THE GILA RIVER RUNS OUT OF THE MOGOLLON MOUNTAINS NURTURING BEARS, MOUNTAIN LIONS, WOLVES.

IT SUPPORTS MORE THAN 200 SPECIES OF BIRDS PLUS ENDANGERED FISH AND GILA TROUT WHICH EVOLVED TO SURVIVE THE RIVERS DRASTIC FLOW VARIATIONS.

MOST OF THE YEAR THE GILA RUNS BETWEEN 20 AND 2,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND DEPENDING ON SNOW PACK AND SUMMER STORMS.

THERE ARE FANS AND RESERVOIRS IN THE RIVER'S HEADWATERS, SO WHEN IT FLOODS IN NEW MEXICO IT CHEWS UP ITS CHANNELS, TEARS APART ITS FLOODPLAINS.

LIKE IN SEPTEMBER, 2013 WHEN STORMS SENT 30,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND DOWN THE RIVER.

THE RIVER ALSO FEEDS PASTURE LAND IN THE CLIFF GILA VALLEY.

COTTON AND ALFALFA FARMS IN BURDEN, NEW MEXICO AND WINDS IT WAY ALL THE WAY ACROSS ARIZONA, WHERE IT MEETS THE COLORADO RIVER IN YUMA.

TODD SCHULKE, CO-FOUNDER OF CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY HAS SPENT THREE DECADES PROTECTING THIS WATERWAY.

WE ARE RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS AND THE HEAD WATERS OF THE RIVER ARE ABOVE US.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE FORKS THAT COME OUT AT THE TOP OF THE WILDERNESS AND THE MAINSTREAM FLOWS THROUGH THE GILA WILDERNESS WHICH IS AMERICA'S FIRST WILDERNESS, DESIGNATED IN 1924.

IT IS A PRETTY SPECIAL RIVER IN THAT WAY, THAT REALLY IN SOME WAYS IT WAS AMERICA'S FIRST WILDERNESS RIVER.

AT THE URGING OF CONSERVATIONIST, LEOPOLD, THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE ESTABLISHED THE GILA WILDERNESS 40 YEARS BEFORE CONGRESS PASSED THE WILDERNESS ACT.

TODAY MORE THAN 3 MILLION ACRES ARE PROTECTED BUT THE RIVER ITSELF IS STILL VULNERABLE.

THERE ARE A FEW ONGOING THREATS.

THERE ARE A FEW ONGOING THREATS.

ACTUALLY WE JUST FINISHED AN EXTENSIVE GRAZING SURVEY.

THERE ARE CATTLE ILLEGALLY GRAZING THE RIVER THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON.

ACTUALLY WE GOT COWS OFF THE RIVERS HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST IN THE LATE 90'S AND THEY HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY BACK.

SO, WE ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THAT.

BUT, REALLY THE BIGGEST THREAT IS THE DIVERSION, DEWATERING OF THE RIVER AND WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THAT FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS AND THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE PROPOSALS TO DAM THE RIVER AND DEWATER THE RIVER GOING BACK ALMOST 100 YEARS.

SO, IT HAS BEEN THIS ONGOING BATTLE JUST TO KEEP THE RIVER FLOWING IN THIS NATURAL STATE.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO HAS FLOATED PLANS FOR NEW DIVERSIONS ON THE RIVER.

THIS IS THE FIRST PLACE YOU GET WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE WILDERNESS AND FAMILIES LOVE TO COME HERE.

IT IS JUST A WONDERFUL SPOT AND IF THEY HAD BUILT THE DIVERSION HERE, IT WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY RUINED THIS GREAT SPOT.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS SPECIAL AND I THINK ABOUT THAT EVERY TIME I COME HERE THAT WE SAVED THIS SPOT.

WE STILL HAVE BATTLES DOWNSTREAM, BUT WE SAVED THIS SPOT.

PRETTY IMPORTANT TO US.

THERE IS A LONG HISTORY OF ATTEMPTS TO DAM THIS RIVER.

IN THE EARLY 1900'S, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DROPPED PLANS FOR TWO DIFFERENT DAMS REALIZING THE RIVER FLOWS WERE TOO VARIED AND TOO SMALL, BUT IN THE SOUTHWEST, WHERE RIVERS ARE TRUE LIFE, BATTLE STILL RAGED OVER THE COLORADO RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES LIKE THE GILA.

IN THE LATE 1960'S, CONGRESS AUTHORIZED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BUILD THIS ARIZONA PROJECT AND GRANTED NEW MEXICO ADDITIONAL RIGHTS ON THE GILA.

CONGRESS ALSO AUTHORIZED ANOTHER DAM ON THE GILA, HOOKER DAM WHICH THE GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT HELPED DEFEAT.

DECADES LATER, NEW MEXICO SENATORS PETE DOMESTIC AND JEFF BINGAMAN HELPED ARIZONA RESOLVE INDIAN WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENTS.

