Justin Eddinger of the Lower Salt River Restoration Project and Rebecca Davidson, Director of the Southwest Region for the National Forest Foundation (NFF), explain how funding from Intel is helping restore the Lower Salt River basin in the Arizona desert from a disastrous wildfire, which supplies up to 60% of the water for the Phoenix metro area.

Impact of invasive species on water resources

The wildfire, known as the Cactus Fire, was extremely severe due to Salt Cedar, an invasive, non-native plant species that had spread rapidly throughout the region, using up water native species previously flourished on.

If nothing was done, the area would return to a monoculture, which combined with the impacts of climate change, could create a violent future of devastating fires.

Recreating a diverse ecosystem

With Intel’s support, the NFF has been able to restore approximately 150 million gallons of water annually to the Salt River system and replant the area with 100,000 native trees.

Davidson stresses the importance of restoration for biodiversity and wildlife, as well as for people. She cautions that if we fail to act now, areas in the Southwest and across the nation where we seek recreation and on which we depend will become increasingly hostile environments.

Learn more about Intel's dedication to sustainability here.