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<br />002735 <br /> <br />Opportunities for Ecological Improvement Along the Lower Colorado River <br />Mark Briggs and Steve Cornelius <br />7/24/97 <br /> <br />challenge. In addition, other issues, such as vehicular traffic, development pressures, <br />water pollution, etc., may need to be addressed if the Gila-Colorado River riparian <br />ecosystem and other similar areas are to remain viable in the future. <br /> <br />3. Appropriate Water Resources for Restoration <br />Restoration cannot happen unless water is allocated specifically for that purpose. <br />Unfortunately, the 1922 Colorado River Compact does not dedicate waters to maintain <br />healthy wetland/ aquatic ecosystems. The same is true for international treaties <br />between the U.S. and Mexico which contain no language on environmental <br />considerations. Yet, it is highly likely that all of the legally allocated water will be used <br />for human consumptive uses in the near future by the seven basin states and Mexico. <br />Simply put, water management and planning does not consider aquatic ecosystems. <br />The fact that Colorado River water is almost completely exhausted before it reaches the <br />delta underscores this point It is therefore critical to change traditional water policies <br />that currently focus solely on human consumptive needs so that they reflect a more <br />sustainable management of the river's waters. <br /> <br />Morrison et al. (1996) pointed out that one of the major obstacles in the way of gaining <br />water allocation for restoration is the lack of scientific information that quantifies the <br />amount of water needed for some degree of wetland restoration. Essentially, <br />restoration allocations will probably not be made until there is a better understanding <br />of the benefits that the water is likely to bring. <br /> <br />4. Expand Revegetation Efforts in the National Wildlife Refuges <br />Some of the most extensive (at least in terms of the area covered) riparian revegetation <br />efforts along the lower Colorado River have been experienced in the Imperial and <br />Cibola National Wildlife Refuges. In general, such protected areas offer great potential <br />for revegetation because the land and the water is under the direct control of the <br />managers and they therefore may be able to better manipulate recovery strategies to fit <br />site specific conditions At the Imperial Wildlife Reserve, for example, revegetation <br />efforts have established cottonwoods, mesquites, willows, and other species on over <br />[??] acres of land. Moreover, the refuge has have been able to do this without <br />infringing upon the water rights of others. In addition, there is room to accomplish <br />more as less than half of Imperial's 27 million cubic meters (22,000 acre-ft) consumptive <br />use allocation is being used (Ellis, pers. comm., 1997). John Sweat, a revegetation <br />expert with the Bureau of Reclamation, observed that "... riparian revegetation has <br />become a farming operation where cottonwoods and willows are the crop of choice <br />instead of alfalfa. Yet, such efforts can create significant riparian habitat in areas where <br />such habitat has just about disappeared." Providing funds to expand such efforts in <br />these and other protected areas could significantly increase the amount of native <br />riparian habitat found along the lower Colorado River. <br /> <br />Page 23 <br />