Protect the Gila River as it bends southwest of Phoenix

An hour from Phoenix, the Gila River flows through the northern range of the Sonoran Desert. The river curves around the Woolsey Peak Wilderness, surrounding a section of land that indigenous peoples have utilized for millennia. 

The Great Bend of the Gila lacks protections

The Great Bend of the Gila forms a river valley of great cultural and ecological significance. Unfortunately, this area exists with few  protections, making it vulnerable to external threats. 

The area holds environmental and historical worth. The vulnerable ecosystems and millennia-old rock art underscore the fragility of the area. 

Wildlife diversity

The Sonoran Desert, and the Great Bend of the Gila within it, is one of North America’s most ecologically diverse deserts, home to hundreds of species of animals and thousands of species of plants. 

The Gila River is a reliable source of water that plants and animals in the region rely on. The area supports an abundance of wildlife including javelinas, ringtail cats, and more than 200 species of birds. Many of these animals live in healthy populations but some, like the Sonoran pronghorn, are endangered.   

These animals require a unique and delicate environment to thrive. The Great Bend of the Gila sustains a multitude of life but without additional federal protections, the plants and animals within it are at risk. 

Cultural Importance

The Great Bend of the Gila is awash with archeological sites that connect communities from more than 1,000 years ago to the area. The proof of this connection is found in artifacts such as tools, dwellings, and pottery. Moreover, the natural landscape is dotted with geoglyphs and petroglyphs (ancient art made with or on rocks). 

Archeologists have found evidence of year-round farming settlements that date back to the 1100s. This area served as a place for different cultures to meet with one another and meld. Today, thirteen tribes claim a cultural connection to the peoples who utilized the Great Bend of the Gila. 

Threats to the Great Bend of the Gila

Human activity, such as off-road vehicles, vandalism and other reckless actions, endangers the art and artifacts. 

This area in southern Arizona has both active and inactive mining operations. The land surrounding the Great Bend of the Gila has been a target for mining gemstone and aggregate, which means cinders, crushed rock or stone, decomposed granite, gravel, pumice, pumicite and sand. 

Mining operations can cause the destruction of wildlife habitats and harm the natural landscape. The Great Bend of the Gila, with its complex ecosystems and unique cultural heritage, is vulnerable to the environmental harm caused by mineral extraction. 

Restrictions on mining are vital to ensuring that this area stays healthy for the next generations. 

Hope for a National Monument 

National monuments are granted “significant lands and waters set aside for permanent protection.” Designation as a national monument would grant the area protections from activities such as mineral extraction, off-roading, and the removal of natural and cultural materials. 

Arizona Representative, Raúl Grijalva, has introduced the “Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act” which would grant the area heightened federal protections. 

Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, the president can also designate federal public land as a national monument.