2012: Colorado's "Year of Water"

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Colorado Water 2012

Colorado's Governor John Hickenlooper declared 2012 “The Year of Water in Colorado," an all-inclusive celebration-turned-awareness-campaign that aims to educate and engage Colorado’s citizens in the management of their water resources. 

The Colorado River is central to this campaign.  In fact, Colorado is celebrating this year in particular because 2012 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Colorado River Water Conservation District (as well as the creation of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and various other anniversaries).  The Colorado River Water Conservation District strives "To lead in the protection, conservation, use and development of the water resources of the Colorado River basin for the welfare of the District, and to safeguard for Colorado all waters of the Colorado River to which the state is entitled," according to the mission statement on their website.

The Colorado River Water Conservation District began as the Western Slope Protective Association, which was originally created to defend Western Slope interests in the midst of arguments about diverting a portion of the Colorado River to the Eastern Slope through the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.  The River Conservation District contains roughly 28% of the land area of Colorado (~29,000 square miles) and varies substantially in mission and scope from municipal conservancy districts (such as Northern Water and Ute Water Conservancy District, which are enacted by a group of landowners and the federal government in order to develop a specific water resource for public supply).  Additionally, the River Conservation District plays a major role in federal policy-making and litigation.  One famous example of this is the 1976 case of Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States.

In the following Colorado Water 2012 promotional video, Governer Hickenlooper summarizes some important parts of this history as well as some of the present challenges to Colorado water: 

The Colorado Water 2012 committee has also created a plethora of public education materials (included free of charge under the "Activities" section of the website) that aims to bring knowledge of Colorado’s water resources to the public.  From community events such as book clubs and “Watershed Groups” to educational activities for K-12 and post-secondary students, the committee has provided something for all age levels.  Check out the calendar of events here.

Courtesy of www.cwfe.org

But the outreach doesn’t stop there.  The influence of this unique initiative is spreading throughout the state.  The Colorado Foundation for Water Education, which was established by House Bill 02-1152 in 2002 specifically "to promote better understanding of Colorado's water resources and issues by providing balanced and accurate information and education," has become a major partner while also celebrating its own 10 year "birthday."  The Foundation produced a “public-friendly” Winter 2012 issue of their Headwaters publication that is more accessible to “individuals with relatively low water literacy,” says Headwaters Executive Director Nicole Seltzer in the issue’s welcome note.  The issue, which available for free online, includes useful information on drinking water quality and water “lingo” often used in technical reports, as well entertainment-based stories on topics such as tracing water from it’s source to the taps of Colorado’s many famous microbreweries.  The Colorado River appears again and again in these stories, reinforcing its importance in the system of rivers that provides for the state.

From the Winter 2012 Headwaters issue

This post has mentioned just a few of the sophisticated and accessible materials now available that strive to inform public perceptions of the Colorado River and other water resources in the state.  These websites, magazines, and public events share Colorado Water 2012's celebratory attitude by engaging citizens of diverse value sets with various topics concerning water (quality, conservation, energy, recreation).  Overall, they play an essential part in promoting an ethic of conservation for--or at least a new awareness of the challenges associated with--Colorado water.

(Note:  Many other organizations around the world are also currently prioritizing water education and conservation by creating “Year of Water” campaigns.  Check out what is perhaps the largest project—the International Year of Water Cooperation—led by UNESCO here).

Welcome

“The Colorado River’s modern notoriety... stems not only from its wild rapids and plunging canyons but from the fact that it is the most legislated, most debated, and most litigated river in the entire world. It also has more people, more industry, and a more significant economy dependent on it than any other comparable river in the world.” -Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert

It is precisely for these reasons--a combination of science, policy, and values--that I am fascinated by the Colorado River.

Courtesy of www.britannica.com

A major water source for much of the southwestern United States, the Colorado River essentially makes life possible in such an arid climate.  While it is surely not the biggest or the longest river in the US, its complex history of over-apportionment beginning with the Colorado River Compact of 1922, as well as the variety of environmental issues that it currently faces (detailed in the final paragraphs of MIT's report here), has made it one of the most well known rivers in the world.  This blog aims to discuss a wide spectrum of factors relating to the Colorado River through the lens of public knowledge and perceptions.  More specifically, I hope to elaborate on some of the complex science, values, and policy issues mentioned above in Reisner's quote that surround the use and conservation of the river in order to promote the uniqueness and importance of this resource.