Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program
Spotlight on: Imperial Ponds Conservation Area |
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From left to right, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Bob Johnson, Colorado River Board of California Executive Director Jerry Zimmerman, and Central Arizona Project Board President Susan Bitter Smith prepare to plant bulrushes at the Imperial Ponds dedication event. For more images visit the PHOTO GALLERY associated with this event. |
"The LCR MSCP is a prime example of a partnership program in a river basin that is itself one of the best examples of collaborative efforts within the United States." These were the words of Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Bob Johnson as he addressed a group of about 65 people assembled at the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge north of Yuma, Arizona, on November 5, 2007. The group was there to mark the completion of the first Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program backwater habitat restoration project.
Among the attendees were representatives from several Arizona and Nevada agencies, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Reclamation.
Six large ponds built at the Refuge by Reclamation's Yuma Area Office provide 80 acres of new habitat for the razorback sucker and bonytail, both endangered fish that are native to the lower Colorado River. Over the next few years, a 12-acre marsh will be added to provide habitat suitable for marsh birds and waterfowl, and 34 acres of native cottonwood-willow trees will be planted to create habitat for threatened, endangered and other bird species.
"The Imperial National Wildlife Refuge is honored to be the prototype for these types of habitat projects," said Refuge Manager Tina Lynsky.
"We’re proud of the work that has been accomplished to date, and we look forward to continuing our involvement in the program in the future," added Chris Pease, Chief of the FWS's National Wildlife System, Southwest Region.
The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, a coordinated, comprehensive conservation program for the lower Colorado River, represents the largest, longest-term federal/state partnership plan in the United States to attempt river habitat restoration and address the needs of listed species on a river system. More than 50 entities are partners in the program, which is being implemented by Reclamation in partnership with a 56-member Steering Committee.
"We’re very pleased to be a partner in this effort," said Susan Bitter Smith, President of the Board of the Central Arizona Project. "It is an important and very good example of how collaborative projects can be successful."
The program will address the habitat and conservation needs of 26 species, six of which are endangered, and provide greater certainty to Arizona, Nevada and California that the river will continue to provide water and power to help meet their needs as well.
"Fifteen years ago, when most of the lower Colorado River was declared critical habitat for a number of species, the three states determined they did not want to face a future of water and power conflicts," said George Caan, Chairman, LCR MSCP Steering Committee and Executive Director of the Colorado River Commission of Nevada. "So we decided to develop a plan to address the situation. I’m very proud of the arrangement that has resulted, and of each member agency’s contributions."
Planning for the program began in 1996, and implementation began in April 2005. The program will continue until April 2055.
"Just look at what is being accomplished through collaboration," said Jerry Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Colorado River Board of California.
Features of the Conservation Area
The Imperial Ponds Conservation Area is an integrated mosaic of native land cover types, including isolated backwaters, cottonwood-willow and marsh. It is situated within the "Intensive Management Area" of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, an area of focused management for sensitive wildlife species including native fish, marsh birds, neo-tropical migratory birds and migratory waterfowl. By partnering with Imperial NWR to implement this project within an area already so rich in biodiversity, the LCR MSCP will create a unique native landscape like no other found on the lower Colorado River.
The three primary features of this $6.5 million project are:
Fish Ponds. Six ponds have been constructed to provide approximately 80 surface acres of habitat for endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and bonytail (Gila elegans); both fish once thrived in the lower Colorado River. The ponds provide a diversity of depths and habitat features, including rip-rap for cover and hummocks on which to place native wetlands plants.
Colorado River water will be supplied to the ponds and other habitat areas by a new pump that uses state of the art fish screening technology developed specifically for the LCR MSCP. The screen will keep the eggs and larvae of non-native, predatory fish from getting into the new ponds. The ponds are not interlinked; each will be independently managed. This is a key component to successful water quality and fisheries management. When water is released from a pond, it will enter a drainage channel, where it will support native wetland plants.
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Cottonwood-Willow Forest. An existing 4-acre cottonwood-willow nursery on the Refuge will be expanded by 34 acres, using materials excavated from the ponds. This material was spread over approximately 100 acres; the acreage not used for new forest will be managed for migratory waterfowl. Both yellow-billed cuckoo and willow flycatchers have been sighted in the existing nursery. The additional forested area, and the waterfowl acreage, will create a vegetation mix that makes this an ideal site for attracting the threatened and endangered species the LCR MSCP is designed to protect. Field leveling and irrigation system installation for the new area are scheduled to be completed in December; tree planting will begin next spring.
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Marsh Unit. A 12-acre marsh unit will be created at Field 18, on the Refuge’s southeast corner. This field, currently unmanaged and overgrown with saltcedar, will be cleared this winter and spring to get rid of unwanted vegetation, then converted into a bulrush-dominated marsh. Because the field is adjacent to several marsh units currently occupied by California black rail, it is an ideal site for attracting this species and other species of concern.
Webmaster: Colleen Dwyer, cdwyer@lc.usbr.gov
Updated: December 2007