Colorado River Basin Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
A shared regional strategy for strengthening our economy, creating opportunity, attracting investment, and building long-term economic resilience.
What is the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)?
The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a five-year roadmap for strengthening the regional economy, creating opportunities, and building long-term economic resilience. For Arizona’s Colorado River Basin, the CEDS brings together Yuma and La Paz Counties and their communities around shared priorities, investments, and strategies to support sustainable economic growth and regional collaboration.
Working Together Across Yuma & La Paz Counties
Why is the CEDS Important to the Region?
Our CEDS provides a shared framework for communities across Yuma and La Paz Counties to align priorities, pursue investment, and strengthen the Colorado River Basin economy.
Planning Doesn't Stop at Borders
Economic opportunities and challenges extend beyond individual communities. The CEDS brings Yuma and La Paz Counties together around shared priorities and creates opportunities for communities to collaborate on projects that benefit the region as a whole.
A Forward-Thinking Regional Strategy
The CEDS establishes strategies to strengthen business attraction and expansion, workforce development, infrastructure, innovation, tourism, international trade, and quality of place throughout the Colorado River Basin.
A Roadmap for Investment & Resilience
The CEDS helps regional partners identify priorities, coordinate investments, pursue funding opportunities, and prepare for future economic challenges while building a stronger and more resilient regional economy.
7 Goals. One Stronger Region.
The Colorado River Basin CEDS establishes seven regional goals designed to guide investment, collaboration, and economic development across Yuma and La Paz Counties.
High-Paying Employment Opportunities
Create high-paying employment opportunities through strong business retention, expansion, and attraction programs focused on the region's core industry clusters and international trade.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Attract innovation investment and strengthen the regional business startup ecosystem through major game-changing initiatives and entrepreneurial development.
Tourism & Recreation
Promote the Colorado River Basin as a destination for sustainable tourism, agritourism, and outdoor recreation while supporting regional visitor amenities.
Workforce & Education
Leverage educational institutions and workforce development resources to connect residents with emerging employment opportunities and targeted industries.
Critical Infrastructure
Prioritize investments in infrastructure that are critical to the growth, competitiveness, and long-term success of targeted industry clusters.
Quality of Place
Enhance the region's overall image as a high-quality place to live, work, play, and invest through marketing, placemaking, and regional collaboration.
Economic Resilience
Expand the region's ability to anticipate, adapt to, withstand, and recover from economic challenges while supporting sustainable long-term growth.
Candidate CEDS Projects
The Colorado River Basin CEDS identifies candidate projects throughout Yuma and La Paz Counties that support infrastructure, economic development, innovation, community investment, and long-term regional competitiveness.
Yuma County Region
Downtown San Luis Redevelopment Design
County 25th Street Extension to Avenue B Design
Yuma Spaceport
Strategic Planning for Industrial Use and Rail Spur Development
Avenue D/E Corridor Project
Williams Street Road Connector
Industrial Infrastructure Development
Somerton Innovation & Business Incubation Hub
Cocopah Tribal Butcher Shop and Meat Processing Facility
La Paz County Region
Joint Venture Sewage Plant
La Paz County RV Park Sewer Project
Emergency Services Safety Center – Annexed Community
Strategic Planning for Industrial Development and Rail Spur Access to County Landfill
Candidate projects may evolve as regional priorities, project scopes, and funding opportunities change. Please refer to the full CEDS for additional project details.
Read the Full Report
Explore the Complete Regional Strategy
The full Colorado River Basin Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy provides an in-depth look at the economic conditions, opportunities, target industries, major regional initiatives, strategic goals, action items, resilience priorities, and candidate projects guiding economic development across Yuma and La Paz Counties.
Choose your preferred language below to explore the complete five-year regional strategy.
Contact Us
For more information about the Colorado River Basin CEDS, regional strategies, candidate projects, or implementation, please contact us.
Amber Shek
Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation