The

Pecos

is irreplaceable

The Issue
The Impacts
Take Action

The waters of New Mexico’s Upper Pecos Watershed sustain and enrich the lives and livelihoods of all who live, work, and recreate here. 

The Pecos is the backbone of a diverse ecosystem and the lifeblood of many cultures that all depend on the ecosystem staying intact and healthy.  

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But all of this is
under threat.

The area is being targeted for exploratory mining operations by a foreign-owned mining company.

Now, local citizens are leading the charge to fight for clean water and a sustainable economy by coming together to #StopTererroMine!

The Pecos is irreplaceable. 

Hear why from folks who love the Pecos.

Brophy Toledo shares that his ancestors, the people of the Pecos pueblo, found sacred waters in the Pecos and chose to settle there. Important connections remain in the Pecos for his people in the Pecos and Jemez tribes. After seeing the damage created by the last round of mining in the Pecos, Brophy worries about the impact new mining could have on places of significant cultural and spiritual value to his people now and in the future.

“The Sacred  Waters”

An acequia feeds Ralph Vigil’s organic farm in Pecos. In addition to growing organic vegetables for his community, Ralph works to bring awareness to the culture of acequias and their habitat. His story is a powerful call to everyone who loves the Pecos to step up against the threat of proposed mining in the Pecos – for us and future generations.

“This is where
I’ve come to heal”

Antonio Garcia, 15, says the mountains and rivers that surround his home of Pecos, New Mexico are part of who he is. Whether he is fishing, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, or cattle raising, Antonio loves to be outside. Antonio is speaking up to protect the Pecos, so the river and land will be just as wonderful for his children to experience.

“I would love to bring my
kids back here”

Kimberly Sheehan has lived in New Mexico for 25 years. The solitude and nature of the Pecos pulled her there consistently since moving to the area, specifically Holy Ghost Canyon. Knowing the history of mining pollution in the Pecos, she sees bringing mining back in the Pecos as sacrificing what makes the area so unique.

“Gems of nature”

The Pecos’ premiere outdoor recreation chops translate into a robust tourism economy.

Pecos by the numbers!

State Park Statistics

*$40,000 annual visitors to Pecos National Historical Park

*$2.3 million spent locally by Pecos National Park visitors

*2nd most visited recreation destination in NM

*Most visited campground in the state

Angler Days Statistics

*140,835 angler days per year

*$28+ million spent by anglers in 2013

*$18+ million spent by hunters in 2013

Norman Maktima is a world-champion angler and fishing guide who grew up in Pecos. His ancestors from Laguna, San Felipe, and Hopi pueblos instilled in him a deep respect for the water that is life for their communities. The Pecos River started it all for Norm, and now he shares his knowledge and experience with anglers of all ages. He teaches folks to fish, indeed, and his lessons include how the fish, the angler, and the environment are all connected, and we each have a role to play in protecting them.

“This water right here”

Amor Tabet, 14, has spent much of her years in the Pecos recreating with her family. She is already an impressive angler. Wise for her age, Amor recognizes the importance of spending quality time in nature away from the devices that are so prevalent in our lives. She shared her story so that the Pecos will remain safe for her family and other families to make memories.

“Listen to the water”

Frank Adelo, known as Pancho, grew up in Pecos. As a third-generation business owner in Pecos, he is well aware of how critical the health of the river and wild spaces around Pecos are to the area’s economy. Climate change already threatens the Pecos River, and he warns that adding pressures and threats to the river could be detrimental to the community as a whole.

“A real local area”

Wildlife depends on the rivers and wild lands of the Pecos.

Communities, economies, and ecosystems from the Southern Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico depend on the 926- mile Pecos River, all of which would be threatened by polluted water.

Roberto Mondragon grew up in the small rural community of La Loma, New Mexico, along the Pecos River. He shares how his community depended on the Pecos as the lifeblood of their home to water crops and livestock, and how chemicals that get into the river get into our food supply and then into our bodies.

“The first thing is to build an acequia”

A new mining proposal threatens the Pecos.

Comexico LLC, a Colorado subsidiary of Australian mining company New World Cobalt Ltd, has targeted the area for exploratory mining operations. This area is still recovering from irresponsible mining operations that contaminated the river in the 1990’s killing 90,000 fish and costing millions of taxpayer dollars for cleanup.
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Rachel Conn, projects director with Amigos Bravos, has been working to protect water and watersheds across New Mexico for 20 years. An avid outdoors person and a mother of two young boys, Rachel spends a lot of time outside exploring the mountains and valleys near and far from her family’s Taos home. She has seen firsthand the devastating impact of hard rock mining on water systems. The 926-mile flows of the Pecos River grow and support numerous communities, economies, and ecosystems, all of which would be threatened by polluted water.

“We spend a lot of time in the forest”

Kimberly Allen, owner and manager of Pecos River Cabins, gained an appreciation for the mountains, big trees, and rivers growing up in Wyoming. After relocating to Albuquerque after college, her interest in historical and cultural sites brought her to Pecos. The magic of the Pecos – its people, history, culture, diverse ecology – captured her, and she implemented a plan to spend as much time in the Pecos as possible. Kimberly now lives along the Pecos on the Pecos River Cabins property and welcomes hundreds of families each year.

“A magical experience”

Stop Tererro Mine is a working group led by local community members concerned about a proposed mining operation near Tererro, New Mexico, in Pecos Canyon. We are local residents, business owners, farmers, conservation advocates, and acequia participants, and we all love Pecos. 

 

LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION

Created by CAVU for the Stop Tererro Mine Coalition

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