Riparian ecosystem restoration in western north americabudget period: 12 23 24-12 22 25AWARD purpose: this award funds cooperation between colorado state university research scientists and the US…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Research and Data Collection program (CFDA 15.808) provides $145,400 to Colorado State University (CSU) to conduct research and monitoring activities related to riparian ecosystem restoration in the western United States. The key objectives include:

1. Participating in the science team and working groups for Minute 323 of the U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty, which involves delivering water for active restoration of riparian sites in the Colorado River Delta. This will include coordinating ecological data compilation and management, as well as data processing, analysis, and reporting.

2. Potentially supporting other USGS-led riparian restoration research projects across the western U.S., such as those focused on the Bill Williams River in Arizona, Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, and the Elwha River in Washington. Activities may include data compilation, analysis, and manuscript preparation.

The award period is from December 23, 2024 to December 22, 2029. Project deliverables will include peer-reviewed journal articles and USGS data releases summarizing the research findings and data collected.

Activities

Specific activities with regard to the colorado river delta for year 1 of this collaboration will be to (1) participate in the science team of minute 323 as active members and leaders of one of the working groups, birds-vegetation water , (2) coordinate efforts to compile and manage ecological datasets within the minute 323 framework, and (3) conduct data processing and analyses, interpretation and presentation of results, and production of reports, peer-reviewed articles and other scientific materials. Depending on the specific research needs of US geological survey scientific collaborators, activities will also potentially include data compilation, analysis, and or manuscript report preparation for other research objectives related to riparianrestoration.deliverables and expected outcomes: project deliverables will include a draft or drafts of a future peer-reviewed scientific article or articles, with results of project data analyses and interpretation summarized in tables, figures, and other visuals. In addition, deliverables will include a draft or drafts of a US geological survey data release orreleases, with organized, formatted data and associated metadata to be published concurrently with the peer-reviewed article S.intended beneficiary(IES): the information is intended for the general scientific community, the public, and agencies and entities involved in riparian restoration and management in the western united states, including in the colorado river delta.