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<br />1302729 <br /> <br />Opportunities for Ecological Improvement Along the Lower Colorado River <br />Mark Briggs and Steve Cornelius <br />7/24/97 <br /> <br />agricultural runoff) into the delta. For example, wastewaters that currently flow from <br />Mexicali Valley to the Salton Sea and Laguna Salada could instead be directed to the <br />delta. <br /> <br />Figure 3. The Cienega de Santa Oara covers nearly 20,000 ha and <br />provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife species, including several <br />species that are listed as endangered. <br /> <br />OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br />The ecological condition of the lower Colorado River has deteriorated significantly over <br />the last 65 years. The cottonwood-willow forests that once dominated the mainstem <br />and the delta have been reduced to isolated stands and individual trees. The immense <br />marshlands of the delta region are only shadows of their former selves, with significant <br />portions being tenuously maintained via a system of agricultural runoff canals. From <br />an ecological standpoint, the loss of these wetland ecosystems is probably one of the <br />major environmental issues facing both the U.S. and Mexico today. <br /> <br />River impoundment, the diversion of river waters for farms and cities, and agricultural <br />activities are the principal causes for the dramatic decline of the river's ecological <br />condition. The challenges to bringing the river back to some healthy state are <br />monumental, requiring comprehensive solutions that address the underlying causes of <br />the decline. Providing water specifically for ecological improvement, altering dam <br />releases to promote natural regeneration, conserving water throughout the river's <br /> <br />Page 17 <br />