| Thanks in part to the efforts of Amigos Bravos, the Río Costilla at the border between New Mexico and Colorado reached its confluence with the Río Grande this year for the first time in almost 20 years. For the past two years, Amigos Bravos has been involved in the complex, interstate issues affecting the Río Costilla in order to ensure more efficient, equitable and environmentally responsible management of the river.
The problems on the Río Costilla began some 50 years ago. As a result of outdated management practices, questionable water right transfers, and habitual over-diversion, the Río Costilla has been decimated. Diversion canals have reduced the lower Río Costilla to little more than a trickle during most of the irrigation season; the river and downstream parciantes struggle to survive. Management of the Costilla Reservoir on the upper end of the watershed has created conditions that can no longer support the native Río Grande cutthroat trout fishery.
At the annual Costilla Creek Compact Commission meeting on May 6, 1999, local activists and water users took up many of the issues Amigos Bravos has been addressing since the 1997 Compact meeting, indicating to us that the patient work of community organizing, outreach, and consensus building are paying off. In particular, our involvement with and technical support of Reviva el Río Costilla, a coalition of Costilla and Garcia residents (RRC), has brought attention to the river's problems and mobilized community advocacy.
At the May meeting, Compact Commissioners reported on a new metering system, the first Operations Manual in the 55 year history of the Compact, and other changes in management procedures that are the result of Amigos Bravos' efforts on this project. Culminating our research and documentation of over-diversion of Río Costilla water, Amigos Bravos and RRC submitted a formal request to the Commission that diversions be limited to amounts we believe were originally intended by the Compact, in order to ensure more water for the river and downstream acequias.
Thanks to LightHawk-"the Environmental Air Force"-Amigos Bravos and RRC were able to sponsor a series of flights over the Costilla watershed on May 26, to encourage dialogue and awareness of the issues among local citizens, water users, and agency representatives.
Because of the high precipitation and runoff this spring, the Costilla was flowing all the way to its confluence with the Río Grande, a sight that Garcia resident David Córdova said he'd not seen in 17 years. During a recent tour of the Sangre de Cristo Organic Wheat Project, Mr. Córdova said that neither the river nor his wheat fields would be getting the water they need had it not been for Amigos Bravos' efforts. |
