The Cocopah Indian Tribe’s Environmental Protection Office successfully completed its first ecological restoration project, restoring 40 acres at the Cocopah North Reservation.
Part of the project included a three-day workshop led by Fred Phillips of Fred Phillips Consulting. The workshop brought together more than 30 participants and volunteers, who contributed to hands-on fieldwork while learning planting and restoration techniques.
Phillips has specialized in large-scale restoration and ecological landscaping projects for over two decades. During that time, he has worked on numerous initiatives, including tribal projects in the Yuma wetlands along the Colorado River. When the Cocopah Tribe selected him for this project, he worked closely with the tribe to design a plan aimed at improving both habitat conditions and the quality of water flowing into the Colorado River.
“We’re standing at Cocopah North and the beautiful thing about this project, up to now all of the cities Yuma affluent went straight into the river. From the Cocopah’s vision all of that water in perpetuity will now flow through a 40-acre wetland, beaver pounds, to cleanup all that water to create habitat and create another beautiful recreation area like the Yuma East Wetlands for Cocopah and this really came from the tribe, this idea four years ago,” said Phillips.
The restoration site lies just west of the tribe’s golf resort along the Colorado River, with plans for the restored area to eventually connect to the West Wetlands through pedestrian-accessible trails.
Volunteers from nonprofits outside of Yuma joined the effort, along with tribal members from other departments who wanted to help and learn more about restoring native habitats.
