The Suitability of reclaimed agricultural lands along the lower Colorado River for native Riparian habitat restoration

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine the suitability of agricultural lands for use in native riparian restoration efforts under development for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. Assuming these fields are productive for crops, would they be productive for cottonwood-willow restoration? There are two aspects to consider: (1) the edaphic conditions required for three major LCR agricultural crops; alfalfa, cotton, and wheat, and (2) whether those conditions are consistent with the conditions required for the restoration of native LCR riparian habitat, primarily Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and Goodding willow (Salix gooddingii). Using the case study research approach for nine proposed conservation areas, the edaphic factors considered include: (a) depth to groundwater, (b) soil moisture, (c) salinity, (d) pH, and (e) soil texture. As a result of this study, one conservation area was found to be suitable for cottonwood-willow restoration. However, the edaphic conditions evaluated represent only a gross winnowing of the data. There is a need for more refined data to more accurately assess the suitability of the other proposed conservation areas.