Efforts Coincide for the Restoration of the Colorado River

Read original article - December 6, 2007 - 3:17PM

CESAR NEYOY, BAJO EL SOL

San Luis, Arizona— Two restoration projects carried out in Mexico and the United States have become and example of what can be done to recuperate the natural habitat of the Colorado River.

The achievements of the Sonoran Institute for recuperation projects of the Río Hardy in the Mexicali valley and of the group Área de Herencia Nacional Yuma Crossing in the eastern wetlands of the Colorado River in Yuma, were presented during the fourth forum of Citizens of the Colorado River, organized by the Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas (CILA-IBWC).

The forum undertook the projects of the restoration of the Colorado River with emphasis on the pilot project in Hunter´s Hole, a short distance from San Luis, and the management actions in Presa Morelos, among others.

Francisco Zamora of the Sonoran Institute, a civil organization that provides consultation in both countries with respect to the Colorado River Delta, and director of the Delta Project of the Colorado River, showcased achievements in the Río Hardy, Mexico, where since 2002, the successful restoration of 15 acres via planing trees, in addition to an area affected by a lack of water that has now been converted into a recreation zone.

For his part, Kevin Eatherly,coordinator of the restoration project in Hunter´s Hole, informed the forum that the pilot program is ready to commence, with the installation of a well that provides the water necessary to regenerate the 453 acres that pertain to the project, near County Line 21, between San Luis and Gadsden.

He added that the federal government suspended the construction of a wall along the border that weakened the project, after a letter sent on the 28th of September to the Department of National Security, signed b the Mayor of Yuma, the County Sheriff and the leader of the Cocopah Nation, asking for the suspension of the construction of the wall in the neighboring zone.

"We have proposed that in the cas of the wall, that they instead install vehicular barriers as they do not limit visibility of access, and would be a great help to us. I cannot confirm the response to the letter, but the installation of the wall was suspended", said Kevin Eatherly.

Since 2005, in Mexico the efforts have transfered to the Delta of the Colorado River, in the Nuevo León Colonia, near San Luis Río Colorado, where in the ancient riverbed, 2,500 trees were planted, involving the 2,000 people, students, teachers and residents in the project, that helped from cleaning the area to planting trees.

"It is only through community participation and help that these projects are achieved; there was skepticism that the people would not participate, but I believe that we have demonstrated what can be done", affirmed Zamora.

The environmental organization, Pronatura, will work in the Mexican portion of the Colorado River, in the neighboring zone of both countries, in the Miguel Alemán Colonia, near the bridge that communicates Sonora with Baja California, parallel to the project in Hunter´s Hole.

"The restoration of the Colorado River can be achieved", stated Zamora, "Independent of the Treaty of Limits and Water and independent of the scarcity of the resource, but it will be necessary that both countries maintain the same willingness demonstrated until now. Perhaps we will not return the river to what it was before, but we can help to contribute to its regeneration. It will be difficult to attempt to do it all at once, from Yuma to the Gulf, because that is about 80,000 acres, but we can do it by segments."