During the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Mexico and the United States, held in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Pronatura Noroeste’s team presented the Colorado River Linear Park project, which contemplates a recreational area for the community and restoration sites with native flora of this part of northern Mexico.
Before the mayor of San Luis Río Colorado, Santos Gonzalez Yescas; the Consul of Mexico in Yuma, Jose Antonio Larios; the Consul General of the United States, Laura Biedebach, and local businessmen, were presented the details of this project which seeks to reinforce the close relationship between Mexico and the United States in environmental, water management and community issues. Designed as a nature-based solution, the park aims to provide services to the community in order to strengthen it and make it more resilient to climate change. To this end, an area of 11.8 hectares will be developed beginning 20 meters downstream from the National Highway No. 2 bridge between Mexicali, Baja California, and San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora.
The Master Plan for the Colorado River Linear Park contemplates three major zones; the flood zone, the beach zone and the linear park infrastructure. Water inflow will be limited to the flood zone, under a planned scheme of seasonal water deliveries for recreational purposes, allowing the communities to interact with the water of the Colorado River.
Likewise, a system of terraces designed as corridors for visitors will be built, as well as two plazas, the Binational Plaza being the most symbolic both socially and environmentally since its primary access is adjacent to the international boundary between Mexico and the United States. In addition to this, a botanical garden was considered to promote regional flora conservation programs, especially for endemic or endangered species.
Among the benefits linked to the operation of the Linear Park are improvements in the quality of the region’s water, soil, and air, thereby motivating an upgrade in the community’s quality of life. In the social area, it is expected to strengthen people’s sense of identity and the social fabric by allowing a connection with the origins of the city in its relation with the river. It is also expected to become a tourist attraction that will generate jobs and reactivate the economy through natural public spaces.
Since the 1990s, Pronatura Noroeste has actively participated in the Colorado River Delta Restoration initiatives. Of particular note is the active participation in the negotiations between Mexico and the United States for intelligent water management and the operation of the Miguel Aleman restoration site. This last project, initiated in 2010, consists of 190 hectares of rehabilitated land with more than 120,000 native plants from northwestern Mexico.
Join Pronatura Noroeste’s mission to protect the native flora and conserve priority ecosystems of the Colorado River Delta.
