Save the River, Save Heritage

The Colorado River and its tributaries — including the Gila, Animas, Mancos, Navajo and San Juan — and the Río Grande and its tributaries have been at the center of Native American, Latino and Anglo life for centuries. The Colorado winds its way nearly 1,500 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to the Gulf of California in Mexico — and has an even longer historical path.

The river, of course, has special significance to our Hispanic heritage. Juan de Oñate and his colonists traveled from Zacatecas, Mexico, to the confluence of the Rio Chama and the Rio Grande to found the first colony there, San Juan de los Caballeros, in 1598. Within a decade, the colonists moved their capital to what is now Santa Fe. It was here that Spanish explorers traveled over the Continental Divide into the Colorado River Watershed.

Today, the Colorado River and its tributaries supply industry, irrigate 3.5 million acres of cropland, and serve the water needs of 36 million Americans across the Southwest, who depend on its water. Despite its importance, the Colorado River is imperiled because demand far exceeds supply. Population growth, energy development, climate change and 12 years of consecutive drought have stretched water-storage supplies to the near limit in almost every part of the Colorado River basin.

What impact does that have on the health of the river? We have drained the river to the point that it no longer flows into the ocean. A desert now stands in what used to be the bed of the river. And it only took 80 years for that to happen. Let’s prevent that from happening upstream here in the Southwest United States.

The Colorado is so much more than a river to Native Americans, Latinos and Anglos alike; it is a connection to our past and a vital link to our livelihood now. The river runs through our history and our culture, and it nourishes our lives. Saving the Colorado is about protecting our heritage while promoting our future. That’s why we care about saving the Colorado.

A poll of registered Latino voters in New Mexico proves overwhelming support for conservation and river protection. The poll results, which were released at the close of Hispanic Heritage Month, show that more than seven out of 10 Latinos believe that it is very important “that the government help protect our community’s rivers and lakes for family recreation and the overall well-being of the environment.” Perhaps of even greater importance, almost eight out of 10 Latino voters favor conservation and indicate that they want the government to prioritize efficiency to address water shortages and drought.

The poll results are especially timely because an important federal study is about to conclude that action is needed to keep enough water in the Colorado River system to maintain the environmental viability of critical river stretches in the US. The Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study by the Bureau of Reclamation collected proposals for options and strategies to address the supply-demand imbalance and then evaluated them as part of the study, which is to be released later this month.

Any viable plan to save the Colorado River and its tributaries has to prioritize conservation measures over some of the very costly options that have been offered up. The measures considered by the study include expensive proposals to import water to our region, such as a new multibillion-dollar pipeline from the Mississippi River to the Southwest. Our community calls on Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s leadership in forging a more sensible, cost-effective path by taking the immediate conservation steps necessary to protect our river system.

If we’re serious about saving the Colorado River, common-sense measures — such as improving urban conservation, helping farmers become more efficient, and establishing water banks — should be the priority. These options will work without breaking the bank. We can afford to implement them, and we cannot afford to not implement them! These common-sense measures also have the political support necessary to make them work.

Let’s not waste another drop of water. Let’s do what it takes to save the Colorado River and to preserve our heritage and our way of life. If “la agua es la vida,” then the Colorado River is the aortal vessel that brings that life-giving water to us.

Ken Sanchez is an Albuquerque city councilor, and Peter Ives is a Santa Fe city councilor.