The Cocopah Environmental Protection Office has existed for more than nine years and was created to protect and to preserve the natural resources available for the future generations of the Cocopah Indian Tribe. This grant-funded department operates in compliance with tribal and federal environmental statutes and houses the pesticides department. Many of the departmental grants originate from federal and state departments including: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security and the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The office is located on the West Reservation. For more information, contact the department at (928) 627-2025, extension 13.
The department tests the drinking water quality for the North, East and West Reservations; the Cocopah Korner; the Cocopah RV and Golf Resort; and the Cocopah Casino.
The department interprets the regulatory standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and ensures the tribe is within compliance with those standards.
Water Consumption Metering
The department monitors the amount of irrigation water used on the reservation to ensure the tribe does not exceed its annual water allocation.
Hazardous Material Responders
In the event of a hazardous material spill on the reservation, the department responds to the incident, ensures that the proper authorities are notified and is available for consultations.
Pesticides Application Monitoring
This monitoring system, organized by the Cocopah Pesticides Department, ensures that pesticides applicators and sellers who work on the reservation obtain the proper permits and are in compliance under federal law.
Pesticides Equipment Inspections
The department inspects workers’ pesticides application gear and ensures that all workers handling the pesticides are properly protected.
Long-Term Environmental Management
The department develops and implements long-term environmental management plans for the Cocopah community and tribal lands. The department is currently in participation with the National Wildlife Federation and the Colorado River International Conservation Area Committee to develop a long-range environmental management strategy for the limitrophe section of the lower Colorado River. A limitrophe is described as a region where several borders of different governing bodies intersect; the lower Colorado River limitrophe section is found where the United States, Mexico, Arizona, California and the Cocopah Indian Tribe’s borders intersect.
Habitat Protection
The department will monitor natural habitats found on the reservation to ensure healthy environments for the plants and animals of the Southwest. For example, the department ensures hunters comply with regulations set by the Arizona Department of Game and Fish during hunting seasons and prohibits illegal hunting out of season on the reservation.
Wildlife Surveys
The department supports outside departments conducting wildlife surveys. The survey results help the department to better understand the plant and animal populations found on the Cocopah Reservation.
Current Projects
The Environmental Protection Office is currently working on several projects taking place on the Cocopah Reservation in efforts to protect and preserve the natural resources within the reservation’s boundaries.
With grant money that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano released in a state of emergency in August 2005, the department cleared over 60 acres along the Colorado River that were congested with dense thickets of vegetation. As shown in the pictures above, this region was once described as dangerous because of the dense vegetation obstructing law enforcement agents’ visibility during patrols. This cleared area will now help law enforcement agencies, including the Cocopah Police Department, protect the border more efficiently.
A second 75-acre riparian restoration project is taking place on the North Reservation. A riparian restoration project is designed to clear invasive plant species from a designated area to allow native plant species to replenish in their natural habitat. This project is unique in that the acreage will replenish the native plant species while also serving as a multi-use facility. The project will include agricultural land, a three-acre pond and a natural area with walking paths.
The department is also involved with monitoring the groundwater level fluctuations and the water quality of the Lower Colorado River within the limitrophe region that crosses the boundaries of the West Reservation. These weekly assessments allow the department to monitor the water quality and indicate seasonal water-level changes near the reservation to Morales Dam, located on the Mexico border.
