More than 11,800 advocates have submitted comments to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in support of protecting the future of the Colorado River and all the birds and wildlife that rely on it. Will you join them, and take action before it’s too late?

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West, providing water for more than 40 million people. The wetlands and riverside forests along its banks create essential habitat for hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds, such as Yellow-breasted Chats and Summer Tanagers, and endangered species including California Condors and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers.

Right now, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is preparing to decide how to operate the Colorado River and manage its water over potentially the next twenty years or more. And they need to hear from you.

Take action to make sure the Colorado River—and all the habitats, wildlife, and communities that rely on it—don’t disappear before then. The deadline to send your letter is next Tuesday, August 15.

The current river management does not guarantee water for the habitats that support tens of millions of birds. Essential refuges and migration stopovers that depend on water from the Colorado River, like the Salton Sea in California and the Cienega de Santa Clara in Mexico, as well as global treasures like the Grand Canyon, could go dry within our lifetime.

How we manage the river not only impacts countless birds, but people as well. Communities that already struggle to access clean drinking water will be put at further risk if we don’t change the status quo. 

This is our chance. Decisions made today might impact the river—and all the birds, wildlife, habitats, and people that rely on it—for generations. Tell the Bureau of Reclamation to protect the Colorado River, and everything that relies on it, when deciding its future.