Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Interior Policy Threatens Living Rio Grande

Group Calls for Interior to Stop Bailout of New Mexico
Contact: Jen Pelz 303-884-2702

SANTA FE, N.M.—WildEarth Guardians today called on the U.S. Department of the Interior to stopbailing out the State of New Mexico by releasing water stored on behalf of thesix middle Rio Grande Pueblos at the end of each year. The letter questions theequity of the releases—which Interior does to assist New Mexico in meeting itsdelivery obligation to Texas under the Rio Grande Compact—and highlights themissed opportunity to bolster river flows in the spring and late summer tosupport endangered fish and birds that depend on those flows for reproductionand survival. The request came in the form of a letter to Secretary of theInterior Jewell.

“Interior’s winter releases of this water is turning the Rio Grande’snatural flow pattern on its head,” said Jen Pelz, Wild Rivers Program Directorat WildEarth Guardians. “Fish and wildlife cannot survive if water is beingdrained from the river in the spring only to be released in the winter—at atime when the water provides little to no ecological value.”

The group’s letter urges Interior to reconsider its policy of releasingthe Pueblos’ prior and paramount water in November and December of each year asa matter of course. It also recommends that Interior coordinate with the six Pueblosto carry over this water and to develop a long-term strategy to release thiswater in a more environmentally sound manner, such as for creating a springpeak flow or mitigating the impacts of late summer drying of the river on fishand wildlife.

The letter also emphasizes that compliance with the Rio Grande Compact isthe responsibility of the State and that Interior’s unilateral releases of thePueblos’ prior and paramount water for this purpose only further perpetuatesthe lack of accountability by the State of water use in the Basin. Guardians stressesthat it is not the duty of Interior to accommodate New Mexico’s irresponsiblewater management. The State could be doing much more to ensure its Compactobligations are met, such as administering water by priority (e.g. shutting offjunior water users) or facilitating releases from junior storage duringcritical periods of low flow.

“The State is robbing the river and senior users in the Basin any chanceit gets under the guise of Compact compliance,” added Pelz. “The State muststart reining in the out of control water use and starting developing along-term plan for living within its means going forward. Interior plays a keyrole in providing the incentive to make this to happen.”

A copy of the letter can be seen here.