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Information Database and Local Outreach Program for the Restoration of the Hardy River Wetlands, Lower Colorado River Delta, Baja California and Sonora, Mexico

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Information Database and Local Outreach Program for the Restoration of the Hardy River Wetlands, Lower Colorado River Delta, Baja California and Sonora, Mexico Final Report to: North American Wetland Conservation Council Instituto Nacional de Ecología - SEMARNAP ITESM Campus Guaymas University of Arizona Environmental Defense Fund Pronatura Sonora Oregon State University Information Database and Local Outreach Program for the Restoration of the Hardy River Wetlands, Lower Colorado River Delta, Baja California and Sonora, Mexico Prepared by: Carlos Valdés-Casillas, Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta, Manuel Muñoz-Viveros, Francisco Zamora-Arroyo, Yamilett Carrillo-Guerrero, Selene Delgado-García, and María López-Camacho. Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) - Campus Guaymas Centro de Conservación y Aprovechamiento de los Recursos Naturales (CECARENA) Unidad de Información Biogeográfica (UIB) Edward P. Glenn, Jaqueline García, James Riley, and Donald Baumgartner University of Arizona Environmental Research Laboratory Mark Briggs The Sonoran Institute Christopher T. Lee California State University-Dominguez Hills Department of Earth Sciences Elene Chavarría-Correa Pronatura Sonora Chelsea Congdom and Daniel Luecke Environmental Defense Fund August 1998 Acknowledgements The Information Database and Local Outreach Program for the Restoration of the Hardy River Wetlands in the Lower Colorado River Delta, Baja California and Sonora, Mexico was accomplished under the generous funding of the North America Wetlands Conservation Council, ITESM Campus Guaymas, University of Arizona, Pronatura Sonora, Environmental Defense Fund, and Oregon State University. Support and assistance provided by many individuals within federal and state agencies, local governments, and non-governmental organizations on both sides of the border were highly determinant in accomplishing this first approach of restoring these wetlands. The federal agencies that supported the project are: · Secretaría del Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca, SEMARNAP. (Mexican Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Fisheries). · U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. · Internationak Boundaries and Water Commission. ·U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At regional level, several individuals assisted in this project providing facilities and information: · Francisco Oyarzábal; Moisés Domínguez, and Teresa Sol, in Comisión Nacional del Agua, CNA (National Water Commission). · Juan Carlos Barrera; José Campoy, and Bernabé Rico, in Reserva de la Biósfera del Alto Golfo y Delta del Río Colorado (Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta) · Delia Moreno and Víctor Raya in Secretaría de Asentamientos Humanos, Obras Públicas y Ecología del Estado de Baja California (Baja California State Secretariat of Human Settlements, Public Works, and Ecology) · Martha Román from the IMADES-Field Station in the Gulf of Santa Clara, Héctor Arias, Christopher Watts, and Ivan E. Parra from Instituto del Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable del Estado de Sonora (Sonora State Environmental and Sustainable Development Institute) · Roberto Solís from Instituto Nacional Indigenista, INI( National Indigenous Institute) · Jesús Lara Villaseñor from Registro Nacional Agrario (National Agrarian Registry) · Juan de Dios Gámez from Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI (National Institute for Statistics and Geography) · Guillermo Larios from Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, IMTA (Mexican Institute for Water Technology) Local governments and agencies that provided information and assistance are: · Adolfo Preciado from General Archives of Mexicali Municipality · Manuel Pons from the Coordination of Mexicali Municipality Delegations · Enrique Villegas from Ecology and Environment Coordination of the Mexicali Municipality · David Fuentes from COPLADEM, Council for the Planning of Municipal Development of Mexicali) · Eduardo A. Robles, Counselor for Rural Development of Mexicali Municipality. · Carlos Viveros, Delegate of Colonias Nuevas in Mexicali. · José Anaya, Delegate of Venustiano Carranza in Mexicali · Federico Flores, Delegate of Guadalupe Victoria. Special acknowledgement to the Cucapá Community and its members: · Onésimo González, who share with us ancient knowledge of the Cucapa culture about the balance between humanity and its natural environment, letting us learn and enjoy with their traditions and legends. · Mónica González, because of her determination to identify sustainable activities for the development of the Cucapá community and also because of her leading participation in the workshops. · Lorenzo González, a young Cucapá men with special ability to drive