NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Two New Mexico lawmakers are behind a new effort to protect the Gila River. The bill, sponsored by Congressman Gabe Vasquez and Senator Martin Heinrich, would designate parts of the Gila, its watershed, and some tributaries as “wild and scenic” rivers.
That means those waterways would be preserved for their natural, cultural, and recreational values. “One of the solutions that we have for people that want to live healthy lives, that want to have a better quality of life, is outdoor recreation, and we can’t do that without protecting public lands and protecting access for everybody,” Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D- New Mexico).
Portions of the Rio Grande, Rio Chama, Pecos River, and East Fork Jemez River are already part of the National Wild and Scenic River System.