Hope takes the 3:10 to Yuma (and the lower Colorado River)
December 1, 2011 § 1 Comment
Speaking of the lower Colorado River, check out this wonderful video giving some historical context, issues and hope:
Click on image for link to video.
The rebound of bird species is particularly notable with this restoration project, where the prior, degraded, condition included filled channels, disconnected wetlands, and a lack of natural flooding resulting in the loss of habitat diversity and a thicket of non-native species. Reflecting on some local arguments, I see that a combo of hand labor and big machines were used, dredging for floodplains and re-establishment of channels. Restoring flooding with “industrial style” restoration with adaptive management techniques might not always be so bad after all…
For more info, here’s a slide show and an article in the journal Ecological Restoration.
Thanks to Fred Phillips, a Flagstaff-based landscape architect, who shared this link about his work with me when I went to visit the Friends of the Rio de Flag earlier this year.
L.A. Creek Freak 
Didn’t look at the video yet, but the slide show was absolutely inspiring.
Makes me want to visit my cousin in Yuma that much faster so I can tour the area. Odd that lately I was thinking about the Colorado and what shape it was in. The first pics were depressing, but the finish was worth it.