THE SONORAN INSTITUTE INC

COLORADO RIVER DELTA PROGRAM OUR VISION FOR THE COLORADO RIVER IS A RIVER THAT FLOWS CONTINUOUSLY TO THE SEA, SUPPORTING BOTH HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RESTORE A FUNCTIONAL CORRIDOR IN THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA BY CREATING A NETWORK OF RIPARIAN AND ESTUARINE HABITAT SITES THAT WILL SUSTAIN BIODIVERSITY AND FACILITATE CONNECTIVITY OF RIVER FLOWS TO THE ESTUARY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE EVALUATED PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING OUR GOALS AND OUTCOMES OUTLINED IN OUR CURRENT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN. GOAL 1: THE COLORADO RIVER CONNECTS TO THE SEA; WITH WATER FOR BOTH HEALTHY LANDSCAPES AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES. OUR TARGET WAS TO INCREASE SUPPLY OF WATER IN THE COLORADO RIVER TO 220 DAYS OF FLOW PER YEAR. THE BASELINE WAS 147 DAYS IN 2020. IN FY25 WE ACCOMPLISHED AN AVERAGE OF 207 DAYS OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN 2020-2024, REPRESENTING 94% OF OUR TARGET. GOAL 2: RESTORE 2,860 ACRES OF ESTUARINE HABITAT. FROM A BASELINE IN 2021 OF 1,861 ACRES, WE ACHIEVED 5,842 ACRES BY 2025, REPRESENTING 140% OF THE TARGET. FOR LAGUNA GRANDE RESTORATION AREA, OUR TARGET WAS TO RESTORE 779 ACRES. BY 2025 WE ACCOMPLISHED 838 ACRES, REPRESENTING 107% OF OUR TARGET. IN FY25, EIGHT SMALL SITES TOTALING 11.4 ACRES IN LAGUNA GRANDE RESTORATION AREA WERE SELECTED AND PREPARED TO RECEIVE IN CHANNEL FLOWS FROM FEBRUARY TO SEPTEMBER IN 2025 AS PART OF MINUTE 323. WE ALSO MAINTAINED AND ENHANCED 838 ACRES OF RESTORED HABITAT, INCLUDING THE DELIVERY OF APPROXIMATELY 3,200 ACRE-FEET OF WATER FOR IRRIGATION OF RESTORED SITES. IN TERMS OF INSTREAM FLOWS, WE ACHIEVED THE ANNUAL TARGET VOLUME: DELIVERED 10,382 ACRE-FEET OF TREATED WASTEWATER TO THE HARDY RIVER AND UPPER ESTUARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION. AS PART OF THE BINATIONAL AGREEMENT MINUTE 323, WATER DELIVERIES BEGAN ON MARCH 21, 2025, AND CONTINUED THROUGH OCTOBER 3RD. TOTAL VOLUME TO BE DELIVERED WAS 19,482 ACRE FEET OVER THAT PERIOD, AND APPROXIMATELY 70% OF THAT WAS DELIVERED BY JUNE 30,2025 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DELIVERY PLAN. AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR, LONGITUDINALLY CONNECTIVITY WAS APPROXIMATELY 31 MILES PROMOTING THE EXPANSION OF OPEN WATER HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE, AND THE REDUCTION OF SALINITY IN FLOODED AREAS OF THE MAIN CHANNEL AND IN THE UPPER ESTUARY. FEDERAL WATER DELIVERIES SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED GROUNDWATER LEVELS ALONG 31 RIVER MILES UP TO 1.5 METERS IN SOME AREAS SHOWING SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENTS EVEN AFTER THE WATER DELIVERY PERIOD ENDED. AS PART OF THE BINATIONAL AGREEMENT MINUTE 323, PREPARED A PLAN TO DELIVER 22,866 ACRE-FEET OF WATER TO THE COLORADO RIVER IN CALENDAR YEAR 2026. THE SELECTED 2026 HYDROGRAPH WILL DELIVER 1.8 M/S FOR 155 DAYS FROM MARCH 21 THROUGH AUGUST 22, AND IS PROJECTED TO GENERATE FLOWS OF APPROXIMATELY 1 M/S AT THE UPPER ESTUARY, COMMUNITY OUTREACH: DURING FY25, WE CONDUCTED A TOTAL OF 15 GUIDED TOURS AT THE LAGUNA GRANDE RESTORATION SITE, REACHING 244 ATTENDEES, INCLUDING LOCAL FAMILIES FROM MEXICALI AND ITS VALLEY, YOUTH FROM HIGH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES, AND