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How to Keep Water in the Santa Fe River
Those of us who pay attention to linguistic accuracy were beginning to think "Santa Fe River" was a gross misnomer. This garbage-strewn ditch was a "river"? But then, a year ago, there was flow. So much so that the Santa Fe Watershed Association ceremoniously sent a kayaker from Upper Canyon Road to Old Santa Fe Trail. He barely made it, but still their message held water and we all saw the potential of
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the "little river that could." This year the water showed up even earlier and a question resounds all over town: Can we ever have a river that runs year round? According to Paige Grant, senior scientist at the Watershed Association, the answer is almost certainly in the affirmative. "There is data to show that, with effective water management, we can keep a sustained flow in the river," says Grant. She insists City water managers need to stop thinking of themselves as purely a utility, trying to fill water needs in the cheapest manner, and to factor in the public's desire for a flowing river. Though politics and water rights may keep our river from running year-'round, nobody can stop you from dipping your feet while it lasts.
Do it yourself:
Keeping water in the river isn't as simple as a commitment to conserving water in your own home. You've got to let City councilors and the mayor's office (955-4400) know that maintaining a flow in the river should be a priority for the City and that a detailed analysis needs to be commissioned as to its feasibility. The river also has a powerful ally in the Santa Fe Watershed Association (820-1696), a non-profit on a mission to restore all 285 square miles of the Santa Fe River watershed to its former glory. A detailed website,
, has lots of information on donating money, adopting sections of the river and volunteering for a variety of conservation efforts, from trash cleanup to multimedia production.
