From left to right:
New Mexico State Land Assistant Commissioner Surface Resources, Mike D. Anaya;
City of Santa Fe Water Resources & Conservation Manager Rick Carpenter;
Mayor David Coss; Councilor Patti Bushee; Vice President of the Acequia
Association and organic farmer, Harold Trujillo; and Mayor Pro tem Rebecca
Wurzburger.
Santa Fe celebrated Colorado River Day 2013 at City Hall this afternoon along
with five other western cities: Denver, Colorado, Grand Junction, Colorado,
Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, and San Diego, California. Today marks the
river’s 92nd birthday, honors the waterway that serves as the
backbone of the West’s economy and a critical drinking source for
millions.
Colorado
River Day brings people together across divides in support of maintaining a
sustainable Colorado River. This year, urban and rural interests unite. It takes
place on July 25th each year, as this was the day in 1921 when Congress re-named
the river from the “Grand” to the “Colorado.”
Santa Fe
Mayor David Coss is an ardent supporter of common sense solutions to water
imbalances that promote efficiency while also providing water for our cities,
communities and farms.
“Santa Fe is
already a leader and among the best water conservers in the Southwest. Our daily
water usage of 106 gallons per capita is one of lowest of any comparable city in
the country,” said Mayor Coss. “Today, I join other Mayors from cities big and
small on behalf of urban residents and farmers to call on the states and the
federal government to help us achieve more needed water efficiency measures by
producing actionable proposals to implement them.”
“These issues serve as a very good
reminder of how vitally important it is for our region and our community to be
good stewards of our water resources and to always observe sound water
conservation practices,” said City of Santa Fe Water Resources &
Conservation Manager, Rick Carpenter.
Mayor Coss,
as well as city leaders have signed a statement supporting improved urban and
agricultural water conservation as a means to improve their communities’ water
security and sustain a healthy flowing Colorado River for generations to come.
In addition
to Mayor Coss, other local signors include:
Councilor
Patti Bushee
Mayor Pro tem
Rebecca Wurzburger
New Mexico
State Land Commissioner, Ray Powell
New Mexico
State Land Assistant Commissioner Surface Resources, Mike D.
Anaya
New Mexico
State Land Assistant Commissioner for Special Projects, Ralph
Gallegos
Vice
President of the Acequia Association and organic farmer, Harold Trujillo
City of Santa
Fe Water Resources & Conservation Manager, Rick
Carpenter.
The statement
of commitment supports robust progress for urban and agricultural water
conservation in the Southwest. The statement was launched today with a handful
of founding signees at the event. After one month of collecting additional
signatures from locally elected officials, the statement will be delivered to
state and Department of Interior officials who are currently weighing next steps
on water conservation and how to maintain healthy river flows. These state and
federal actors are participating in stakeholder workgroups that were created in
the wake of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Colorado River Basin
Study and are set to conclude their work and offer recommendations next
year.
The Animas,
La Plata, Mancos, Navajo and San Juan rivers are all Colorado River tributaries
that flow through New Mexico. Over one million New Mexicans depend on the
Colorado River system for drinking water, and the San Juan River irrigates
100,000 acres of farm land in the state. Recreation on Colorado River
tributaries in New Mexico results in nearly $1.7 billion in total economic
output annually and supports over 17,000 jobs in the state.
Colorado
River Day brings people together across divides in support of maintaining a
sustainable Colorado River. Last year, progressives and conservatives came
together in support of river. This year, urban and rural interests unite. It
takes place on July 25th each year, as this was the day in 1921 when Congress
re-named the river from the “Grand” to the “Colorado”. It is produced by a wide
coalition of organizations including National Young Farmers Union, Save the
Colorado. Protect the Flows and Nuestro Rio.
More photos
from today’s event are available at the city’s Facebook page
at:
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