Once dying Mexican River Delta slowly returned to life

In a dried-hit Mexican border area in the center of increasing competition with the United States for Water, conservationists are working to bring back one-time river delta to life.

On a section of the Colorado River, which is mostly a dry river towards the Frontier’s Mexican, indigenous cotton and willow trees are placed in place of aggressive bushes.

It is the fruit of two decades of work by environmentalists with the lower part of the river from the US-Maxican border, which is also known as the Cortez Sagar.

Enrich Vilegas, director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the US-Maxican Civil Society Group Sonoran Institute, said, “If we give some water and care to some sections of the river, we can recover the environment that had already lost,” The Colorado Ritradrin Institute at the Sonoron Institute can recover the environment that was already completely lost in Enric Vilegas, director of the Delta Program, said.

Colorado begins in the rocky mountains and makes its way through the South -West United States, feeding cities and farms on the way.

By the time it crosses in Mexico, most of its water has already consumed.

What is left is diverted to supply border cities like Tijuana and irrigate agricultural land.

This means that Tijuana and the surrounding areas are at the mercy of how much snow falls in Rockies, Marco Antonio Samaneigol said that Baja is an expert in the autonomous university in California.

He said, “What do we not rain in Tijuana. What do we nap in those mountains.”

Increasing competition for resources recently gave rise to a diplomatic line when the United States denied Mexico’s request for water due to lack of sharing by its southern neighbor under a decades -old treaty.

“The basis of all problems,” Villagas said, “is actually present among all the users of the Colorado River.”

Wildlife returns

Over the years, the dams and variations reduced the river into a trick and replaced a delta that was once in a dying ecosystem with birds and other wildlife.

Therefore, conservationists also secured the permission for irrigation along with the land, cleaned aggressive shrubs and planted thousands of native trees.

In 2014, it was allowed to increase the Colorado River through a dam on the border for the first time to encourage natural germination of indigenous species.

“After years of this type of work, we now have a poplar and a forest of Willow on 260 hectares (642 acres) on a section of the Colorado River. The creatures have returned. Many birds have returned,” Villagas said.

Vilegus said that rejuvenation has also brought back another native -beaver -beaver -a species, which had disappeared to a large extent in the region.

“On the one hand, it is a biological indicator that if you give nature a habitat, it returns and starts breeding. But they are also dropping the trees that we planted,” he said.

In Laguna Grande, a succulent on -blowing surrounded by dusty fields, which is a focal point of the restoration project, satisfies the coat and other birds in the wetlands, while the grazing heron grazed by visitors has taken off.

Nearby, on the ground, underground hoses feed water to trees spraying from dusty land.

The Colorado River Delta is an important rest point for migratory birds in which according to the protectionists, including yellow-canon chat, Vermilian flycatcher and endangered yellow-blood cuckoo.

Unlike Laguna Grande’s Wetlands and Jungle, farmers such as Ketano Sisnaros are facing rapidly difficult situations.

The 72 -year -old said on his dusty farm, “Years ago, we sowed maize, we sowed cotton, we sowed everything, and we did not suffer due to water.”

These days, “the Colorado River no longer carry water,” he said. “The environment is changing a lot.”

If more of the delta and other such areas are known for health, people must change their use of water, conservationist note.

“We can all improve our awareness about water consumption,” Villagas said.

“This dry is just a warning.”

© 2025 AFP