Rio Chama Construction near Heron Dam Outlet
Reclamation is excited to be constructing this foot bridge that will connect two recreational trails in the area. We did receive a 404 permit from the Army Corps of Engineers and did the environmental compliance to allow our contractor to create the temporary road access. This road is allowing access as our contractor constructs the recreational foot bridge. The foot bridge will be located about 20 to 30 feet upstream from the access road. It will sit about 12 to 16 feet above the current water surface. According to the plans for the foot bridge, the bridge would be about 7 feet above an estimated annual runoff event of 3,500 cfs. The drawings also show it about two feet above a 50-year flood event of 12,000 cfs.
The current schedule for construction shows that we will be able to remove the access road at the end of February or early March. Again, that's if all goes according to schedule. We opted to do this construction while there is no release from Heron and I believe the water that was in the channel was frozen last week. If the construction should last beyond the scheduled time, we will coordinate to put some signage upstream or do some public notifications to make every effort to ensure those floating the river are aware of the current situation.
Update provided by Mary Carlson, Public Affairs Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, Jan 11, 2022
Journey Down the Gila Film - Free viewing during Gila River Festival
If you missed the AWC September monthly meeting where we presented "Journey Down the Gila", here is another opportunity to watch this beautiful film.
Thank you Heart of the Gila for providing this free viewing during the Gila River Festival
Journey Down the Gila Film
AVAILABLE NOW! FREE!
Stream this film anytime now through September 19th
CLICK HERE: WATCH THE FILM
COPY & PASTE PASSWORD: HEARTS_ON_THE_GILA_2021
Journey Down the Gila is a film exploring grief, renewal and hope, along the Gila River in New Mexico. This documentary tells the story of three New Mexico teens who died in service to the wild places they loved, their mothers’ journey down the wild river they sought to protect, and the struggle to keep the Gila free forever. The film also culminates with a trip the three mothers made to Washington D.C. to advocate for federal legislation to protect the Gila River as Wild and Scenic.
LEARN MORE!
WATCH A PANEL DISCUSSION on "Journey Down the Gila" with the Director of American Rivers, David Moyrc, Founder of Heart of the Gila, Patrice Mutchnick, Grant County Commissioner, Alicia Edwards, and Sportsman, Larry McDaniel, Moderated by Mark Allison, Executive Director of New Mexico Wild.
TAKE ACTION!
You can help ensure that the Gila River is permanently protected in its free-flowing nature. Please click the link below to email Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján and encourage them to reintroduce legislation to designate nearly 450 miles of the Gila River and its main tributaries as Wild and Scenic.
Ask New Mexico Senators to Introduce Wild and Scenic Gila Legislation Now
The Gila River is one of New Mexico's most beautiful and endangered rivers and we need your help now to protect it. The Gila boasts an array of different scenic, recreational, cultural, historical, and ecological values. We are on the cusp of introducing legislation that would designate the Gila River and its tributaries as Wild and Scenic, but we need Senators Heinrich and Luján to introduce this legislation in the 117th Congress as soon as possible. This designation will provide critical protections for over 450 miles in the Gila and San Francisco headwaters, which include unique and beloved paddling opportunities on the mainstem Gila and San Francisco rivers. Take action by writing to your U.S. Senators and asking them to protect the Gila NOW!
https://secure.everyaction.com/zbb56HRUVEak510BF139yA2
Please personalize your message. It makes a big difference. Thank you for speaking up for wild rivers!
HB200 is going to the Senate floor, the last stop before it becomes law.
Here is the link to the HB200 action alert to call Senators.
GREAT RIVERS OF THE WEST, LIVE!
Every Wednesday at 6pm - March 3rd through April 21st, 2021
Brought to you by Western Rivers Conservancy REGISTER HERE
On March 3rd, Western Rivers Conservancy will launch Great Rivers of the West, a live, online series featuring author and photographer Tim Palmer, who will take viewers on a visual journey to dozens of the best rivers in the western United States.
Each episode will feature an engaging, fast-paced slideshow with Tim, who will tell you what these rivers are all about: Where they begin, and where they flow, the fish that make them unique and the wildlife that depend on them, and how to experience them yourself, whether by boat or on foot, with binoculars, hiking poles or fly rod in hand.
MARCH 3 - IDAHO RIVERS
MARCH 10 - MONTANA RIVERS
MARCH 17 - OREGON RIVERS
MARCH 24 - CALIFORNIA RIVERS
MARCH 31 - WASHINGTON RIVERS
APRIL 7 - COLORADO RIVERS
APRIL 14 - ARIZONA, NEVADA AND NEW MEXICO RIVERS
APRIL 21 - UTAH AND WYOMING RIVERS
Rio Chama Watershed Congreso Starts Tomorrow, Feb 27, 2021
Dear Friends: Last minute, low budget, and virtual, the 6th Chama Congreso kicks off Session 1 tomorrow, February 27th, with a keynote presentation from Lucia Sanchez “Stories from a Mountain Ranch” and featuring presentations on the Alcalde Study of the Eco-hydrology of Acequias and the 2021 Fire Season Forecast for the Chama Basin.
For additional information and registration, follow the link below. The event is hosted on Event Brite, where your registration buys you a free ticket to any and all of four Zoom sessions:
Session 2: Tuesday, March 2 at 1:00, Congreso takes to the river with a keynote by Uncle Steve “What’s a River Worth?”, Phoebe Suina on indigenous water governance and the 2021 Streamflow Forecast, presented by Rolf Schmidt Petersen.
Session 3: Wednesday, March 10, at 1:00 pm (Next Generation Water Keepers) and
Session 4: Saturday, March 13 @ 10:00 am (Into the Future)
Please check in, if you can and help us keep the momentum of collaborative governance and forthright dialogue going, until we can get together again at Ghost Ranch. Hope to see you online.
Tell state legislators to support water security for southwest New Mexico
Thank you for your help getting House Bill 200 through the House Agriculture and Water Resources and House Judiciary committees.
Now we need your support to pass HB200 on the House floor this week!
HB200 fast tracks NM Unit Funding to priority water projects, creating long-term water security and jobs in southwest New Mexico.