Help stop the Gila River Diversion, once and for all!

New Mexico’s last free-flowing wild river, the Gila, is threatened by a diversion project that could suck the river dry. The Gila is a prime example of how climate change is impacting our rivers and water supplies and how the decisions we make will impact our communities – for better or worse – for generations to come. It’s why American Rivers is naming the Gila #1 on the list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019.

The proposed diversion simply doesn’t make sense from an ecological or economic perspective – especially in an era of climate change. The good news is, Southwest New Mexico’s water needs can be met with local water projects that will save taxpayers and water users’ money, provide direct benefits for area farmers and businesses, and protect the Gila River for future generations.

Take action today!

Please urge Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to remove the Gila River diversion from the planning process, and instead reallocate the available federal funds for locally-driven, sustainable, water projects.

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Governor

Michelle

Lujan Grisham

State of New Mexico

As someone who cares deeply about the Gila River, its unique ecological and cultural diversity, and the locally beneficial agricultural and outdoor recreation economy of the region, I support your campaign statements and applaud your recent efforts to stop construction of a damaging diversion project on the Gila, and redirecting available funding towards locally-driven, sustainable community water projects.

After more than a decade of planning and more than $15 million spent, the diversion project is in its final year of review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is scheduled for release in April 2019 with a Record of Decision (ROD) by the end of 2019. Despite the projected high costs, severe delays in schedule, and feasibility issues with multiple iterations of the diversion proposal, this project continues to move forward. Without your intervention, it is expected that the Trump administration will issue a ROD, potentially moving the project forward to the construction phase. 
The threat posed by this harmful diversion project has led American Rivers to list the Gila as #1 on its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®.

The looming threat to the Gila River can be eliminated by withdrawing the project from this process and instead spending available funding on non-diversion projects to meet the water needs of communities and businesses throughout southwest New Mexico. Your New Mexico Water Plan pledges to end work on the diversion by using these funds more efficiently on other projects and ensure that the Gila River is protected by federal law. We applaud your perspective on this project, and support your efforts to redirect this funding, safeguarding the Gila River.

Thank you for your recent efforts to protect the Gila. Now, let’s take the necessary steps to stop this damaging and expensive diversion project, redirect available funding for local conservation and water supply projects, and provide durable and permanent protection for the Gila River, once and for all.

Sincerely,

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