WITH THAT 2004 LAW, CONGRESS ALSO GAVE NEW MEXICO A WAY TO LEVERAGE THOSE ADDITIONAL GILA WATER RIGHTS, WHICH HAD LANGUISHED UNUSED SINCE THE 60'S.

AN EXCHANGE FEE AND TRADE WATER WITH THE GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY DOWNSTREAM IN ARIZONA.

THAT LAW CAME WITH FEDERAL FUNDING AND A DEADLINE.

THIS IS KIND OF A VERY PRACTICAL STATUTE THAT SAYS EVERYTHING IS COMPLICATED WITH WATER.

THE COLORADO BASIN IS SUPER COMPLICATED.

THE GILA PIECE OF THE COLORADO IS, THE WATER ISSUES IN THESE FOUR COUNTIES, SO, WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU 15 YEARS TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

PETE DOMESTIC, JR. HAS BEEN WORKING ON GILA WATER RIGHTS ISSUES SINCE THE LATE 1990'S, EVEN BEFORE HIS FATHER HELPED PASS THE LAW THAT SET PLANS FOR THE LATEST DIVERSION INTO MOTION.

UNDER THAT 2004 LAW, NEW MEXICO HAD 10 YEARS TO DECIDE HOW TO MEET WATER NEEDS IN SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO.

AND IN 2014, THE NEW MEXICO INTERSTATE STREAM COMMISSION, SOMETIMES CALLED THE ISC, DECIDED IT WOULD BUILD A DIVERSION ON THE GILA RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARY, THE SAN FRANCISCO.

THE PLAN FIVE YEARS AGO WAS TO SPEND ALMOST A BILLION ON A DIVERSION AND PULL OUT 14,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER EACH YEAR.

TODAY, PLANS ARE SCALED BACK, CALLING FOR A 150-FOOT CONCRETE WEIR HERE IN THE CLIFF GILA VALLEY.

IT WOULD SUPPLY WATER TO FARMS NOT CITIES AND IN GOOD YEARS THE PROJECT CAPTURES ABOUT 3,000 ACRE FEET BARELY 20% OF 2017 PLAN.

THE PROJECT IS A 45 MILLION-DOLLAR CAPITAL PROJECT.

THERE ARE STORAGE PONDS ON FARM OR ABOVE FARM BUT IN THE VALLEY ON THE UPPER GILA.

THERE IS STORAGE PONDS IN BURDEN.

THEY USE THE SAME EXACT DIVERSION THAT IS ALREADY IN USE, SO THEY ARE INTEGRATED, VERY WELL INTEGRATED WITH WHAT IS ALREADY GOING ON IN BURDEN AND THEN THERE IS THE SAN FRANCISCO WHERE WE HAVE AGREED TO FUND THE DIVERSION WHICH IS BADLY NEEDED.

TODAY, THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE NEW MEXICO CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT ENTITY, THE GROUP OF NEW MEXICO COUNTIES, TOWNS AND IRRIGATION DISTRICTS IN CHARGE OF PLANNING, BUILDING AND OPERATING THE DIVERSION.

TAKING ALL WATER USING CAPITAL FUNDS IN THIS TIME FRAME, BUILDING, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE STORAGE.

WE NEVER ENVISIONED THAT.

WE ALWAYS WERE ENVISIONING A SMALLER PROJECT FOR NOW AS A BASELINE AND ONE OF OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES IS THAT THIS WATER IS -- IF WE DON'T GET IT IN NEW MEXICO IT NOT ONLY GOES TO ARIZONA BUT PEOPLE START RELYING ON IT IN ARIZONA.

HE SAYS, THIS FIGHT ISN'T DIFFERENT FROM OTHER WATER DISPUTES BETWEEN STATES.

THE ANALOGY IS IF YOU TAKE THE RIO GRANDE WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS WITH AND ADVERSARIES AGAINST TEXAS FOREVER OVER THAT WATER IN THE RIO GRANDE.

THIS IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR ALTHOUGH A SMALLER SCALE, BUT THIS IS, IN MY VIEW, NEW MEXICO TRYING TO PROTECT WHAT LIMITED AMOUNTS OF WATER IT CAN GET EVEN THOUGH MOST OR A LOT OF THE WATER COMES FROM NEW MEXICO, BUT IT IS ALLOCATED TO GOING TO ARIZONA.

NO RANCHERS OR FARMERS HAVE COMMITTED TO BUY THAT WATER BUT DOMENICI SAYS GETTING THE PROJECT DONE NOW IS CRITICAL.

THEY NEED TO START WITH THE FARM COMPONENT AND SOME DAY FIND MONEY TO DEVELOP THE REST OF THE WATER, HE SAYS, NEW MEXICO IS OWED.

PART OF THIS PROJECT IS NEW MEXICO'S HISTORICAL EFFORT TO GET ITS FAIR SHARE OF THE GILA DRAINAGE BEFORE THE WATER GOES INTO ARIZONA.

NOT EVERYBODY SEES IT THAT WAY.

NEW MEXICO'S NEW GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM OPPOSES THE DIVERSION AND VETOED FUNDING FROM THE STATE BUDGET.

