River Currents Issue #12, September 2009
5th Annual Gila River Festival Begins Thursday!
We’re ready for an exciting Gila River Fest to take place September 17 – 20. If you haven’t registered already for field trips, please call the office or register on-line at www.gilaconservation.org. Kayak trips and the birding field trip “Bird on Birds” are full. But we’ve still got more space for trips such as “Round River” – fishing trip with Dutch Salmon of GCC and Kent Salazar of NM Wildlife Federation—and “Charms of Cherry Creek: Wildflowers of the Gila National Forest” with Gene Jercinovic of the Gila Native Plant Society.
We’ve got plenty of FREE events during the weekend. The Silver City Farmers Market will be host to a number of fun family events, such as “Gila River Skit,” “What Would Aldo Leopold Do?,” “Who Lives Along the Gila River,” and “Aldo and the Wolf.” Gila Wilderness District Ranger Al Koss will be leading a FREE hike “The Wild in Wilderness” at the Gila Cliff Dwellings on Saturday at 10am. Carrie Tomlinson of the Gila Conservation Education Center is leading a FREE hike “Mystery Trail Tour” of the San Vicente Creek walking trail on Sunday. Meet at the Silver City Visitors Center at 8:45am.
The Silver City Downtown Gallery Association has organized a FREE gallery tour on Saturday from 2pm – 5pm. View paintings of local flora and fauna, landscape photographs, and fiber arts Lois Duffy, the artist that painted the image of Aldo Leopold for the Gila River Fest poster, will be hosting a gallery opening at 5pm at 211-C N. Texas St. JW Art Gallery in Hurley will have an opening reception “Gila Wilderness Landscapes” by Tom Holt on Sunday 6 pm – 8pm.
And remember our evening events all taking place at the Silco Theater in downtown Silver City. Tim Evans will be giving an Aldo Leopold Living History Performance on Thursday at 7pm. Conservation champion, Dave Foreman, will provide the keynote address Friday night at 7pm. An Aldo Leopold Film Festival will take place Saturday at 7pm.
Hope to see you at the Gila River Festival!
Interim Water and Natural Resources Committee to Meet Next Week in Silver City
State legislators will be gathering in Silver City next week for the Interim Water and Natural Resources Committee meeting to be held at the Grant County Business Center (old Stream Building) on Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22. (Click here for agenda) Two key sessions will be held during the committee session. On Monday at 1:30 pm, the ISC and members of the Arizona Water Settlements Act stakeholders group will be providing an update on the AWSA planning process. Steve Harris of Rio Grande Restoration will be discussing Environmental River Flows at 9am on Tuesday. There is no public comment session listed on the agenda, but this is your opportunity to talk to legislators and tell them you support Gila River protection.
AWSA Planning Update
The Implementation/Technical Committee met last month to review progress on the Planning Framework and to reach consensus on priority expenditures for FY2010. The group has completed identification of desired future conditions and planning objectives and constraints. Progress has been made in completing assessment of current and future water needs. Supply studies have been completed and demand work will be conducted by June 2010. The group decided to issue another call for ideas for how to spend AWSA subsidy funds. Ideas are due by November 30 (click here for form) for consideration at the committee’s December 11 meeting.
To date, studies have been completed totaling ~$400K – $500K (i.e. 2009 Gila Science Forum, Economic Forum, supply studies, and information compilation). Stakeholders agreed on the following priorities for the remainder of the funding (~$300K – $400K) and work plans have been developed or are in process.
* Demand studies (agricultural and mining sectors; municipal demand management; water rights marketability) * Development of surface/groundwater interaction model * Screening level evaluation of Gila Basin Irrigation Commission projects * Retain services of facilitator
The results of the screening evaluation of Gila Basin Irrigation Commission project ideas will be presented at the next meeting of the Implementation/Technical Committee on October 26 at 1pm at the Grant County Administration Building.
LAST CALL: New Belgium Brewing “Vote for a Cause” Deadline September 30th
Help the Gila Conservation Coalition Win $10,000
Calling all friends of the Gila River. If you haven’t voted for the Gila River yet at New Belgium Brewing’s Skinny Dip site, you’ve got until September 30 to cast your vote for Gila River Conservation. The organization with the most votes wins $10,000 and we’re currently in fourth place after a couple weeks in the number one position. Go to www.newbelgium.com and click on “How to Skinny Dip” and then “Vote for a Cause”. Clicking on “Gila River Conservation” will register your vote. Thanks everyone for your support! The winner will be announced October 15. Help us to spread the word and forward this e-mail to a friend so that they can vote for Gila River Conservation!
Upcoming Meetings
*Interim Water and Natural Resources Committee – September 21 – 22, 2009; Silver City. Monday 10 am – 5pm; Tuesday 9am – noon. Grant County Business Center, 3031 Highway 180 East, Silver City.
Combined Implementation/Technical Committee and Stakeholders Group Meeting – Monday, October 26, 2009; 1 pm – 5 pm; Grant County Administration Building. * Implementation/Technical Committee Meeting, Friday, December 11; 8:30 am. Grant County Administration Building.