Actress Celines Toribio Spearheads a National Latino-led Campaign to Save a River, a Way of Life, and More Than 750,000 Jobs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Actress and philanthropist Celines Toribio and a delegation of Hispanic leaders launched Nuestro Rio at The Source Restaurant in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 13. Nuestro Rio is a national Latino-led campaign that seeks to raise awareness and spur innovative solutions that will keep water in the Colorado River.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110914/DC68408)

The campaign marks the first time that Latinos have rallied together to support conservation efforts that will protect the waters that flow through the Colorado River. The reception kicked off a letter writing campaign to remind decision-makers that water rights management must consider every role the river plays in our lives. So far, the Nuestro Rio delegation have collected more than 12,000 Latino signatures on a letter to U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other decision-makers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to urge action on this challenge.  

"The Colorado River is drying up," said Celines Toribio. "So much water is taken out of it that water rarely flows to the river's delta. People forget that the Colorado River is the social and economic foundation for many who live in the Southwest."

Latinos and other Americans in the Southwest depend upon the Colorado River to sustain their ways of life and bolster the economy through recreation and tourism. Nuestro Rio's goal is to educate decision-makers and the public about the need protect this lifeline in the West.

Latinos have a rich cultural history connected to the Colorado River, and now the river and its tributaries are under threat.  The Colorado River is drying up due to consumption, drought and climate change.  In fact, the river no longer reaches Mexico's Sea of Cortez as it has for millions of years.  

The Bureau of Reclamation is reviewing the current water demands on the Colorado River for the seven states that depend on it for hydration, agriculture, power, and economic viability. Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Mike Conner also attended and spoke at the launch.

"I want to remind everyone that the Colorado River is more than a watering hole for cites and farms," said Toribio.

For more information, please visit NuestroRio.com.

SOURCE Nuestro Rio