Along the U.S.–Mexico border in Arizona, the Cocopah Indian Tribe is accustomed to change. Over centuries, they have seen borders drawn that intersect their homeland. They’ve watched their traditional way of life adapt and survive with each new generation. The Cocopah are known as “the river people,” a name given long before the Colorado River was diverted through modern canals and dams. As the water disappeared, so did sacred animals that dwelled in the riverside habitat. … To reconnect to this cultural power source, the Cocopah have partnered with the National Audubon Society on two significant restoration projects on the reservation’s North and West sections. Federal grant funding is helping the Tribe transform more than 400 acres in the Colorado River floodplain.

Other Colorado River restoration news:

• The Rocky Mountain Collegian (Fort Collins, Colo.): Colorado confronts water vitality in American West​