Preserve legacy of the Colorado River

Carlos Ezeta

Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Nevada’s Sen. Harry Reid is working to give a home to the National Museum of the American Latino. Bipartisan legislation was introduced in Congress that would allow the new museum to take over the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall. There is broad support for a national museum that honors the political, cultural and economic contributions of the Latino community.

As the president and co-founder of Casa de la Cultura Hispano Americana, the first Latino-owned and operated cultural center in Nevada, I know firsthand the importance of celebrating and preserving our heritage and history — both nationally and locally. And I know we have to honor and protect our culture wherever we find it.

Right here in our own backyard, the Colorado River, a culturally significant resource, is on the brink of destruction. Increased population and the drought on the Colorado River mean that water is in short supply. That shortage affects the way we live, threatening our culture, the environment and the future existence of the river itself.

The Colorado River and its tributaries — including the Animas, Mancos, Navajo and San Juan — have been at the center of Latino life for centuries. Spanish explorer Francisco de Ulloa reached the mouth of the Colorado River in 1539; Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of workers who continue to work in fields irrigated by Colorado River water, and Latino families today engage in recreational and business activities along the river. Undeniably, the Colorado River is an integral part of our Latino heritage and culture.

We still have a chance to keep the Colorado River and its tributaries flowing strong, but we need to build a diverse movement in order to be successful. That’s why Nuestro Rio — a network of Latinos in the West which uses its collective voice to educate communities about the history of Latinos and the Colorado River and to advocate for a healthy river for generations to come — is mobilizing the Latino community in Nevada and across the West to call for action to save the river.

Latinos must take action to sustain the river we love. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, “The future of the United States depends on the incorporation of the Latino story into the American story.” The future of the Colorado River depends on us, too. We need Latino leadership and mobilization to help save the river.

Latinos and other Americans in the Southwest depend upon the river to sustain their ways of life and bolster the economy through recreation and tourism. The Colorado River irrigates 15 percent of the nation’s crops and feeds 13 percent of the nation’s livestock, including the Imperial Valley, which provides 80 percent of the country’s winter vegetables. Essentially, the river touches nearly every American in some way. We must educate decision makers and the public about the need to protect this lifeline.

Nevada and the other Colorado River basin states — Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — are participating in a Bureau of Reclamation study examining the future supply and demand on the Colorado River and its tributaries. Recently, the bureau announced that it will solicit ideas to address the problem of demand upon the Colorado River’s water now exceeding its supply. Nuestro Rio is urging policymakers to use the study as an opportunity to address the river’s future by taking pragmatic steps and implementing policies that focus on common sense solutions that are mindful of budget constraints; protect and promote jobs in the recreation and tourism industry; and maintain fishing, boating, hiking and other recreational opportunities that keep people coming West. The solutions produced by the basin study need to support the economic and cultural advantages we depend upon the river to sustain.

We know that Las Vegans and everyone in the basin states depend upon the river’s water to meet our daily needs; but the river needs us, too. Without our foresight and courage, the Colorado River will dry up and exist only in museum exhibits and history books.

With our collective voice, we can ensure our heritage is preserved — both in museums and in our communities — and that the Colorado River is protected and continues to flow and sustain future generations. We must act now to ensure that our children will be able to make their own memories on the same river our ancestors navigated, drank from and enjoyed.

Carlos Ezeta is an appointed member of the federal National Museum of the American Latino Commission.