Tell your members of Congress to protect a living Rio Grande

Rivers are vital arteries of life, but these important sources of clean water, healthy flows, and quality of life are threatened by a century of unsustainable diversions and now climate change. The Rio Grande is just one of these desert icons that is struggling to survive.

We are asking you to send your members of Congress a personalized letter, asking for their support to fund a federal study of dams and reservoirs in the Upper Rio Grande Basin to identify operational changes that would conserve water and benefit the plant, wildlife, and human communities that depend on it.

It’s past time to rethink rivers and the archaic water management policies that limit them. Funding this study will allow for creative thinking and ensure water exists when and where it is most needed. Please use your voice to stand up for a Living Rio today.

Photo Credit: Adriel Heisey

Recipients

Your Senators
Your Representative

To send the letter below, please provide your personal information.

*Required fields

* Title:

* First Name:

* Last Name:

* Your Email:

* Address 1:

Address 2:

* City:

* State / Province:

* ZIP / Postal Code:

* Phone Number:

Yes, I would like to receive periodic updates and communications from WildEarth Guardians.

Message

* Subject:

Dear Decision Maker,

* Personalize your message

I write today to express my support for living rivers and ask you to direct federal funds to ensure that the Rio Grande can sustain life long into the future. As climate change is ravaging flows in western rivers, I call on you to support a National Academies of Sciences study to review Rio Grande dam and reservoir operations in the Upper Rio Grande Basin in order to conserve water and optimize river management to benefit fish and wildlife, water users throughout the basin, and the health of the river and region.

Rivers are vital arteries of life, but given a century of unsustainable diversions and now climate change, waterways struggle to flow, provide clean water, and nourish both people and the environment along their course. This is especially true in the desert Southwest.

The Rio Grande, like so many western rivers, is severely impacted by dams and water diversions. Since Elephant Butte Dam was completed in 1916, the river has become only a shadow of its former self. The river no longer flows for 200 miles between Fort Quitman and Presidio, Texas (the "forgotten reach"), it only flows below Elephant Butte Dam during the irrigation season, and it is now also experiencing prolonged annual drying in the Middle Rio Grande Valley in central New Mexico. This has translated into serious loss of habitat for fish and wildlife, loss of vital ecosystem functions, and decline in quality of life in these regions.

It's time to rethink rivers and ensure the Rio Grande remains a living river for generations to come. We must start thinking out-of-the-box, the same policies and management structures that have gotten us here will not get us out. The time is ripe for developing effective strategies for climate-resilient management of the Rio Grande.

We need your help to direct and fund this important study.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]