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.