New Mexico’s Rivers get Another Chance in Congress! 

On April 18th, bill champions Senator Heinrich and Representative Vasquez reintroduced the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act. The bill, reintroduced for the 4th time since 2020, is set to protect nearly 450 miles in the Gila and San Francisco watersheds in southwest New Mexico.  

The reintroduced bill in the 119th Congress is identical to the bill introduced in the last congress where it made significant progress through the capitol’s numerous hurdles. After being introduced in the House and Senate, the bill passed out of committee in the Senate with bipartisan support. The American Whitewater team, our partners, and our members rallied to get the bill across the finish line at the end of 2024 but unfortunately a larger public lands package did not come together and the bill was not signed into law. 

Protecting New Mexico’s last free-flowing rivers will have an uphill battle in the 119th Congress, however American Whitewater is committed to doing everything we can to get it across the finish line once and for all. The progress that the bill made last Congress gives it a head start this time around and it benefits from long standing support from New Mexico’s full delegation, including Senator Luján, Representative Fernández, and Representative Stansbury. 

Last month, we traveled to Washington D.C. to thank the New Mexico delegation for their continued dedication to protecting New Mexico’s last remaining free-flowing rivers and to discuss bill reintroduction. Please join us in celebrating this milestone for New Mexico and the hard work put in by Senator Heinrich and Representative Vasquez to protect the greater Gila River watershed for future generations! 

Senator Heinrich’s press release for S.1476 can be found here and Representative Vasquez’s press release for H.R. 2903 can be found here.