In a major victory for New Mexico’s water and communities, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has announced a two-year pause on new mining claims across 165,000 acres of the Upper Pecos watershed. New Mexico Wild, alongside a diverse coalition of stakeholders, helped secure this crucial protection that will shield vital tributaries and headwaters in Santa Fe and San Miguel counties while federal agencies study the possibility of extending protections for 20 years.
This announcement comes on the heels of another win for the Pecos – the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission’s recent designation of portions of the watershed as Outstanding National Resource Waters. These complementary protections reflect years of dedicated work by local community stakeholders, from acequia users to Santa Fe County Commissioners and conservationists.
“It’s everything for us,” says Ralph Vigil, one of the leaders of the Stop Tererro Mine Coalition, New Mexico Wild’s Northern New Mexico Organizer, and former chairman of the New Mexico Acequia Commission. “It’s basically the lifeblood of our community.” Vigil’s unique perspective as both a conservationist and traditional land user reflects the coalition’s strength: “As a farmer, I realized that I couldn’t farm and provide healthy food for my community and use water from my acequia if it was contaminated by mining again.”
While celebrating this victory, we must emphasize that the work isn’t done. The two-year pause opens a window for securing longer-term protections through a potential 20-year withdrawal. Vocal public support and participation will be critical during this time. Additionally, New Mexico’s congressional delegation has introduced the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, which would permanently protect these lands from new mining claims.
The Upper Pecos watershed is one of New Mexico’s most popular recreational destinations and provides critical habitat for the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Perhaps most importantly, it supplies clean water to downstream communities and acequia systems that have sustained local agriculture for centuries.
The region’s mining history serves as a stark reminder of what’s at stake – past contamination has resulted in massive fish kills and costly cleanups. This new protection represents a crucial step toward ensuring such damage never happens again.
Read the Stop Tererro Mine coalition press release here.
