{"id":20,"date":"2012-07-11T10:04:43","date_gmt":"2012-07-11T16:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gilaconservation.org\/wp\/?page_id=20"},"modified":"2019-04-12T17:24:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-12T23:24:18","slug":"the-gila-river","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gilaconservation.org\/wp\/the-gila-river\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gila River"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Picture a place where over 300 species of bird have been recorded; where streamside habitat supports wildlife ranging from the reclusive mountain lion to the threatened loach minnow, and where no large dams impede the natural flow of waters. Sound like Shangri La? It is, and it’s Southwest New Mexico’s Gila River. The Gila (“Hee-la”) is one of the last wild, free-flowing rivers in the Southwest, and we all benefit from it staying that way. Consider not just the amazing ecological treasures nurtured by the Gila, but its recreational, educational and historical values.<\/p>\n

OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY AND LEARN<\/strong>
\nEver dream about exploring where few have gone before? The Gila’s headwaters, protected as America’s first wilderness area<\/a> by the legendary naturalist and outdoorsman Aldo Leopold<\/a>, comprise one of the largest roadless areas in the lower 48 States. How about fishing in the quiet shade of gigantic cottonwood and sycamore trees? Or rafting beneath sheer hoodoos and through lush riparian vegetation? Birders can observe the variety of the Gila’s riparian birds, such as the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher. Scientists study the river’s flows and ecological functions. The Gila is a precious gem.<\/p>\n

A WEALTH OF HISTORY<\/strong>
\nThe Gila River is a witness to history. Gunslingers, cowboys and outlaws holed up along the river’s banks. Geronimo, fierce defender of his Apache homeland, was born at the headwaters of the Gila. Before the nomadic Apaches, cliff-dwellers built their homes in the Gila’s tributary canyons; shards of their pottery, the pieces of their lives, still abound. Close your eyes, listen to the river: the voices of those who have come before can still be heard.<\/p>\n

For more information, visit the links below:
\nThe Nature Conservancy, Gila Riparian Preserve <\/a>
\nGila Cliff Dwellings National Monument<\/a>
\nSilver City Museum<\/a><\/p>\n

THREATS TO THE GILA RIVER<\/strong>
\nPeople have used the Gila River for thousands of years, but more recently urban and agricultural interests intend to take more than the river can give. Imperiled fish, birds and other wildlife need the river’s water too, as do people who find solace and refreshment in fishing, birding, rafting and hiking. Bureaucrats and politicians continue to eye this last wild Southwest river for water “development” projects, such as dams and diversions.<\/p>\n

Already the river now fails to flow all the way to the Colorado, as it once did, because of excessive water use in Arizona. Friends of the free-flowing Gila have thwarted several ill-advised projects in the past. In the 1970s, plans for the Hooker Dam failed to pass muster because the reservoir would have drowned the wilderness.<\/p>\n

In the 1980’s, other projects, the Conner Dam and its alternative, the Mangas Diversion, were defeated because of extravagant costs that Silver City, NM residents refused to pay. Now those who would drain the river and empty the pockets of residents of southwestern New Mexico are back.<\/p>\n

THE LATEST THREAT<\/strong>
\nThe latest threat stems from an amendment to the 2004 Arizona Water Settlements Act, which provides $66 million of federal money for any water-related purpose in southwestern New Mexico, and encourages the state to divert 14,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Gila River and its tributary the San Francisco River. If used sensibly, this funding could provide the financing for critical water and wastewater infrastructure and municipal and agricultural conservation needs. New Mexico may receive an additional $34 – $62 million for a \u201cNM Unit\u201d \u00a0to consumptively use Gila River water.<\/p>\n

WHY DIVERSION OF THE WILD GILA IS SO WRONG<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Gila River is New Mexico\u2019s last major undammed river <\/strong><\/p>\n