-Gila Sustainable Community News, Calendar and Forum-

First "Watershed Keepers" meeting @ the library Thursday evening.

Imagine a cadre of residents, trained in collecting water samples from local waterways (like the "Big Ditch" and street gutters/intersections) and with skills at testing and recording water data on a regular basis and especially when pollution is noticed. Of particular interest is the "Big Ditch" (San Vicente Creek) as it flows through town and down river from the tailings pile south of town.

Imagine if I'd had a water collection bottle and a test kit when I photographed the milky white puddle filling the crosswalk at Bullard and Broadway as it flowed into the Big Ditch. Strange that the only challenge to my remark that it was toxic was from an employee of the NM Environment Department who wanted to know why I thought it was toxic...? My only response was that because it did not belong there nor in the Big Ditch, which is where it was headed, it was toxic to the environment. Would they (NMED) have tested it had they been notified? My personal experience below says not. See my photos and article on the pollution at Bullard & Broadway here "Care To Wade Through This?"

GilaCommunity.net plans to provide a means for this group to post their water sampling results, photos etc as they are collected. To learn more or to become involved contact Regina Willis at the Gila Resources Information Project at (575) 538-8078 or by email at Regina@gilaresources.info.

For me this has especially important implications as a few years age a sewer line broke at the curb up the hill from our house. For nearly 2 months all the black (toilet flushings) and gray water flowed down the street and filled the intersection from a household of 6. Kids loved to ride their bicycles through the puddle. I called the Utilities dept who said it was on private land/not their problem. I called the NM Environment Dept who said it was not there problem even though it all went into the closest waterway. I called the Health Dept who said it was not their problem even though it involved public health. I called my (at the time) town councilperson who hung up on me. I'd watch the town utility trucks drive up and down my street and splash through the puddle of toilet paper and shit in the intersection and pretend not to notice. The only, at that time, local newspaper thought they could write a story with a phone call without even visiting the site and getting a picture. The calls and pleas went on nearly 2 months. To make a long story short I finally called the DA's office and an investigator was at my driveway as we talked and it was fixed that day. My point here is that with a citizen cadre and GilaCommunity.net these things and pollution in our water ways can be made public and documented and perhaps addressed in some timely manner.

We are at a very fragile moment in humanity's time on Planet Earth.
Watching how our shared air, water and soil are are being taken care of, or not, is of utmost importance.
My thanks to those who have committed to being Watershed Keepers.
This is a wonderful gift you are giving to not just our community, but the health of the whole planet.
May the spirits of all the water creatures bless you.
Elizabeth