Q. So the goal of this project is to plant native vegetation along the banks of the Rio Grande. Why is that necessary?
A. Well Fred, back in the 1940s the Rio Grande south of Elephant Butte Dam underwent a dramatic transformation. It was due to a taxpayer funded project called the Rio Grande Canalization Project. And its object was to tame to the river, so to speak. Back then Rio Grande was subject to flooding and sometimes it even changed its course, as a normal river will do. But that was a problem, because as we know the river serves as the border between the United States and Mexico, and borders are supposed to be fixed in one place. Also the farmers here in the Mesilla Valley wanted a better way to draw irrigation water from the river. So this canalization project involved taking bulldozers and straightening out the river's path. It also involved mowing down the native vegetation along banks and replacing it with non-native salt cedar, which is good at preventing erosion. Well when we did this, we created a great system for water delivery, but we also destroyed the habitat of birds, fish, turtles and mammals. We altered the entire ecosystem of the river so that it doesn't behave like a natural river anymore. If you go out and look at it now, you'll see how it looks a big dirt ditch.
Q. So the river bed is dry most of the year, where is all the water?
A. Right now all the Rio Grande water is stored in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs. And all of that water belongs to somebody. That includes thousands of farmers in the U.S. and Mexico who use it grow crops like pecans, alfalfa, chiles and onion. A portion of that water also goes to the city of El Paso. They get just under half their drinking water from the Rio Grande. The water typically gets released around summertime when it's hot and the crops need it most. So if you revisit the Rio Grande around July, you'll see it has water in it. But by the time all the farmers divert their share and El Paso takes its share the water disappears and we're back to the dirt ditch.
Q. So how will this restoration project help the river?
A. Well the International Boundary and Water Commission, which is the federal agency that did the canalization project, is looking to buy some of the water stored in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs. And the people they can buy it from are those who belong to Elephant Butte Irrigation District. It's mostly made up of our farmers here in New Mexico. But it also includes people who live in neighborhoods that used to be farms. Like the man we heard from in my second story. He lives in a residential development in Anthony that used to be a 300 acre farm. The houses in that neighborhood come with water rights from the irrigation district. And most people use them to flood their yards and water their grass and trees. Those green lawns are a stark contrast to the Rio Grande river bed which again just a couple miles away and is completely parched. So any of them could choose to sell their water to irrigate native vegetation along the banks of the Rio Grande. Essentially they'd been giving water back to the river. And they'd be ridding themselves of one more monthly bill, which is a fee they pay to Elephant Butte Irrigation District.
Q. So this restoration project is an effort to rehabilitate the Rio Grande and bring it to a more natural state?
A. Yes. And it's a humongous effort. We're talking at least 100 miles of river that were transformed by the Rio Grande Canalization Project. And it will take years for us to see full results, because obviously trees need time to mature. Right now only two people have sold their water to benefit the Rio Grande. That's only enough to irrigate 5 acres of river bank. The International Boundary and Water Commission is obligated to restore about 550 acres of river bank. So it still has a long way to go. It will take a lot of people volunteering to sell or lease or even donate their water rights for this very unique cause.
Q. So if we have listeners who are members of Elephant Butte Irrigation district who are interested in selling, where do they go?
A. Well they have to contact the International Boundary and Water Commission, which has an office here in El Paso. Their website is www.ibwc.state.gov. Or they can contact Elizabeth Verdecchia at 915-832-4701.