For the first time in half a century the Colorado River kissed the Sea of Cortez in Mexico this May, providing photographer Pete McBridge a glimpse into the past of an American continent untouched by man's meddling.

The river, which flows high up in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, winds its way 1,400 miles south. Over the past hundred or so years its journey has been dammed and changed more than a dozen times to feed and irrigate cities across the West.

Only 10 percent of the mighty river even reaches Mexico, but this March, the US and Mexican governments made the decision to unleash the Morelos Dam across the border and release billions of gallons into now dry riverbeds - restoring the Colorado River Delta to life.

Restoration: Its course has been altered many times over the past century - but in May the Colorado River reached the Sea of Cortez off the coast of Mexico for the first time in 50 years

McBride and writer Rowan Jacobsen decided to traverse the now restored artery on paddle boards, watching as the so-called 'pulse flow' bored down the dusty riverbeds that once was the natural escape for the Colorado River as it made its way through Mexico.

'Over eight weeks, a 105,392-acre-foot pulse flow of water—about 34 billion gallons—would pour through Morelos and down the dry channel,' wrote Jacobsen in Outside Magazine.

'The idea was to mimic the dynamics of the Colorado's historical spring flood, timed to coincide with the germination of willow and cottonwood seeds.'

Peter McBride was astounded by the success as 'it kissed the sea this spring thanks to the hard work of many who lifted the gates of the last of 12 major dams on the river to release an experimental pulse flow across the parched delta.

Opened: The Morelos Dam on the Colorado River is wide open, allowing river water to move due south down the historic river channel some 100 miles to the Sea of Cortez. Typically, the dam gates are sealed tight diverting the last of the river into the Reforma Canal on the left of the image.

Once-in-a-lifetime: Across the delta, people came out to see the rare sight - water in the Colorado. These children played in the shallows the entire time we stopped to eat a snack during the first SUP crossing of the delta.

Damming the Colorado with their butts: Members of McBrides expedition shore up the Colorado River pulse with their backsides for their own amusement in Mexico

Never-seen-before: Passer-by marvel at water in the Colorado River at the last major bridge in the delta roughly 50 miles from the sea.

Return of nature: Within hours of water reaching the community of San Luis, just over the US/ Mexican border, fisherman were reeling in carp and more

Journey: Members of McBride's team paddling the crest of the historic 2014 pulse flow across the dry Colorado River Delta 55 miles below the Morelos Dam. The pulse flow was part of a bi-national agreement for restoration

'It was temporary and puny in the scheme of things - less than 1% of the river - but magical as it showed the world how we can restore natural habitats if we try.

'The goal was to not only restore the river, but native vegetation and fisheries which ultimately restore us, too.'

Enough water to supply over 200,000 homes for a year was released on March 23 in an effort to revive trees, wildlife and aquatic life that have perished since the delta dried up decades ago.

Conservationists say it'll be years before they see the environmental effects of the water streaming through, but residents in the town of San Luis Rio Colorado in the Mexican state of Sonora have frolicked in the water and marveled at the river when the flow started.

Get ready: The gates of the Morelos dam are typically closed but were opened for a historic pulse flow moving its way across the dry Colorado River Delta

Alberto Santos crosses water in what is normal a dry riverbed Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico

Mexican cowboys celebrated the 2014 historic pulse flow of Colorado River Delta with laughter, galloping and even dancing horses.

Team paddle-board: (l-r) Pete McBride, Juan Butron, Sam Walton, Osvel Hinojosa, Rowan Jacobsen, Fred Philips -- during the 2014 pulse flow

It's a feat that the water released in March continued to flow through to May, said Sally Spener, a spokeswoman for the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Spener has said that the success of the project will inform future collaborations between the U.S. and Mexico.