WildEarth Guardians

Friday, April 7, 2006
The Push for a Free-Flowing Rio Grande - WildEarth Guardians Urging Los Alamos County

WildEarth Guardians, urging Los Alamos County to purchase water rights that would help maintain water levels in the Rio Grande, has asked the county council to add a voluntary $1 check-off box on monthly utility bills
Contact: Darryl Newman Los Alamos Monitor

The Los Alamos Monitor reports on WildEarth Guardians efforts to obtain in-stream water rights for the Rio Grande through direct citizen participation:

"WildEarth Guardians has asked governments that contract water under the San Juan Chama Diversion Project to give residents the option of donating money to keep river water flowing for the protection of endangered species, such as the silvery minnow."

"John Horning, executive director of WildEarth Guardians, said giving residents the opportunity to contribute through their local governments is another way of keeping the public informed of environmental issues."

"We're doing a better job of educating people about the matter and that this is in everyone's best interests," Horning said. "We're excited that the county is considering the resolution and we were happy to work with the Utilities Board in drafting the resolution. As municipalities look to rely upon the Rio Grande, we need to look at other ways of sustaining the river."

"Our goal is to get every single entity under contract to receive San Juan Chama water, to include residential check-off boxes on utility bills," Horning said. "When these counties and municipalities begin to tap into that supply, we want them to think about how to sustain the river as the river sustains all of us."

Read the article (Los Alamos Monitor Website)