Great post! I started learning about the Colorado River and all the divvying up in 2023 when I spent the summer on Colorado's Western Slope, working with local farms part-time. I got to attend a 2 1/2 hour presentation by someone knowledgeable about the politics and ecology, etc., of the whole situation. It's really an important set of issues that affect many people and ecosystems, as you know! I'm also familiar with the basin from the Gila in NM and AZ, and with all the agriculture in SoCal that's fed by this system. The cottonfields in AZ are obscene, I have to say.
This summer I'll be working on a farm on the north fork of the Gunnison River, which flows into the Colorado at Grand Junction. I'm currently near Ridgway, by the Uncompahgre and I can tell you there hasn't been much snowfall this year, which is obviously worrisome for the upcoming season.
That situation with the Army Corps of Engineers in California was so ridiculous. I read a few more details somewhere else. It sounds like they were stopped from doing what they were planning, which would likely have flooded communities downstream. <eye roll>
I see that I am late to this rodeo but I do want to make a comment or two if that's okay? John Fleck was spot on about his comment about Reclamation and talented people leaving to a proposed buyout. Seen this firsthand. It literally takes years to acquire institutional knowledge as the best knowledge never gets fully documented and most people need to have some hands-on experience to fully appreciate the nuances.
The other thing that I've noticed about the usage issues on the basin is nobody really gets into the history and political mindset back in the early 1900's. There was a reason why things ended up as they did and our present issues.
It's been said that water follows money but the true nature in the Colorado River is the water actually follows Commerce. Money is the mechanism of the transfer. There is too much in this to cover in a simple response to your post.
Great post! I started learning about the Colorado River and all the divvying up in 2023 when I spent the summer on Colorado's Western Slope, working with local farms part-time. I got to attend a 2 1/2 hour presentation by someone knowledgeable about the politics and ecology, etc., of the whole situation. It's really an important set of issues that affect many people and ecosystems, as you know! I'm also familiar with the basin from the Gila in NM and AZ, and with all the agriculture in SoCal that's fed by this system. The cottonfields in AZ are obscene, I have to say.
This summer I'll be working on a farm on the north fork of the Gunnison River, which flows into the Colorado at Grand Junction. I'm currently near Ridgway, by the Uncompahgre and I can tell you there hasn't been much snowfall this year, which is obviously worrisome for the upcoming season.
That situation with the Army Corps of Engineers in California was so ridiculous. I read a few more details somewhere else. It sounds like they were stopped from doing what they were planning, which would likely have flooded communities downstream. <eye roll>
I see that I am late to this rodeo but I do want to make a comment or two if that's okay? John Fleck was spot on about his comment about Reclamation and talented people leaving to a proposed buyout. Seen this firsthand. It literally takes years to acquire institutional knowledge as the best knowledge never gets fully documented and most people need to have some hands-on experience to fully appreciate the nuances.
The other thing that I've noticed about the usage issues on the basin is nobody really gets into the history and political mindset back in the early 1900's. There was a reason why things ended up as they did and our present issues.
It's been said that water follows money but the true nature in the Colorado River is the water actually follows Commerce. Money is the mechanism of the transfer. There is too much in this to cover in a simple response to your post.