Conservation

Recreation

Education

Prior to the damming and channelization of the Colorado River, dense stands of cottonwoods, willows, mesquites, and wetlands lined the river’s banks.

Today nearly all of this riparian habitat has been drastically altered. Trees were cut down for steamboat fuel, dams prevented floods necessary for traditional agriculture and for the germination of many seeds, and the exotic and invasive salt-cedar has replaced much of the native riparian vegetation. Many species including the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Yuma Clapper Rail, and Razorback Sucker depend upon remaining fragments of habitat for their survival.

The Colorado River Indian Tribes established the Preserve in 1995 to restore a 1042-acre portion of the backwater and riparian habitat on the Reservation. The now 1300 acre Preserve provides a refuge for wildlife and a place of recreation and education for the community. CRIT is dedicated to preserving this important  aspect of their cultural and ecological heritage.

An aerial view of the 1300 acres of revegetated riparian zones and backwaters

We're Hiring! 

Nursery Director, Summer Staff, Restoration Assistant, and Field Crew Positions available now.