The Gila River is one of the last wild rivers of the world. A tributary of the Colorado River, it is the last undammed river in New Mexico. Desert Rivers and the nutrient-rich areas that run alongside them are ribbons of precious habitat which support a wilderness history of diverse ecologies, endangered species and communities that depend on their unspoilt water. The majority of desert waterways are ephemeral and seasonal and water levels across all rivers globally have dropped due to desertification, climate change and increasing human impact. Rivers running through desert regions are the most endangered. These are also the most unexplored , unresearched places, supporting fragile, irreplaceable biodiversity as yet unknown.

Wild rivers are the last strongholds of undiscovered species. The ‘cascade effect’ of these wild rivers can impact entire ecosystems. Landscapes can be altered irrevocably from a seemingly small water loss. The source of wild desert rivers is often suspended high in isolated, rocky escarpments, a fissure between stones that springs from natural subterranean wells.

As a permanent water, indigenous people respect the source as well as the whole river as sacred sites. I have climbed up to ‘mounds springs’ high above the desert and they are usually littered with ancient relics of cultural material and remarkable flora and fauna species. A hidden and magic treasury of the desert story slowly being uncovered and released, like ancient, secret crystals. The significance of wild desert rivers is considerably more than the bewitching wonder they inspire when we witness their natural beauty.