Bringing The Colorado River Back to Life

Mexican cowboys celebrated the 2014 historic pulse flow of Colorado River Delta with laughter, galloping and even dancing horses.

A ‘river rat’ paddles a stand up paddle board through the Morelos Dam in Mexico. It gates are typically closed but were opened for a historic pulse flow moving its way across the dry Colorado River Delta, part of a binational agreement for restoration.

On March 28th, 2014, the Morelos Dam on the Colorado River is wide open, allowing river water to move due south down the historic river channel some 100 miles to the Sea of Cortez. Typically, the dam gates are sealed tight diverting the last of the river into the Reforma Canal on the left of the image.

Colorado River feeds much of America’s salad bowl – lettuce, spinach, carrots, dates, and more. An aerial perspective of a celery harvest in fields next to the Colorado River. A historic pulse flow moving its way across the dry Colorado River Delta, part of a binational agreement for restoration, did little to affect business as usual.

Fred Philips smudging the CILA restoration site during the 2014 pulse flow across the dry Colorado River Delta in Mexico — part of a binational agreement for restoration.

The end of the Colorado River moves into Mexico – creating an impromptu fiesta at the river’s edge – slowly moving south. This stretch of river at San Luis, Mexico, just south of the US/Mexican border fence, is typically a river of sand.

Three days after the pulse flow releae, crowds of Mexicans celebrate the return of the Colorado River in San Luis, Sonora. Typically, this is a river of sand, but for a few weeks in April, it was a full rio – and people came out in drove.

Within hours of water reaching the community of San Luis, just over the US/ Mexican border, fisherman were reeling in carp and more. Mexicans celebrated the historic pulse flow moving its way across the dry Colorado River Delta for week.

Paddling the Colorado River delta – at night to avoid drug traffickers in the lower more abondoned sections of the river. At one point during the first ascent by SUP across this forgotten, dry stretch of river, the team low-crawl paddled on the river, to avoid being seen by “malditos” or drug runners on the shore.

Delta conservationist and bird expert, Osvel Hinojosa, helps break an illegeal dam blocking the historic pulse flow moving its way across the dry Colorado River Delta, part of a binational agreement for restoration.