The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum recognizes important conservation achievements with its Sonoran Desert Conservation Award. This 2014, the award will be presented to the binational team formed by Osvel Hinojosa Huerta, Director of the Water and Wetlands Program of Pronatura Noroeste AC in Mexico, and Jennifer Pitt, Director of the Colorado River Project of the Environmental Defense Fund in the United States.
This award is only given every two years to individuals whose work has had a significant impact on the conservation of the Sonoran Desert region.
This year’s honorees were selected for their dedication to the Sonoran Desert and, most recently, for their collaborative work to restore water flows to the Colorado River Delta. Their efforts and binational collaboration are a model for conservation initiatives in the region.
Historically, the Colorado River Delta formed a large wetland system that supported high biodiversity and communities in the area. The growing demand for water in the United States and Mexico reduced the delta to only 10% of its original size and left the river with no connection to the Gulf of California.
For 8 weeks, from March 23 to May 18, 2014, 130 million cubic meters were released into the Colorado River Delta through an event called Pulse Flow for the restoration of the Colorado River Delta, and in consequence of Act 319 binational agreements between Mexico and the United States. Additionally, a coalition of environmental organizations contributes 65 million cubic meters as base flows to sustain restoration efforts.
“The release of pulse flow from the Colorado Delta is encouraging natural revegetation of the river. Along with restoration efforts, we are moving forward to enhance the environmental values of the delta for people and wildlife. This stream, along with other efforts in the area, will allow the restoration of nearly 1,000 hectares in the Colorado River Delta and allow the reconnection of the river with the Gulf of California for the first time in 15 years,” mentioned Dr. Osvel Hinojosa Huerta.
Jennifer Pitt mentioned that “all of this was achieved thanks to the unprecedented cooperation between Mexico and the United States, the participation of experts from government agencies and universities who are providing world-class science, as well as the collaboration of a binational team of environmental organizations, including the Sonoran Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Pronatura Noroeste AC, and the Environmental Defense Fund.”
The award will be presented on the evening of August 2, 2014. The award will be a spectacular Mexican wolf sculpture created by artist Mark Rossi.
For more information about the Sonoran Desert Conservation Award for Colorado River Delta Restoration, visit:
https://www.desertmuseum.org/center/conservation_award_2014.php
