Corporate Water Stewardship in the Colorado River Basin Case Studies

The private sector is responsible for a substantial amount of water use and can also be a lever of change contributing to both climate adaptation and mitigation. This blog post summarizes three case studies that highlight the impact that corporate co-funding can have on building a water resilient future. The case studies encompass a diverse range of initiatives: the Cocopah Colorado River Limitrophe Habitat Restoration Project focuses on habitat restoration in the Arizona-Mexico border; the Jicarilla Apache Nation Lease Agreement is a precedent-setting collaboration in water resource management for the San Juan River; and the Toilet Leak Detection project addresses water waste in urban multi-family housing through innovative technology in California and Arizona. If your company is interested in learning more about, or supporting, any of these projects, please read the full case studies linked below and reach out to our key contacts listed at the end of this blog.

Full Case Studies:

 

Cocopah Colorado River Limitrophe Habitat Restoration Project

Over the last half century, declining flows downstream of Lake Mead have significantly degraded the riparian corridor of the Lower Colorado River. The Cocopah Indian Tribe lives in the Lower Colorado River limitrophe region where the Colorado River marks the international boundary between the United States and Mexico.

With support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)*, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Cocopah Tribe is developing and rerouting existing water supplies towards two sites on their reservation lands located in the floodplain. The project will deliver over 2,000 AF/year, for the first five years after each site is fully constructed, to establish the vegetation.

The project will facilitate the restoration of high-quality habitats crucial for the survival of several bird species, notably the endangered, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo and Yuma Ridgway’s Rail. Additionally, the project ensures greater availability of native vegetation essential for the Tribe’s ceremonial practices and daily activities. The Tribe is actively continuing its efforts to secure the necessary funding to carry out the restoration of each site in perpetuity. Potential collaborators and investors are encouraged to join this effort.

For more information, please contact: Julia Morton the Colorado River Program Manager at National Audubon Society, at julia.morton@audubon.org.

*Corporate contributions to this project were made through BEF, which enables businesses to directly fund initiatives that are in line with their own objectives for water stewardship.

 

The Jicarilla Apache Nation Lease Agreement

The San Juan River, a major tributary to the Colorado River, has experienced significant changes in recent decades due to human activities, notably diminished flow volumes, pollution, and the disruption of native ecosystems. As part of a collective effort to improve the health of the river and surrounding communities, the Jicarilla Apache Nation (Nation), the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have developed an innovative water sharing agreement.*

Annually, for 10 years, the NMISC will lease up to 20,000 acre-feet (AF) of water from the Nation. The water will benefit threatened, endangered, and sensitive fish and increase water security for New Mexico. Additionally, this project is: establishing a first of its kind agreement that can be used as a model throughout the Colorado River Basin; providing the state of New Mexico with flexibility for responding to climate change, declining river flows, and interstate water obligations; demonstrating how Tribal Nations and state governments can work together on a sovereign-to-sovereign basis, with support from conservation organizations, to find collaborative solutions that benefit multiple interests and users; and providing revenue for the Nation to help serve the needs of the Nation and its members.

For more information, please contact: Celene Hawkins, the Colorado River Tribal Partnerships Program Director at The Nature Conservancy at celene.hawkins@tnc.org.

*Private, corporate, and other philanthropic contributions support this project through grants to TNC.

 

Leak Detection in Affordable Multifamily Housing

Water leaks often go undetected in large, multi-unit buildings, where plumbing across numerous units shares a single metering system. Leaky toilets are a leading source of indoor

water waste, and toilet leaks in master metered multifamily properties are notoriously hard to detect. To help solve this problem, the Pacific Institute, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), and Sensor Industries have collaborated with local water agencies to install 2,900 toilet leak sensors across 15 affordable multifamily buildings in California and Arizona. Additionally, this project is co-funded by corporate contributions and water utility rebates.

In addition to reducing water waste, this project has yielded financial savings and an improvement in housing satisfaction. This project results in significant savings on water and wastewater bills. In affordable housing, these financial savings can be redirected to other essential services and support. Additionally, progress in water sustainability in multifamily housing can be challenging due to the difficulty of encouraging behavioral changes among residents. This project addresses that challenge by using toilet leak sensors, which do not require changes in daily habits. The leak sensor installation process has also provided an opportunity to engage and educate residents about leak detection.

For more information, please contact the Pacific Institute at info@pacinst.org.

author avatar
CEO Water Mandate
The Mandate is a commitment platform for business leaders and learners to advance water stewardship. Endorsing companies commit to action across six key elements and report annually on progress. The Mandate Secretariat - a partnership between the UN Global Compact and Pacific Institute - supports the initiative’s mission and endorsing companies in many ways, including: (1) developing research, guidance, and tools that advance corporate water stewardship, (2) convening multi-stakeholder events to identify, explore, and solve key water challenges, and (3) facilitating meaningful collective action to improve conditions in at-risk river basins around the world.