Reyes Claim about Wildlife Complaints Untrue

Finally the El Paso Times did a story on the widespread and extensive destruction of vegetation and habitat along the Montoya drain/canal in the Upper Valley.  Read Aaron Martinez's Clearing Canal is Harming Wildlife.  A slideshow from that report appears here.  One inaccuracy in the story is that it says that I am a resident of the area.  I am not.  When Rick LoBello was able to get a reporter to come see the damage, I called several people who do live in the area and they joined us in talking to Mr. Martinez last Friday.

The most glaring untruth reported in the story however was a statement by Chuy Reyes, the mis-Manager of the Water Improvement District which he gave to the reporter: "I have not received any complaints on any wildlife problems due to the cleanup."

Oh really? No complaints?  I've talked to numerous people who said that they complained.  One person even shared with me an email exchange (which I have saved) that he had with Mr. Reyes beginning July 2nd in which Reyes claims that his complaints about the bulldozing are exaggerations (see images attached to this story as well as EP Times slideshow mentioned above for visuals of the exaggeration) and sarcastically retorts: "Have you not heard about the fires all over the western United States? I am the person responsible for this decision, I am concerned with life and property since the fire 2 weeks ago."  (I'm sure that Mr. Reyes must advocate for clear cutting all forests in the country in order to prevent forest fires.)

FYI. I have just emailed an open records request to Reyes asking for the agreement between EPCWID#1 and the EPWU which required the involvement of the EPWU with the massive destruction of habitat along the drain and canal.  I also requested the same from Mr. John Balliew, CEO of EPWU, on July 3rd and, getting no response, made a follow-up request this morning and copied Bob Andron, EPWU attorney, and PSB member, Dr. Rick Bonart.  If the "no response" response continues, I'll take the matter to the Attorney General of the State of Texas. 

Where we met the reporter and where we have met previously is on the corner of Montoya Drive and Meadowlark Drive (map) - ground zero if you will as the initial complaint which sparked the destruction of habitat came from this area.  Southeast of there at West Sunset Road and River Bend Drive (map) you can see the destruction of habitat beginning south of the intersection and going north.  Here are pictures that I took last Friday: 

 South of intersection (Sunset and River Bend) showing bare drain. 

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North of intersection where there is still vegetation and habitat. 

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The "beast" looms over the same area in the picture above.

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EPCWID#1 Worker. Motto on truck reads: "Thanks to the Rio Grande".