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Restoration along the Gila  

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The Gila now "an ephemeral trickle"

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M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act established

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Plans to divert the Gila River halted

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Gila River named America's most endangered river

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"Gila would ground a canoe"

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Gila Conservation Coalition founded 

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Gila Wilderness Area sets the stage for the Wilderness Act

Group of Pima Indian farmers sitting on shore looking at an irrigation dam on the Gila River, Arizona, ca.1900 (CHS-3622)

Pima eulogy to the Gila

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WWII Japanese Internment Camp established within the Gila River Indian Reservation

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Construction of the Coolidge Dam completed

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Gila river included in first national wilderness area

Wagon crossing the Gila River on the Pima Indian Reservation, Pima, Arizona, ca.1905 (CHS-3615)

Gila River "a shallow dry channel"

Co. B- 10th Infantry-, crossing Gila River in buckboard wagons near San Carlos, Ariz. Terr., ca. 1885 - NARA - 530931

Logging and overgrazing leads to disastrous Gila River flood 

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Mining along Gila

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Settlers divert water from the Gila, bringing famine

Bartlett Arizona Pimo Village

Pima and Maricopas agriculture in the Gila Valley

Bartlett Gila River

"A beautiful fertile basin"

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The Gila junction with the Colorado

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“The river abounds in fish," King Charles IV

Gila River at Komatke Arizona

"When there was plenty of water"

Gila River

Water depletion

The Gila River faces severe water depletion, exacerbated by prolonged drought conditions and increased agricultural demands in the region. The diminishing flow of the Gila River poses a direct threat to local ecosystems and communities that rely on its waters for sustenance and irrigation.

Habitat degradation

Habitat degradation along the Gila River is evident through the erosion of riparian vegetation due to human activities such as urban development, agricultural expansion, and cattle ranching.

Climate change

Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of droughts along the Gila River, diminishing water availability for both ecosystems and human consumption. Each spring, the melting snow of nearby mountains nourishes the Gila and its tributaries. However, rising temperatures disrupt this natural system. Additionally, rising temperatures exacerbate the risk of wildfires in the surrounding areas, negatively impacting the river's watershed and contributing to soil erosion, further compromising the health of the Gila River ecosystem.

Most Pressing Issues

Gila Conservation Coalition

Organized in 1984 to protect the free flow of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers and the wilderness characteristics of the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas, the Gila Conservation Coalition (GCC) is a partnership of local environmental and conservation groups and concerned individuals that promote conservation of the Upper Gila River Basin and surrounding lands. 

The Nature Conservancy

The Gila River Preserve protects more than 1,200 acres of the southwest's fragile riparian habitat and the verdant gallery woodland among the Gila River, the last of the southwest's major free-flowing rivers. In 2009, TNC added 40 acres of important riverside habitat to the Gila River Preserve. The new stretch inserts an important piece to this project area, which includes the preserve and more than 250,000 acres collaboratively managed by TNC, local landowners, federal and state agencies, and local organizations.

New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) grassroots organization dedicated to the protection, restoration, and continued enjoyment of New Mexico’s wildlands and wilderness areas. 

How You Can Help