Gila River Flow Needs Assessment

Abstract

The Nature Conservancy and a team of 14 academic partners (the project team) received funding from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program and the Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative in 2012 to conduct this Gila River Flow Needs Assessment. The assessment describes the existing condition of the Gila River in the Cliff-Gila Valley and examines the potential impacts of CUFA diversion and climate change on the riparian and aquatic ecosystem. The project team was assisted by 35 academic, agency and consulting scientists who have expertise in some aspect of the Gila River’s hydrology and ecology. This larger team of scientists provided input on a review draft of this assessment at a workshop in January 2014. This assessment report includes 12 chapters written by project team scientists. Two chapters summarize workshop findings, including input of the larger team of scientists on how flows shape the ecosystem and how these interactions may be affected by flow alterations due to CUFA diversion and climate change.