Portions of the Gila River would be designated as “wild and scenic” under legislation proposed by New Mexico's two U.S. senators.
Spanning parts of New Mexico and Arizona, the senators say the river and other main tributaries make up the largest remaining network of naturally flowing river segments in the Southwestern U.S. The Bureau of Reclamation and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission are gathering public comments on an environmental review of a proposal that calls for diverting and storing some of the water. The senators say their legislation takes into account feedback gathered from landowners, local officials and others.
