Energy and Water Appropriations Amendment Harmful to Rio Grande River
Senator Domenici's rider would exempt from ESA requirements activities harmful to the endangered silvery minnow along the Middle Rio Grande and its tributaries. Discharges from sewage treatment plants, discharges from Los Alamos National Labs, herbicide and pesticide applications along the river, construction of dams, and ever-increasing diversions from the river are but a handful of examples of activities with adverse impacts on species that would be exempted from ESA requirements under the rider.
"Any one of these harmful activities could devastate the last remaining populations of the silvery minnow," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "It's important to remember that these activities could also be extremely harmful to the humans who depend on the Rio Grande. Pesticides? Los Alamos nuclear laboratory discharges? Sewage? It's clear that the ESA in this case is protecting a lot more than a fish."
Since the 10th Circuit Court's opinion was handed down affirming the Bureau of Reclamation's responsibility for protecting the endangered minnow, the parties to that lawsuit have been in negotiations to settle the dispute. It is their collective hope that a collaborative effort will yield a long term plan that will provide for the needs of New Mexico's growing population, agricultural interests, and endangered species, while at the same time protecting the long term health of the Rio Grande.
"Unfortunately, Senator Domenici's rider has had a chilling effect on the negotiations, and a settlement that once seemed assured has now become questionable," said Schlickeisen. "It's an unfortunate turn of events, because it's New Mexicans who will have to live with the decisions being made in Washington, D.C. and, ultimately, with a dying river."
Schlickeisen also noted that the rider could set a dangerous precedent for undermining the potential for other collaborative efforts to find long term water solutions in other places across the nation. The Rio Grande, the Klamath, the Missouri, and numerous other rivers across the west provide economic, ecological and spiritual benefits to all who live and work along their shores. Schlickeisen added, "Like many fragile rivers in the American west and across the nation, the Rio Grande and its watershed provide a filter for clean drinking water, a haven for rafters, birders, hikers and bikers, and water for agriculture. It helps keep and attract the businesses and families that chose New Mexico for their homes. While Senator Domenici's rider focuses on the Rio Grande, water resource use is a national issue important to all Americans."
"The fact that a tiny minnow can no longer survive in the Rio Grande is clearly evidence that something is wrong with the way the river is managed," continued Schlickeisen. "The fish is on the edge of extinction because the river itself is in dire trouble. The loss of the silvery minnow alone may not cause fishermen to lose their jobs or an economy to crumble, but the loss of a healthy Rio Grande would have a dramatic impact on the quality of life in this region that could ripple across the nation. If Senator Domenici's rider passes, however, the fate of the Rio Grande will no longer be New Mexico's to determine."
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 430,000 members and supporters, 90,000 in California alone, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. To stay current on hot topics in wildlife conservation, subscribe to DENlines, Defenders of Wildlife’s electronic update and action alert network. To subscribe to DENlines or for more information on Defenders of Wildlife projects, please visit www.defenders.org.
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