The U.S. Marine Corps is assisting with a Cocopah restoration project this week in Yuma County.
Members of the Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, also known as the Sandsharks, used a method known as riprap to add a permanent layer of rocks to stabilize against erosion along the Colorado River.
Jen Alspach, the Cocopah Environmental Protection Office Director, said it’s a necessary step for their trail and restoration area.
“We identified a section of bankline that needed erosion prevention measures so we coordinated with the Marine Corps heavy equipment platoon who offered to get it done for us," Alspach told KAWC. "That’s the whole goal of this part of the project- protecting that bankline with riprap.“
The Cocopah trail and restoration area was done on a seven-acre site in four phases over about two years. This included clearing invasive species, installing a drip irrigation system, planting native trees and shrubs and constructing a one-mile walking trail with a plaza, a meditation area and a labyrinth.
