By Michell Cordova and Karen Aglaee Lopez Roman
Having healthy arroyos and creeks full of native plants and trees isn’t a luxury but a necessity, as our team recently learned with one of our partners at Rancho Agua de Enmedio east of Cananea, Sonora. Many different factors can affect plants growing along a waterway. But in this case it was cattle that were preventing the growth of new vegetation and causing soil erosion. In times of drought like those experienced in Sonora, we must do everything we can to protect our precious water. One of the best ways is through reforestation with native trees such as willow, cottonwood, and oak. Their roots help stabilize the banks and reduce soil loss caused by floods. Having native plants present also helps slow down water so that when it does come, it can further enrich the land and larger ecosystem.
During our trip, our team focused our reforestion efforts within an exclusion zone at Rancho Agua de Enmedio with the help of Mr. Eduardo Rios Colores, the landowner. He told us that he decided to create an exclusion zone to better care for the water on his land after noticing over the years that drought was becoming a serious problem.
He also saw it as a great opportunity to create a greenhouse. This will help extend the growing season and protect his plants from harsh weather. And it will allow him to control pests and conserve water.
During our visit, we learned different reforestation techniques. And we learned that being closer to the river meant rockier terrain, which complicated the digging of holes. These holes closest to the water were intended for planting trees such as willow and cottonwood that need more water. They were ideal here because of their capacity to tolerate wet soils and their ability to stabilize banks and prevent erosion caused by water currents.
In areas a bit farther from the riparian zone, we found softer terrain with much smaller rocks that made for easier hole digging. The holes here would be for trees like oak, which can tolerate cold climates, need less water, and are resistant to drought.
In all, we were very satisfied with the work and grateful to have had the opportunity to hear about Eduardo’s experiences and learn how reforestation can be applied in other scenarios, and how it also helps combat climate change and improve air and water quality. It’s fun to imagine what the area will be like years from now.