Colorado River Initiative
In 2008, Marathon brought together a coalition of organizations to work with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in the fight against tamarisk - an invasive, non-native tree that threatens watersheds in the U.S. and the already strained Colorado River Basin ecosystem. Other partners now include the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Tamarisk Coalition, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and several other federal and state government agencies and non-profit organizations.
The Colorado River Initiative was chosen as a project that would embody the Company's goals for conservation efforts:
- Build collaborative relationships with environmental stakeholders;
- Contribute to the national dialogue about conservation;
- Promote volunteer opportunities; and
- Implement a conservation focused education program.
The Colorado River is one of the most stressed river basins in North America. Over 30 million people rely on this river to meet their needs. Controlling the tamarisk can benefit the basin by easing water used by the water-loving plant, increasing riparian communities suitable for native wildlife habitat and providing improved recreational opportunities for people along the miles of this major river.
In 2008, Marathon and its partners helped complete the removal of tamarisk from the last 40 mile stretch of the San Miguel River, a tributary of the Colorado. In 2009, the partnership will initiate phase II of the project, which includes tamarisk removal along the Delores River.
A long term goal is to form an alliance of industry partners, government agencies and non-profit organizations in a collaboration to improve the health of the Colorado River.
