Completing a 53-day journey through its Delta, the Colorado River reaches the tidal zone of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California). Photo credit: Francisco Zamora, Sonoran Institute, with aerial support from LightHawk.
After coursing through its delta for nearly eight weeks, the fresh waters of the Colorado River have touched the high tides of the salty sea.
The pulse flow, which was designed to mimic the Colorado’s natural spring flood, is an experiment of historic political and ecological significance: it is the first time the United States and Mexico have made a conscious decision to give some water back to the river to revive the health and habitats of its delta.