VISITORS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE MEXICO, USA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES. THROUGH TALKS, WORKSHOPS, EXPOS, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, WE REACHED AN ADDITIONAL 2,560 STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH TOPICS SUCH AS WETLAND CONSERVATION, BIRD WATCHING, RIVER RESTORATION, COMPOSTING, AND CLIMATE CHANGE. IN ADDITION, OUR ONLINE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING COURSE HAS REACHED 215 STUDENTS TO DATE. THROUGH OUR PARTICIPATION WITH OUR RAISE THE RIVER PARTNERS IN EVENTS SUCH AS THE ANNUAL AGROBAJA EXPO AND RAISE THE RIVER FESTIVAL, AN ADDITIONAL 2,237 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY LEARNED ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF OPEN RIPARIAN HABITAT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORING RIVERS, WETLANDS, RIPARIAN HABITATS, AND NATIVE SPECIES. AS PART OF THE WORK OF MEXICALI FLUYE, 31 PUBLIC MEETINGS WERE HELD AS OPEN SPACES FOR COMMUNITY DIALOGUE AND INFORMATION SHARING. APPROXIMATELY 280 RESIDENTS AND LOCAL LEADERS PARTICIPATED IN THESE MEETINGS, LATER BECOMING ACTIVE ALLIES OF THE PROJECT. IN ADDITION, 53 WORKSHOPS WERE CONDUCTED, FOCUSED ON PRACTICAL TRAINING. THESE WORKSHOPS ENGAGED 1,178 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND 1,002 STUDENTS IN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS TRASH COLLECTION, TREE PLANTING, BIRD WATCHING, WASTE MANAGEMENT TRAINING, WETLAND AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES EDUCATION, AS WELL AS THE DETECTION AND REPORTING OF ILLEGAL DUMPING. GOAL 3: THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA HAS PERMANENT PROTECTION. THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH 70,000 ACRES AS A STATE PROTECTED AREA HAD TO BE RECONSIDERED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TIME FOR BROADER PARTICIPATION FROM THE NATIVE CUCAPAH TRIBE. AIMING TO ENGAGE THE NATIVE CUCAPAH COMMUNITY, THE RAISE THE RIVER ALLIANCE PARTNERS DEVELOPED A SPECIFIC OUTREACH STRATEGY TO PROPERLY ENGAGE THE CUCAPAH. IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGY BEGAN IN 2025 AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 2026. MEXICALI FLUYE: IN FY2025 WE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES ALONG THE NEW RIVER, THROUGH OUR MEXICALI FLUYE PROJECT. THE GOAL OF THE MEXICALI FLUYE PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH IMPLEMENTING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN MEXICALI URBAN WETLANDS THAT IMPROVE RIVER'S WATER QUALITY AND THE URBAN LANDSCAPE. FOUR COMMUNITY GREEN CORRIDORS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING REHABILITATION: SOLIDARIDAD, MISIN DEL NGEL, EL DORADO, AND CAMINO REAL. WE HAVE COMPLETED REFORESTATION OF 6 HECTARES WITH 741 TREES PLANTED OF NATIVE SPECIES: MESQUITE, POPLAR, AND PALO VERDE. WE REMOVED 2,000 TONS OF WASTE. CLEANING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE RIVERBED (CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS, TIRES, MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, INVASIVE VEGETATION. WE INSTALLED BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS FENCING, TRAILS, 3 BIRDWATCHING PLATFORMS, IRRIGATION SYSTEM, AND RECREATIONAL AREAS FOR THE COMMUNITY (COMMUNITY GARDEN, SOCCER FIELD, MINI GOLF).

