threaten to further harm
the river.

• Establishing public/private mechanisms to receive and administer water for the Rio Grande.

• Working to develop Congressional authorization and support for ecosystem restoration throughout the Upper Basin of the Rio Grande.

In Albuquerque, the Alliance is currently working to make certain that the city's plan to remove water from the Rio Grande for municipal/drinking water use does not impair the river's ecosystem.

The city currently plans to divert a total of 94,000 acre-feet (30.6 billion gallons) from the Rio Grande upstream of downtown and then return half that amount downstream as wastewater.

Half of the total amount of water would be from the San Juan/Chama diversion project (an across-basin transfer of water from the Colorado River watershed) and half would be "native" Rio Grande water.

Depending on the method chosen for removing the water, the proposed diversion would leave a stretch of river approximately 15 or 32 miles long (right in the middle of Albuquerque) with less water.

This stretch of the Rio Grande is Silvery Minnow habitat and lining its banks is prime bosque, home of the Southwestern willow flycatcher.

As this loss of water will cause negative impacts to the river, the Alliance contends that the city should not divert any amount
of native Rio Grande water.

Albuquerque should only use the nonnative San Juan/Chama water.

Rather than looking for ways to put new supplies of water into use to serve increasing demand, the City of Albuquerque should instead be investing their time, energy, and money into developing truly sustainable water use, i.e., the city should develop a strategy of maintaining a consistent level of demand for water that can be feasibly served without harming New Mexico's ailing ecosystems.