TABLE OF CONTENTS: 3 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 4-6 PROTECTING WATERSHED HEALTH 7-9 HOLDING POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE 10-14 BUILDING A WATERS MOVEMENT 15-16 FINANCIAL REPORTS, APPRECIATION & THANK YOU 17-19 MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Our mission To protect and restore the waters of New Mexico. Front Cover and Above: <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Bravos</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> Cover Artist, Jivan Lee, plein air painting along the Rio Grande. Photo credit: Ella Sophie.
From the Executive Director Our past fiscal year (FY22) was a year of big accomplishments for <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Bravos</strong>. We celebrated some big successes, we expanded our staff and our capacity to work in more locations and watersheds around New Mexico, and of course several challenges persist, primarily with uncertain and uneven state and federal water policy and implementation. One of our biggest accomplishments as an organization was the designation of over 300 river miles as Outstanding National Resource Waters, affording a new level of protection to these outstanding waters. After several years of focused work engaging numerous stakeholders, working to build a technical case, and presenting testimony and evidence during two hearings in front of the Water Quality Control Commission, we were successful at getting key New Mexico rivers and tributaries designated as outstanding waters. Once a waterway is designated as an ONRW, degradation of water quality is prohibited. ≈ Pecos Nomination: Working with the San Miguel County Commission, the Upper Pecos Watershed Association, the Village of Pecos, Molino de la Isla organic farm, and the New Mexico Acequia Association, we led an effort to get 180 river miles and 42 acres of wetlands in the Upper Pecos watershed designated as Outstanding Waters. ≈ Recreationally Significant Waters (Upper Jemez, Rio Hondo, Upper Rio Grande) Nomination: We worked with the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division to protect 125 miles of river in the upper Rio Grande and Jemez River watersheds. ≈ Outcome: After days of hearings and testimony from experts and the public (including <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Bravos</strong> staff), the WQCC approved both petitions, adding “outstanding waters” protections to over 300 river miles in New Mexico! Another significant initiative we began in the past fiscal year was to expand our Wetland Jewels work to more areas of New Mexico. Building on our work in the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests, we began working with communities and other stakeholders to identify wetlands worthy of protection and restoration in two additional watersheds. ≈ The San Juan watershed: working with communities, landowners, and native communities including the Navajo Nation, we have been working to identify candidate wetlands for protection in the San Juan basin. ≈ The Gila watershed: working with communities, stakeholders, and other conservation organizations located in the Gila basin, we are similarly working to identify candidate wetlands. <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Bravos</strong> has long believed that healthy high-country wetlands are a key factor in healthy watersheds. They soak up runoff from melting snow pack, and slowly release water into rivers and streams in a sustained process, rather than having the moisture run quickly off in a few weeks in spring, leaving rivers and tributaries starved for water the rest of the year. As always, we appreciate our members and supporters for enabling us to do this important work. For the Rio, Joe Zupan Executive Director | 3
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