Nature, water, culture, and livelihood in the Lower Colorado River basin and delta—an overview of issues, policies, and approaches to environmental restoration

This paper offers an overview of issues, policies, and approaches to the environmental restoration of the Lower Colorado River Basin and Delta. The observations and analysis are based on a symposium and workshop held in Riverside, California, 29 September to 2 October 2000. The binational Riverside event brought together stakeholders representing most of the relevant interests to discuss perceived problems and solutions to seven topics: historical policy and legal matters; the ecological connectivity of the Colorado River, its Delta and Upper Sea of Cortés; the allocation and valuation of the waters of the Colorado River; community and cultural concerns relating to the Delta region, water quality, wildlife conservation, and future directions for the watershed.