Hands Across the San Pedro River!
Por Emilie Vardaman
HAVANA TIMES – The San Pedro River runs north from Sonora, Mexico, into the US state of Arizona. It is the last free-flowing river in the western United States.
On the US side, the San Pedro is protected by the US Bureau of Land Management. The riverbank provides areas for walking, picnicking, and birding.
A long stretch of the river is designated a National Riparian Conservation Area. Over one hundred bird species nest along the river and nearly three hundred species use the river as a migratory route.
The Riparian Area is also home to over eighty species of animals, including the nearly extinct jaguar. It is also provides a home and water supply to coatimundi, beaver, and mountain lions.
In dry season, which is most of October through June, the San Pedro is sometimes just a tiny stream. But during the rainy season of summer, the river roars through the valley, breaching its banks, running fast and wide.
The people of southeastern Arizona love this river which is being threatened both by the United States government and a company named El Dorado Holdings that wants to build 28,000 new houses near the river.
Those who love the river know either option would kill the San Pedro.
To call attention to the importance of the river, an event called Hands Across the River is planned on Sunday, January 26 at 2 pm at the Hereford Bridge.
Organizers say construction of the government’s border wall will “destroy the unique habitat that supports a diverse population of flora and fauna — the life and beauty of our river — and obstruct the natural flow of precious water, causing a buildup of debris and flooding. We will demand that our tax dollars not be wasted on this unnecessary and destructive wall.”
Organizers hope to form a human chain that crosses the bridge and continues on both sides of the bridge.
To participate, be prepared to walk and stand or bring a folding chair. You’ll need to park alongside of the road to the east or west of the one-lane bridge.
Gather at the Hereford Bridge on Hereford Road between Sierra Vista and Bisbee. Arrive by 1:30 so you can park, walk, and be in your place in the human chain by 2:00, notes the announcement.
Havana Times will be covering the citizen action.