User:Ndressler23/sandbox

Lower Colorado River Region

Animal

Flathead Catfish, Pylodictis olivaris

These fish resemble cats due to their whiskers and sly way of moving about the sea floor. These fish also vary in size and length. Majority of catfish species in live the Americas. A lot of them live in freshwater and shallow water habitats including the Colorado river. This catfish can grow to about 155cm (61 inches) and can weigh about 56kg (126lb). They are also known to be the second largest catfish in North America. The average length is roughly 25-46in (64-117cm). It maximum lifespan that has been recorded is about 24 years. Male catfish tend mature at about 4 years old and female catfish mature at about 5 years old. The Flathead Catfish prefers live prey. It feeds on other fish and insects as well. The habitat for this animal is west of the Appalachian Mountains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flathead_catfish

Plant

Coyote Willow, Salix exigua

These plants are considered endangered, but are native to North America. Their branches have been used as flexible poles and many Native Americans used to use them years ago. They were especially used for building huts and different types of shelters. The flowers that blossom from these plants allow for bees to pollenate, but only the male plants provide this feature. This plant can reach 4-7 meters (13-23ft). The leaves are very narrow grow to about 4-12cm (1.6-4.7in) long and 2-10mil (0.079-0.394in). They are very green and with silky white hairs when they are beginning to grow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_exigua

Life Zones of the Lower Colorado River Region:

The Lower Colorado River region has a plant life that spans six main life zones. Yuma is the lowest point at 70 feet and the highest area is around 12,670 feet near Flagstaff. The Lower Sonoran life zone is located at around 4,500 feet and the plants in this zone can survive scorching temperatures and little precipitation. The Lower Sonoran life zone is where most of us live and is correlated with the hot desert sun of the southwest. Creosote, jojoba, mesquite, paloverde, bursar, and cacti can all be found here. The average amount of rain in these regions is about 10 inches or less. When spring time comes, depending on how much rain the region has had, there will be a decent amount of flowers blossoming. A lot of plants can live for years, but those that can not are called ephemerals. Ephemeral means "short duration" since these types of plants rarely make it through an entire spring season. There are five other main life zones in Arizona and they are: the Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, Hudsonian, and Alpine.

https://www.my-arizona-desert-living.com/Arizona-Geography.html

https://apeekatthepeak.org/scenic-drive-natural-environment/

Parker Dam

The Parker Dam is located north of Yuma and on the border of Arizona and California. This dam is also known as the 'deepest dam in the world.'It was built entirely out of concrete and about 85 feet of the dam is actually seen. The Parker Dam's capacity is roughly 646,200 acre feet and Lake Havasu is behind the dam. Lake Havasu goes for about 45 miles behind the dam itself and can cover about 32 square miles. There is a pumping plant for the dam about 2 miles upstream from the start of the dam. The plant is called, The Metropolitan Water District's W.P. Whitsett Pumping Plant for the Colorado River. The water that is divided from this plant is distributed to different states. Arizona, California, and even Nevada are all beneficiaries of the Parker Dam. The dam is also an attraction for people of all ages and has become very popular to travel over. It truly impacts the current of the Colorado River as a whole and ensures it won't stop flowing.

https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=207

Land Threats

The Colorado River has a lot of major threats that cause it to be considered the most endangered river in the U.S. Wildfires are a huge threat to this region and has destroyed multiple habitats along the way. The fires seem to favor salt cedar over cottonwood or willow and this makes the Lower Colorado River region, a perfect place for a wildfire to ignite. The high water flows that occur along the river don't help due to the drought in the lands surrounding it. The habitats that surround the river are also crucial because most of them have been overgrown by the salt cedar. This has caused environmentalists to consider revegetation of the land there. The amount of flooding could potentially change the curvature of the land and would alter the environments in which plants and animals thrive in. Pollution and contamination of the land has truly affected the river and ecosystems. The idea of clearing the lands near the river are a potential threat and could cause major harm, if they decide to do so. Some opportunities to change the fact that the river is on the endangered list, would be to stop polluting. Also, the wildfires that occur in the land can be prevented if people stop making fires near brush or other plants. Man made wildfires have become a major issue and is one of the things we as humans need to control more. The vegetation that grows there can be controlled so it doesn't become invasive or kill off other plants.

https://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/lower-colorado-river-gadsden-riparian-area