MEXICALI, Mexico — The mighty Colorado River used to flow freely all the way to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. But over the years, its delta and various ecosystems have dried up.

Thanks to an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, the delta will receive water deliveries for environmental purposes from now until October. This will help restore a landscape that once supported a rich diversity of life because, as scientists have discovered, life returns if you add some water.

“When this has water, it’s going to be very different,” said Gabriela Gonzalez Olimon, Sonoran Institute’s environmental education coordinator. “We expect to see a lot more birds and a lot more life around here.”

Dams built in the 20th century diverted all the water to industrial and agricultural projects, robbing the environment of its lifeblood of the ecosystems.  

These current water deliveries are all because of a successful experiment in 2014 when the U.S. and Mexico allowed a small amount of water from the river — less than 1% of its annual flow — to be released for the environment that mimicked the river’s springtime flooding of years past.

“All the efforts for conservation were proved at that time — that they were correct,” said Rocio Torres Moguel, director of the Colorado River Delta Program. “That with that amount of water, that was a possibility. Even though for such a long time, like over 40 years, the river was dry, with that amount of water, restoration started to be a possibility.”

Spectrum News traveled to one of their restoration sites along the river to see the fruits of their labor in action. Click the arrow above to watch the video.