The Committee for a Healthy Rio Grande is made up of anglers, boaters and other citizens united by a mutual love for the Rio Grande and a deep concern for its health and future.  Founded in the Spring of 2024 the Committee currently consists of 12 members residing in communities from Durango to Lake City.  Our diverse membership includes shop owners, businessmen, retired science professors, a lawyer, a contractor, a veterinarian, and a minister.  Our only goal is to see the far overdue promises of managed reservoir releases to support and enhance the aquatic habitat and recreational potential of the Rio Grande become a reality.

 

We have all witnessed the impact of a prolonged drought on the Rio Grande as well as on agriculture in the San Luis Valley.  We are now typically faced with fewer boatable days, higher water temperatures, lower water oxygen content, and more exposed riverbed resulting in reduced habitat for both fish and the aquatic insects they depend on for survival.  Advisories to fish the river only during the mornings or not at all during the hot and dry summer months have become commonplace.  And, unfortunately, the long-term practice of completely halting reservoir releases from November to April (five months) remains in place.

 

We recognize that agriculture in the San Luis Valley has suffered from the drought as well.  Depleted aquifers and land removed from production have become routine and long-term weather forecasts are not encouraging.  We wish our neighboring irrigators the best and don’t want to arbitrarily impose anything on them.  We only wish to work with local agricultural interests and other stakeholders to identify more effective release strategies in support of river health and recreation.  We don’t expect miracles and don’t wish to take any water from the river.  Recreational river use is nonconsumptive.  We merely wish to work cooperatively with other stakeholders to identify opportunities to more effectively use the water we have on its way downstream.