Yuma East Wetlands (The Colorado River Before the Dams) - Yuma, AZ - Flora and Fauna Information Signs on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "A Positive Impact
Starting in 1905, dams were constructed along the Colorado River that brought positive change to the Southwest. Dams and canals brought a safe and secure source of water and power and enhanced the ability of people to live in the desert. The construction of dams created one of the largest and most productive farming regions in the world.

Unintended Consequences
Dams have unmistakably altered the river system and disrupted the ecosystem. Hoover Dam essentially stopped all threats of flood. Exotic saltcedar thrives in the depleted environmental conditions created from the dams where it quickly dominates riparian habitats. Backwaters and forests once cherished for hunting, recreation, and education have greatly diminished. In less than 100 years, the area has experienced reduced river flows, invasion of non-native vegetation, degraded wildlife habitat, and a no-man's land of hobo camps.

”Unintended consequences resulted in a desert community cut off from its vital resource, the Colorado River.”

[photo captions]
• Hoover Dam, one of the world’s largest dams, built between 1931-1936
• Today farming is a $3 billion industry in Yuma
• View of Colorado River at the Ocean to Ocean Bridge
• View from Indian Hill after dams, infested with exotic plants, 1999
• A monoculture of non-native Saltcedar overtaking the wetlands
• Backwaters infested with invasive species
• The wetlands turned into a degraded wasteland"

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