AZ-El+Rio+Research+Area


 * =Birding in Arizona=

Maricopa County
=El Rio Research Area= Goodyear, Arizona 85338

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El Rio Research Area
Coordinates: 33.3865163, -112.3748186 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips for birding El Rio Research Area
From Birding in Maricopa County

About El Rio Research Area
The Gila River once carried water nearly year-round. During the past 100 years, however, dams and canals have diverted the river's potential water flow, leaving a dry riverbed. The lack of water has led to the heavy growth of salt cedar vegetation in the riverbed. Salt cedar has grown thick enough to limit the amount of water the river channel can carry. When strong rainstorms produce enough runoff to send water down the Gila, water can be forced out of the channel and over the riverbanks, causing widespread flooding to adjacent land. In 1978, for example, the community of Allenville near Buckeye was virtually wiped out by floodwater from the Gila River.

The El Rio project seeks to develop a way to reduce salt cedar growth and prevent widespread flooding. An 8.5-acre swath of salt cedar on the Gila has been cleared and planted in its place are different densities of native plants, such as velvet mesquite. The goal is to determine which density of native plants can prevent the re-growth of salt cedar, thereby restoring the Gila River's natural waterway, reducing the chance for flooding and providing wildlife with an enhanced natural habitat. The process learned at El Rio can potentially be used on other rivers in Arizona where salt cedar growth is an issue. From Gila River Environmental Research Project

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