SOME LOCAL OFFICIALS AND FEDERAL THE DELEGATION HAVE PUSHBACK TOO.

WITH ALL THE CONTROVERSY, WITH MILLIONS SPENT AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE PLAN'S FUTURE, MANY NEW MEXICANS HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED DIVERSION, BUT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE GILA RIVER OR SEEN WHERE THE PROPOSED DIVERSION WILL BE.

FORMER INTERSTATE COMMISSION DIRECTOR, NORMAN GAUME HAS BEEN FIGHTING THE STATE PLAN FOR YEARS.

WELL, JUST FOCUSING ON THE LAST 15 YEARS, SINCE ARIZONA WATER SETTLEMENTS ACT WAS PASSED, THE INTERSTATE STREAM COMMISSION CONVINCED THE PEOPLE HERE THAT A PROJECT WAS POSSIBLE AND THAT THEY COULD BUILD A PROJECT THAT WOULD HELP THEM OUT.

IN FACT THAT IS NOT TRUE AT ALL.

IDEA AFTER IDEA AFTER IDEA THEY HAVE HAD HAS FAILED.

HE SAYS PLANS HAVE BEEN FATALLY FLAWED IN TERMS OF ENGINEERING, COSTS AND FUNDING.

THERE IS THIS WEB OF FALSEHOODS THAT UNDERLAYS THE PROJECT THAT HAS LED PEOPLE WHO REALLY DON'T HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO DIG INTO THE REPORTS AND UNDERSTAND THEM HAS LED THEM TO BELIEVE IT IS FEASIBLE AND SOMETHING THEY CAN DO AND THEY CAN PAY FOR WHICH SIMPLY ISN'T THE CASE.

HE ALSO SAYS THE RIVER DOESN'T HAVE THE WATER TO SPARE.

ESPECIALLY AS CLIMATE WARMS AND SNOW PACKS DECLINE.

AND, EVERY DROP OF THE GILA HAS ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED.

WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE ABOUT THIS DIVERSION IS THAT THE WATER WAS ALL SPOKEN FOR 100 YEARS AGO.

AND SO THE IDEA THAT NEW MEXICO HAS A WATER RIGHT, IT HAS A WATER RIGHT IF IT PAYS TO REPLACE THE WATER BY IMPORTING WATER FROM THE COLORADO RIVER TO THE GILA RIVER TO REPLACE EVERY BIT OF WATER THAT IS REMOVED HERE.

THE ONLY TIME THAT WATER CAN BE DIVERTED IS WHEN ALL DOWNSTREAM DEMANDS ARE SATISFIED.

DESPITE THE CENTURY LONG FIGHT OVER THE GILA WATER, THIS PROJECT LEAVES THERE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WESTERN WATER PROJECTS AND THE FUTURE OF RIVERS LIKE THE GILA.

UNLIKE RIVERS ALL ACROSS THE U.S., THE GILA IN NEW MEXICO STILL DOESN'T HAVE BIG DAMS OR RESERVOIRS.

WELL, MY PERSONAL BELIEF IS THAT THE INTERSTATE STREAM COMMISSION IN THE STATE DIDN'T DO ITS HOMEWORK AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT IS A SOLUTION, IN FACT, REALLY DOESN'T WORK.

NOW HE SAYS PROPONENTS ARE RUSHING TO MEET DEADLINES AND FINISH PLANNING BY THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS.

ALREADY THE STATE HAS SPENT MORE THAN 15 MILLION ON PLANS, CONSULTANTS, ATTORNEYS AND ENGINEERS.

75 MILLION DOLLARS IS LEFT AFTER 15 MILLION-DOLLARS WASTED ON BAD PLANNING COULD BE SPENT ON GOOD PROJECTS.

MANY COULD GO TO NON-GILA WATER PROJECTS IN GRANT COUNTY, OR TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY FOR MINING COMMUNITIES LIKE HURLEY.

PROJECTS WOULD BENEFIT 10'S OF THOUSANDS OF NEW MEXICANS AND NOT JUST A FEW DOZEN.

THERE ARE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO THAT COULD BE FULLY FUNDED.

THE WHOLE BACKLOG LIST OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR FUNDING COULD ALL BE FUNDED FROM THE TREASURY, FROM THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED INTO THE STATE'S ACCOUNT BUT THE STATE HAS CHOSEN NOT TO DO THAT.

WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO IT, GAUME WANTS TO PROTECT THE RIVER.

THIS IS A SPECIAL RIVER.

IT WAS SET ASIDE SO THAT PEOPLE COULD ENJOY IT IN THE STATE THAT IT IS IN.

ALL THESE PEOPLE HAD THE FORESIGHT TO RECOGNIZE ITS VALUE AND SET ASIDE.

WHAT I WISH THE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT IT IS WHAT A SPECIAL PLACE IT IS AND WHY IT DESERVES TO BE PROTECTED AND WHY WE NEED TO SAVE IT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME AFTER THIS.

FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS AND OUR LAND, I AM LAURA PASKUS.