'colores del rio' is a bio-tool that can detect contaminated water

colores del rio is a biodesign tool targeting the salinas area

Developed by California-based artist, designer, and educator Melissa Ortiz, Colores del Rio is a bio-device that can gauge water quality through the simple act of submersion. Made of locally sourced agricultural waste, the project acts as a bioregional engagement tool, specifically targeting a farming community in the Salinas area of California, encouraging them to take a deeper look at the food systems they are acutely affected by and to illustrate the potential of repurposing locally discarded food waste into a viable bio-material. ‘This community engagement tool is biodesign-activism in response to local systemic issues involving the monoculture industry, the Salinas River-watershed, and impacted communities. Colores del Rio combines community engagement and a human-environment relationship through citizen-science,’ writes Ortiz.

all images courtesy Melissa Ortiz

melissa ortiz engages youth in water & land security

According to Melissa Ortiz (see more here) — using this unique environmental justice tool composed of disposed red cabbage, the young generation steps into the role of water and land protectors. When placing Colores del Rio in a nearby body of water, they can assess what pH colors emerge and evaluate whether contamination is present and, ultimately, a threat to the community. ‘It invites the next generation of youth leadership to actively participate in biodesign, citizen science, and environmental justice, giving local food waste another life that is regenerative and supportive of people and ecosystems,’ concludes Ortiz.

The Colores del Rio project initially burgeoned in a Biodesign class at the California College of the Arts (CCA). It has since evolved into a partnership with Xinampa, a non-profit organization in Salinas, as well as with the science department of Mount Toro High School. It is also the recipient of the Biodesign Challenge 2023 award for Outsanding Social Critique.

the bio-tool is made of red cabbage waste