GROWING WATER SMART PROGRAM: THE GROWING WATER SMART PROGRAM ADDRESSES THE CHALLENGES OF AN OVER- APPROPRIATED COLORADO RIVER AND SURROUNDING AQUIFERS, AS WELL AS THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE THAT DO NOT LEAVE WATER FOR BOTH HEALTHY LANDSCAPES (ENVIRONMENT) AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES (PEOPLE). THE GROWING WATER SMART PROGRAM, OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BABBITT CENTER FOR LAND AND WATER POLICY, A CENTER OF THE LINCOLN INSTITUTE OF LAND POLICY, PROVIDES TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES AND WATER PROVIDERS TO ESTABLISH PLANS, POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT CONSERVE MUNICIPAL WATER AND USE IT SUSTAINABLY IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS ARIZONA, COLORADO, CALIFORNIA, UTAH AND THE US-MEXICO BORDER REGION. IN OUR GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOPS AND FOLLOW-UP ASSISTANCE, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF LAND-USE PLANNERS, WATER PROVIDERS, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ASSESS THEIR COMMUNITY'S WATER CHALLENGES, AND IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE WATER DEMAND IN NEW AND EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGE WATER SUSTAINABLY AND HOLISTICALLY INTO THE FUTURE. 1. HELD GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP IN COLORADO ON SEPTEMBER 9-11, 2024. SIX COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATED: CITY OF FORT LUPTON, TOWN OF MEAD AND LITTLE THOMPSON WATER DISTRICT, CITY OF LAFAYETTE, LARIMER COUNTY, CITY OF FORT COLLINS, AND TOWN OF JOHNSTOWN. 2. HELD GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP IN MEXICALI, BAJA CALIFORNIA ON NOVEMBER 11-13, 2024. REGIONAL FOCUS WITH REPRESENTATION FROM MEXICALI, BAJA CALIFORNA AND IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA. 3. HELD GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP IN COLORADO ON APRIL 21-23, 2025. SIX COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATED: CITY OF CORTEZ WITH UTE MOUNTAIN UTE TRIBE, TOWN OF NORWOOD, TOWN OF PALISADE, TOWN OF OPHIR, CITY OF DURANGO, MIDDLE COLORADO WATERSHED COUNCIL 4. HELD GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP IN ARIZONA FROM JANUARY 22-24, 2025, IN CLARKDALE. THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY TEAMS PARTICIPATED: CAMPE VERDE, CHINO VALLEY, CLARKDALE, JEROME, PRESCOT VALLEY, AND YAVAPAI COUNTY. 5. HELD A BORDER GROWING WATER SMART WORKSHOP JUNE 12, 2025, IN DOUGLAS, ARIZONA FOR THE CITIES OF DOUGLAS, ARIZONA, AND AGUA PRIETA, SONORA. 6. WATER AND LAND USE METRICS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE CITY OF THORNTON, COLORADO, AND LITTLE THOMPSON WATER DISTRICT AND OUR CONSULTANT BRENDLE GROUP. -THE CITY OF THORNTON CREATED A MICROSOFT EXCEL-BASED TOOL FOR INPUTTING WATER DATA AND IRRIGATED AREA DATA. THE TOOL EXPORTS KEY METRICS, INCLUDING AVERAGE ANNUAL WATER USE, AVERAGE IRRIGATION WATER USE, AND (ONLY FOR ACCOUNTS WITH INPUT IRRIGATED AREA DATA) WATER USE INTENSITY. -LITTLE THOMPSON WATER DISTRICT CREATED A MICROSOFT EXCEL-BASED TOOL FOR INPUTTING WATER DATA AND IRRIGATED AREA DATA. THE TOOL EXPORTS KEY METRICS, INCLUDING AVERAGE ANNUAL WATER USE, AVERAGE IRRIGATION WATER USE, AND (ONLY FOR ACCOUNTS WITH IRRIGATED AREA DATA) WATER USE INTENSITY. 7. HELD 2 GROWING WATER SMART PEER NETWORK WEBINARS: -DECEMBER 12, 2024: HOW TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER AND LAND USE POLICIES. -FEBRUARY 12, 2025: DATA-DRIVEN WATER AND LAND USE PLANNING POLICIES AND TOOLS. 8. RESERACHED AND SUBMITTED A REPORT ON HOW TO AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATING ACROSS BOUNDARIES FOR WATER RESILIENCE FOR A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL. 9. AWARDED 5 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO PAST GROWING WATER SMART PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES: -YAVAPAI COUNTY, AZ: COUNTY-WIDE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT POLICIES -TOWN OF JEROME, AZ: WATER RESILIENT STREET SCAPE DESIGN MANUAL -IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA: NEW WATER ELEMENT IN COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN -SUMMIT COUNTY, CO: COORDINATION WITH REGIONAL WATER PROVIDERS FOR HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT -TOWN OF RIDGWAY, CO: RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE TEMPLATES FOR TURF CONVERSION PROJECTS.