Guardians Seeks Flows to Sustain Rio Grande

Warns Federal Water Managers of Pending Lawsuit

Albuquerque, New Mexico – Highlighting numerous broken promises made more than a decade ago to enhance the Rio Grande’s endangered ecosystems and in anticipation of an extremely low water run-off that could dry the Rio Grande, WildEarth Guardians today warned federal water managers of its intent to bring suit in federal court to defend the river’s rights to its own water.

The groups’ notice of intent to sue the U.S Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identified numerous mandatory habitat restoration and water management actions from a 2003 federal endangered species protection plan that have not been completed, including fish passage at diversions dams, habitat restoration projects and specific flow regimes—all of which are necessary to prevent extinction of endangered fish and wildlife.

“Broken promises, a fragmented river, extreme drought, and an absence of a plan to allocate permanent water to the Rio Grande compel us to take this action,” said John Horning, WildEarth Guardians Executive Director. “A dry river is a dead river and we believe that New Mexicans of all stripes and colors support efforts to ensure that we have a living Rio Grande.”

Over the last decade Guardians and other environmental groups have urged the federal agencies that own Middle Rio Grande water rights and irrigation infrastructure to establish a water acquisition program to acquire water for environmental flows.  The group argues that the idea is not novel with similar programs already in place on the Pecos River in New Mexico and on other river basins throughout the western United States. 

“We’re also ready to use our own resources to lease water from farmers to sustain the Rio Grande,” said Jennifer Pelz, the groups’ Wild Rivers Program Director. Pelz was referring to an  account with $270,000 jointly managed by the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority to establish a pilot program to lease water.

“But it seems clear that unless more water is made available to sustain the river we’ll soon have a major ecological crisis on our hands,” added Pelz, the Wild Rivers Program Director. Pelz noted that the environmental groups would strongly prefer to resolve the likely conflict over water management absent further litigation, but would also not stand by idly if large stretches of the river are dried.

The notice of intent to sue is the latest action in WildEarth Guardians’ campaign to protect and restore the Rio Grande, America’s third-longest and one of its most iconic rivers. The group has long alleged that unsustainable and inefficient water diversions and water-use practices by farms and municipalities are the primary culprit in the river’s demise.


 

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