US Marines are supporting the Cocopa Restoration Project in Yuma County this week.

Members of Marine Support Squadron 371, also known as Sand Sharks, used a method known as riprap to add a layer of permanent rock to stabilize against erosion along the Colorado River.

Kokopa Environmental Conservation Office Director Jen Alspach said this was a necessary step for the trail and the restoration area.

“We identified that a section of the embankment needed erosion protection, so we coordinated with a Marine Corps heavy equipment platoon and they offered to do it,” Alspach told KAWC. . Bank line with rip wrap. “

The Kokopa Trail and Restoration Area was completed in four phases over approximately two years on a seven-acre site. This includes eradicating invasive species, installing drip irrigation systems, planting native trees and shrubs, and building a mile-long boardwalk with plazas, meditation areas and a maze.