DEAR FRIENDS OF NM'S WATERS ~
This is it! The month of June has arrived and with it a chance to win the RAFFLE FOR THE RIO! The drawing date is June 26. The drawing will take place live on KTAO radio (you can listen-on-line) at 6pm, Mountain Time. The lucky winner will choose between airfare for 2 to Cuzco, Peru and 7 nights lodging in the nearby village of Pisac (close to Macchu Picchu); OR, a beautiful acre of land in northern New Mexico; OR, $3,000 cash. Your choice! Tickets are $25 each, or to increase your chances, purchase 5 tickets for $100. To purchase tickets now, scroll down and click on "click here" under "donate now."
This month's E-Currents includes great news regarding the Taos County Commission's vote to pass new, river-friendly, comprehensive land use regulations. We're also happy to announce the free June "Water Matters" lecture, featuring State Representative Brian Egolf, planned for Tuesday, June 17th, in Santa Fe. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the door.
One week later, on Tuesday, June 24, Amigos Bravos will host a free film screening of The Last Mountain, featuring Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and others from the Coal River Community of West Virginia. The film will be followed by a conversation between Amigos Bravos Executive Director, Brian Shields and Maria Gunnoe, via large screen Skype. Gunnoe is a native West Virginian of coal-mining heritage whose advocacy led to the closure of mines in the region and stricter regulations for the industry. Gunnoe has been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize and the Callaway Award for Civic Courage. The event will take place at the Bareiss Gallery on the Taos Ski Valley Road (Route 150), a quarter mile from the old blinking light. Doors open at 6:15pm; screening begins promptly at 7pm. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the door.
Happy Summer !
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Santa Fe River
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AMIGOS BRAVOS
"WATER MATTERS" LECTURER:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN EGOLF
THE GILA RIVER: DIVERT IT OR KEEP IT WILD? HOW WILL NEW MEXICO MITIGATE IMPACTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE & DROUGHT? HOW MUCH WATER CAN NEW MEXICO EXPECT TO RECEIVE FROM THE SAN JUAN/ CHAMA DIVERSION IN THE FUTURE, GIVEN FLOW PREDICTIONS FOR THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN?
State Representative Brian Egolf will discuss these three critical water issues effecting New Mexico's future on the evening of Tuesday, June 17th, at 5:30pm, at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. The Amigos Bravos "Water Matters" Lectures are free to Amigos Bravos members and the public.
| State Representative, Brian Egolf |
The Gila River is the last remaining free-flowing river in New Mexico and it is loved by many who value wilderness and the joy of recreational activities in its waters and along its banks. Development interests would like to divert Gila water for other uses. The debate over how river water should be allocated is at a critical juncture. New Mexico has to let the U.S. Secretary of the Interior know of its decision regarding how to use an average of 14,000 acre-feet of water from the Gila and San Francisco rivers by December 31, 2014. The Interstate Stream Commission is currently considering 15 alternatives and will have to provide a Feasibility Study for a 45 day public comment period starting in July.
Representative Egolf will also address current challenges and opportunities that the State Legislature is facing as it considers ways to address impacts of climate change and drought, including the options of adaptation and mitigation in relation to the Colorado River forecast, which predicts reduced snow pack in the future that will result in lower river flows and will impact San Juan/Chama water rights.
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Rio Chama
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Brian Egolf represents Santa Fe in the New Mexico House of Representatives, where he is Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Water and Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees. Representative Egolf states "I am committed to ensuring that every community has clean water for drinking and recreation and I believe in holding polluters accountable by strengthening environmental laws." Egolf is a lawyer from Santa Fe whose roots in Northern New Mexico go back to the days of Territorial New Mexico. He and his wife are raising their family in Santa Fe and "are committed to providing our children - and all of New Mexico's children - a healthy and sustainable future."
The Santa Fe Community Foundation is located between Old Santa Fe Trail and Acequia Madre, at the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Halona. For more information, call 575-758-3874.
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The Rio Grande at Orilla Verde
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TAOS COUNTY COMMISSION VOTES IN FAVOR OF PROTECTING RIVERS !
Commission adopts land use regulations with protective river setbacks.
The Taos County Commmission, in a vote of 3 to 2, passed new comprehensive land use regulations that include Amigos Bravos' proposed language for building setbacks from rivers, streams, and wetlands; setbacks for hazardous waste storage; confined animal feeding operations and other high impact activities; and, language that requires the use of Low Impact Development (LIC) and Green Infrastructure (GI) in major development projects. Commissioners Dan Barrone, Gabe Romero, and Tom Blankenhorn all voted in favor of the new regulations; Larry Sanchez and Joe Duran voted against the new regulations.
Rachel Conn, the Projects Director for Amigos Bravos, commented that "Commissioners Dan Barrone, Gabe Romero, and Tom Blankenhorn deserve recognition and credit for setting in place regulations that will protect the unique cultural and agricultural legacy of Taos County by protecting clean water for all Taos County residents and, as a result, downstream communities."
After years of work and countless stakeholder meeting and work sessions, the County passed the regulations on the afternoon of June 10th, 2014. The commission listened and responded to hours of public testimony from both supporters and those opposing the new code prior to their vote.
"Protecting our rivers and streams from toxic waste and storm water pollution from development is a huge victory for clean water in the upper Rio Grande watershed," added Conn.
The new regulations include protective setbacks for residential and commercial development. Research has shown that setbacks are effective at
trapping/removing sediment in runoff; reducing stream bank erosion; trapping/removing phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients that can lead to low levels of dissolved oxygen in aquatic ecosystems; trapping and removing other contaminants, such as pesticides; storing flood waters, thereby decreasing damage to property; maintaining habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms; maintaining base flow in stream channels; and, improving aesthetic appearance of stream corridors (which can increase property values).
TO DONATE NOW! :
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THANK YOU TO THE 2014 RIVER & LAND CLEANUP CREW IN TAOS COUNTY
especially the Rocky Mountain Youth Corp
"The River and Land Cleanup is a community effort to clean our watershed, hiking trials, and landscapes." This annual event is supported by Rocky Mountain Youth Corp, Americorps, St. James Episcopal Church, Centinel Bank of Taos, U.S. Forest Service, Taos County, Sierra Club, the Enchanted Circle Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and Amigos Bravos.
100 people cleaned up 2.12 tons of trash, including transfer station dumpsters; 200 pounds of glass (to be recycled); 81 tires; and, 70 wood pallets.
THANK YOU!
AMIGOS BRAVOS IS CELEBRATING
26 YEARS OF PROTECTING & RESTORING NEW MEXICO'S WATERS
Please celebrate with us and help to make sure Amigos Bravos remains strong for the
DONATE NOW!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT OF AMIGOS BRAVOS AND NEW MEXICO'S RIVERS & WATERWAYS!!!
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