About

Life on the Gila is a documentary film and interactive web experience about the diverse community of people who live in New Mexico's Gila Valley. The lifeblood of the valley is the Gila River, the last undammed or diverted river in the state and one of the last in the western United States.

While the river is essential for farming and ranching operations, the uncontrollable nature of its flow and near-annual flooding make it an unreliable ally. A river that freely changes course can mean the destruction of farmland and a threat to one's livelihood. Similarly, at a time when water is a desirable natural resource, the option to control and collect the water is a potentially profitable desire.

Doing so would threaten the diverse collection of plant and animal life that exist in the area, including seven animal species listed by the federal government as threatened or endangered.

Through interviews with local environmentalists, farmers, ranchers, and artists Life on the Gila explores the relationships Gila residents have with the river and their visions for its future.