his boat within the Hardy River in night and day of search for lost researchers. · Víctor Navarro, for sharing legal information of the Cucapá community. Strong recognition to the owners of Campo Mosqueda, Don Jesús and Javier Mosqueda, because of their trust, hospitality, and encouragement to work for the delta. This work has been also enlightened by the open and collaborative spirit from all the project team members, whose enthusiasm is translated into the positive effort for the conservation of the Colorado River delta. Special thanks are directed to stakeholders of the Hardy/Colorado River wetlands who cared enough about these natural resources to get involved in the workshops, allowing us to share their opinions and knowledge, and encourage other local community members to participate in this project and realize the importance of these unique wetlands. Index Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………..i I.- Introduction................................................................................................................................…….…..…3 II.- The Process.........................................................………………………………………………………….…4 2.1 Integration of the GIS 2.2 Field Trips 2.3 Human Activities Evaluation 2.4 Outreach Program 2.5 Vegetation Analysis 2.6 Water Flow Assessment 2.7 Water Quality Analysis III.- Hardy/Colorado River Wetlands (and their influence Zone)………………………………………………..10 3.1 Localization and Description 3.2 Past and Present of the Hardy/Colorado River wetlands 3.3 Natural Features 3.4 Functions and Values IV.- Historical Changes…………………………………………………………………………………………..19 4.1 Hydrological Changes 4.2 Habitat Changes 4.3 Human Activities and Population V.- Today’s Conditions…………………………………………………………………………………….……..27 5.1 Vegetation 5.2 Water 5.3 Human Activities and Population VI.-Environmental Regulations on the Colorado River Delta………………………………………….………..52 6.1 International Concern 6.2 Federal Concern 6.3 Local Concern 6.4 Further Issues and Opportunities 6.5 Implications of Environmental Regulations in the Hardy/Colorado River Wetlands VII.- Outreach Program………………………………………………………………………………….…….…63 VIII.- Management Opportunities and Recommendations…….……………………………………………..….67 8.1 Restoration Opportunities 8.2 Potential Areas for Restoration and Management at the Colorado River Delta 8.3 Wildlife Management Units 8.4 Water Management IX.- Financial Statement………………………………………………………………………………………….74 X.- Literature Reviewed for the Project…………………………………………………………………………..75 Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…86 List of Figures Figure 1. Aerial view of agricultural fields of the Mexicali Valley 10 Figure 2. Map of the Colorado River delta, Baja California, and Sonora, Mexico 11 Figure 3. Map of the wetlands of the Colorado River delta 13 Figure 4. Map of hydrological basins of the Colorado River delta 14 Figure 5. Map of the Colorado River delta in 1933 15 Figure 6. Canal to the Laguna Salada 16 Figure 7. Riparian habitat of the Colorado River delta 17 Figure 8. Satellite Image of the Colorado River delta 18 Figure 9. Map of irrigation canals of the Mexicali Valley, Colorado River delta 20 Figure 10. Map of agricultural drains of the Mexicali Valley, Colorado River delta 21 Figure 11. Agricultural drain of the Colorado River delta 22 Figure 12. Land use change in the Colorado River delta 22 Figure 13. Saltcedar stands in the Hardy/Colorado Wetlands 23 Figure 14. Vegetation zones of the Colorado River delta 30 Figure 15. Flows of the Colorado River at Vado Carranza, during flooding events, and during no water flows at the SIB 31 Figure 16. Water flows at the SIB from 1955 to 1995, and during 1997 32 Figure 17. Sampling site “El Mayor 1” 34 Figure 18. Map of selenium sampling sites in the Colorado River delta 36 Figure 19. Agricultural drain Nayarit 37 Figure 20. Map of salinity sampling sites in the Colorado River delta 39 Figure 21. Map of monitored drains in the Colorado River delta 41 Figure 22. Map of human settlements located within the highest influence area of the wetlands of the Colorado River delta 43 Figure 23. Aerial view of San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora 44 Figure 24. Map of municipal delegations in the Mexicali Valley 45 Figure 25. Municipal Delegation of Colonias Nuevas 65 Figure 26. Map of communities involved in the outreach program 66 Figure 27. Map of potential restoration sites in the Colorado River delta 69 List of Tables Table 1. Field trips carried out during the project 6 Table 2. Main dams located in the Colorado River Basin 19 Table 3. Vegetation zones and land cover classes of the Colorado River delta 29 Table 4. Yearly mean flows and salinity of the agricultural drains discharging in the Hardy/Colorado Wetlands 33 Table 5 Selenium levels (mg/L) and salinity (ppt) of water samples collected at different sites in the Hardy/Colorado Wetlands 35 Table 6. Salinity (ppt) on sampling sites from the Gulf of Santa Clara into the Colorado River 38 Table 7. Salinity (ppt)
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