Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Guest Column:

Latinos must get involved in water issues

Recently, the US Bureau of Reclamation announced that Lake Mead has enough water in it to avoid cutbacks in use for Nevada and Arizona — barely. We must get educated and engaged if we want to protect this precious resource and millions who depend on it. And Latinos, whose cultural and historical roots have been watered by the Colorado River, must lead in this effort.

The Colorado River benefits over 35 million people and supports a $1.4 trillion economy. It provides drinking water, as well as water for agriculture, recreation and tourism to seven states. Ninety percent of our winter leafy vegetables come from the river’s lower reaches. Southern Nevada gets 90 percent of its drinking water from the Colorado River at Lake Mead, which is also the 7th most-visited site in the National Park System.

However, there is not enough water in the Colorado River to meet the basin’s current water demands, let alone future demand increases. We know this every time we visit the lake and see the white bathtub ring showing its old surface elevation. The Lower Colorado River, which runs through Nevada, Arizona and California, was named the most endangered river in the country in 2017 by American Rivers. If current trends continue, the Colorado River’s flow will drop by 10 to 30 percent by 2050. We need action now to ensure that future generations can continue to benefit from this tremendous resource.

We are all tied to the Colorado River, but Latinos are particularly linked to its fate. Nearly one-third of the nation’s Latinos reside in states depending on the river. We make up the bulk of agricultural workers harvesting the produce it waters. We boat, fish, swim and recreate along its banks. We hold baptisms in its waters.

With stakes that high, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. That’s why we’re joining in the work of the Nuestro Rio (Our River) campaign, which is educating the Hispanic community along the Colorado River about these issues and engaging Latino elected officials to lead on conserving and protecting this resource.

In late June, we joined the Hispanic Access Foundation and over 20 local community groups to screen “Leche y Miel (Milk and Honey),” which profiles the Latino community of Yuma, Ariz., and how they are inherently tied to the health and sustainability of the river. For the people who work the fields, the Colorado River represents not only their livelihood but provides a deep, spiritual connection too.

We are called by our history and faith to be good stewards of this magnificent river, which has carved the Grand Canyon and nourished our ancestors for countless generations. It’s the hardest working river in the West, and we’re committed to work on the innovative water management solutions needed to sustain it and its communities.

Maite Arce is the president and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of Hispanics in the United States. Al Martinez is chairman of the Latino Leadership Council and an advisory board member of HECHO, Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors.

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