The efforts made by the governments of United States y Mexico The actions of organizations on both sides of the border have contributed to the progress made in recent years in the restoration of the Colorado River DeltaThe site is of vital importance for the flora and fauna.

Pronatura Noroestewhich is one of the organizations that has worked to rescue this ecosystem, points out that for decades, the segment of the Colorado River in Mexican territory, which has a length of 140 kilometers to its mouth, had a drastic decrease in flow, reaching only 3% of what it was in the 21st century.

"This has represented a high risk for the flora and fauna that depend almost exclusively on the water of this natural waterway. Hence the importance of the International Waters Treaty signed in 1944 by the governments of Mexico and the United States," he notes.

The treaty establishes the terms under which the United States delivers 1,850 million m³ of water to Mexico each year, an amount that can be reduced in the event of an extraordinary drought, and to carry it out, compliance agreements known as "actas" are established.

"The first amendment was given in Act 319, signed in 2012, which indicates the delivery of 195 million cubic meters of water for the restoration of the Colorado River Delta. Thanks to this measure, the Pulse Flow was given with 130 million cubic meters, and a Base Flow of 65 million cubic meters, with which it was possible to reconnect the Colorado River channel with the Gulf of California, in addition to achieving the reforestation of 450 hectares of riparian forests", indicates Pronatura Noroeste.

In 2017, the Act 323The 9-year contract, which made it possible to deliver water for the environment at two points in time: in 2021, for 6 months, and in 2022, for 142 days. Both water deliveries produced notable benefits to wildlife in the Colorado River Delta, which since 1993 has been declared a Natural Protected Area.

"As Pronatura Noroeste we carry out permanent work in the Colorado River Delta. In particular at the Miguel Alemán and Janitzio restoration sites, on the border between the municipalities of Mexicali and San Luis Río Colorado, where we make the most of the water that comes from the United States. To achieve our goals, we collaborate with organizations such as the Revive the Colorado River Alliance," he says.

The conservation organization has forest nurseries in Miguel Alemán and Janitzio, where it plants and cultivates thousands of native plants, such as willows and poplars.

In the last 11 years, more than 100,000 trees have been planted in Miguel Alemán, converting a semi-desert wasteland with little animal presence and invasive flora into a small forest that attracts and shelters a large number of animals, including 123 species of birds.

Source: Pronatura Noroeste