Colorado River fosters life By BRIANNA LUSK, Staff Writer
Friday, November 30, 2007 10:49 PM PST
BRIANA LUSK PHOTO
Plants and mountains flank stretches of the Colorado River, making for a picturesque and unique setting for fishing and recreation.
There’s no roaring, no rushing, only the ripple of a current flowing steadily upstream.
It doesn’t even babble.
The wide and picturesque Colorado River is an oasis in the desert, the ever-pulsating lifeblood of the Imperial Valley.
But though it is talked about in the abstract form as a source of water, it is also a recreational haven, a wildlife refuge and ever-evolving source of life.
“Many are surprised by the beauty of it,” Jack Simes said. “People should understand the source of their water supply and take an interest in it.”
In his job with the Bureau of Reclamation, Simes is one hand in the line of many that work to maintain the ecological resource.
The river’s history is deep and controversial — a topic of heated debate since the 1920s. Although water issues continue to be a key factor of the Colorado River’s future, Simes said the life along the river is remarkable.
“Every drop of water is accounted for,” Simes said. “The river is responsible for keeping over 3.5 million acres of ag land in production.”
Its contributions to the desert Southwest are figurative and literal.
But between water conservation efforts, wildlife restoration and recreational uses, the impact human actions have on the Colorado River are increasingly important.
“It’s difficult to find a balance for competing interests … agricultural, urban, environmental,” Simes said.
Flowing from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, the Colorado River along the Arizona and California borders is home to a number of endangered species and unique vegetation.
Portions of the water here are calm and glass-like, a water skier’s dream. Anglers find a variety of ideal fishing spots along the lakes and channels fostering bass and catfish.
Years of work has gone into making sure the high sediment content of the river does not result in the diminishing flow of the water. Elizabeth Kennet, an environmental protection specialist with the Bureau of Reclamation, said 10 years ago work began on the channel project known as the California and Arizona backwater projects.
More than 5 acres of wetlands have been created by dredging the sand from the river, creating life where it was once stilted.
“It looks like a war zone,” Kennet said with a laugh.
“The amphibious excavators chew everything up.”
New channels along the river are created as stalks of cattail and bull rush re-grow into the area. Preventing unfavorable plants called “trash vegetation,” Kennet said, prevents the river from being stifled.
“The river is not a static entity. It’s something that’s continuously changing,” Kennet said.
Sandbars form on the river over time, a testament of the ongoing struggle to keep sediment brought down from the mountains from impacting the ecological balance.
Areas get choked off by the sand, Simes said, disturbing the natural harmony that keeps the river flowing.
“You have to sustain the needs of the fish, waterfowl and wildlife as well as the human population that surrounds the area and rely on (the river) for an economy,” Simes said.
Kennet said work is continuing on the channel projects, an effort that could last another 15 years in conservation.
Fresh water brings a variety of life to the area, including the big horn sheep that live in the mountains that surround the Colorado River, along with the skipping waterfowl, American coots.
Some have already become privy to the untapped beauty of the river, moving in along the cliffs above Martinez Lake.
Although the banks are quiet during the winter months, it is an ideal time for bird watching fowl that travel along the Pacific Flyway.
The dialogue over conservation and preservation of the river and its resources is likely to continue over the decades to come.
With land resources exceeding water resources hundredfold, Simes said, the Bureau of Reclamation’s work may never be done.
“Without water the vast desert and arid basins cannot be developed,” Simes said.
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