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Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 04 October 2017 04 October 2017

Today conservation organizations joined by 2,500 people urged international mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. (FMI) to support environmentally friendly diversion infrastructure on the Gila River in the Cliff-Gila Valley in New Mexico.

Gila Basin Irrigation Commission (GBIC) irrigators recently received a report from its contractor, Telesto, outlining three options for upgrading diversion structures, two of which will cause catastrophic impacts to the riparian ecology of the Gila River. One option, a U-shaped cross-vane rock weir, is the environmentally friendly option, as well as the most cost-effective alternative.

The GBIC is scheduled to vote on Friday, October 6 on which diversion structure alternative to select. Because FMI owns 70% of the irrigable acreage that makes up the GBIC and votes are determined by water right shares, FMI should be able to choose the outcome.

The Gila River in New Mexico is critically important habitat for seven threatened and endangered species, including the loach minnow, spikedace, southwest willow flycatcher, yellow-billed cuckoo, northern Mexican garter snake, narrow-headed garter snake and the Chiricahua leopard frog. The concrete coanda screen weir and low-head concrete capped weir, two of the three alternatives being considered by the GBIC are constructed using concrete walls extending 20 feet below the surface of the river and have the potential to dewater the river and lower groundwater, destroying native fish habitat and intact riparian bosque.

Alternatively, the U-shaped cross-vane rock weir provides irrigators with the water they need at lower cost while maintaining flow in the main channel of the Gila River.

Conservation groups and citizens asked Freeport-McMoRan to support the environmentally friendly diversion structure – the cross-vane rock weir-- that cost-effectively meets the needs of irrigators while not causing irreparable harm to the Gila River's riparian ecology and the outdoor recreation and tourism economy dependent upon it.

The petition can be viewed at: https://www.change.org/p/freeport-mcmoran-protect-the-gila-river-in-new-mexico-from-a-harmful-new-agricultural-diversion

The Gila Conservation Coalition's letter is attached.

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