The Colorado River Watershed: A presentation by Nate Huskey by Nate Huskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m A crucial source of water for some of the largest population centers in America. en-us 2022-12-03 23:39:07 UTC 2026-03-17 15:18:23 UTC hello@padlet.com Size and Volume of the Drainage nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407735329 It is remarkable to consider the sheer size of the drainage area of the Colorado River. The total drainage area of the Colorado River encompasses 242,00 square miles, and enables much of the economic and cultural activity present in the area. The area of the United States that the Colorado drains is comparable to percentage of Africa that the Nile River drains, demonstrating the importance the river holds.

Source:
National Geographic. (n.d.). The American nile.

]]> 2022-12-04 00:21:09 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407735329 Current Precipitation and Projected Changes in Precipitation nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407735367 Precipitation levels in the Colorado River Basin obviously vary depending on the area (lower basin vs upper basin). In total, the entirety of the watershed receives nearly 170 million acre-feet of precipitation. However, most of the watershed could be considered arid, meaning that it receives less than 20” of average precipitation each year. Researchers anticipate that precipitation levels will decrease in coming years as climate change worsens.

Source:
Western Water Assessment. (n.d.). Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology.

]]> 2022-12-04 00:21:23 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407735367 Water Quality Issues nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407753415 The Colorado River has remained fairly clean throughout its history; however this does not mean that it does not face pollution issues. One of the biggest contributors to water quality issues in the Colorado River is through non-point source pollution via runoff. Much of this can likely be attributed to industrial activity in high elevation areas of the watershed, such as mining activity in Colorado and Wyoming.

Sources:
The Denver Post. (2019, February 20). Fouled waters reveal lasting legacy of U.S. Mining Industry.

]]> 2022-12-04 01:37:22 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407753415 Threats to Water Security: Drought nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407753631 The Colorado River Basin has suffered from drought conditions for the past 23 years, and with each subsequent year the drought appears to be worsening. Resource managers project that the risk of Colorado River reservoirs like Lake Mead and Powell reaching critically low levels has quadrupled this millenium. This drought has affected nearly every part of the system, and this dynamic will be noted throughout the rest of the presentation.

Source:
Drought.gov. (n.d.). Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. 

]]> 2022-12-04 01:38:24 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407753631 Agricultural land use nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407753715 Some of the largest producing agricultural areas in the United States are located in the Colorado River Basin. In California's Central Valley, over seventeen billion dollars in revenue is generated from agriculture each year, and ranching remains a crucial part of economies in southwestern states like Arizona and Nevada. In order to sustain this massive agricultural output, extensive water allocation is required to maintain healthy crop yields from year to year. Unfortunately, recent drought conditions have forced farmers in the watershed to fallow their fields and cut back on production. This not only has hurt these farmers on an individual level, but also has damaged the larger economy of these states.

Source:
Delonge, M. (2022, July 12). In California's Central Valley, drought is a growing threat to farms, food, and people. The Equation.

]]> 2022-12-04 01:38:47 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407753715 Allocation of water rights among states in the Colorado River Basin nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407754183 The current allocation agreement for water from the Colorado River exists on over a century of historical agreements and precedent. Many of these agreements were made before resource managers had a complete and accurate scientific understanding of the way water in the river flowed, namely the water compact of 1922. Accordingly, this has led some states to receive a greater share of the water than they probably should have, and accordingly, some states have not received what should be their fair share.

Source:
Smithsonian Institution. (2022, November 28). A century ago, this water agreement changed the west. now, the region is in crisis. 

]]> 2022-12-04 01:40:43 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407754183 Energy access and source nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407754693 The Colorado River is responsible for generating massive quantities of energy for the western United States in the form of hydroelectric power. This power is generated from massive dams along the river, namely the Hoover Dam and the Glen Canyon Dam. These two dams are responsible for generating 81% of the total electricity sourced from the river. In total, the river has historically produced an annual average of 8,478 gigawatt hours of electricity, which is enough to power just under 800,000 American households.

Source:
Center for Water Policy. (n.d.). Climate change impacts on hydropower in the Colorado River Basin.

]]> 2022-12-04 01:42:47 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407754693 Management of the watershed nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407754967 The Colorado River Watershed traverses many states, and thus its governance is inherently decentralized. Though the federal government does step in to act as a central authority, managing the watershed in a sustainable manner requires the buy-in of multiple stakeholders, a task that proves to be much easier in theory than in reality. This process is especially difficult given the precedents that underlie its management.]]> 2022-12-04 01:44:04 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407754967 Environmental equity: The American Indians of the Colorado River nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755014 What is often lost in the discussion of states' water rights to the Colorado River are the people who were historically left out of the agreements to begin with. The American Indian tribes in the area have not been included in discussions over how water from the Colorado River would be allocated in the entire history of the western United States, and this environmental racism has systemically disadvantaged these tribes. American Indians are up to 19x more likely to not have access to piped water compared to white Americans, and tribal leaders in part blame the federal government's failure to offer them a seat at the table for this inequity. Though it will not rectify this historical abuse, the federal government has recently declared that tribal leaders will be included in negotiations over water agreements moving forward.

Source: Sakas, M. E. (2021, December 7). Historically excluded from Colorado River Policy, tribes want a say in how the dwindling resource is used. access to clean water is a start. Colorado Public Radio.

]]> 2022-12-04 01:44:17 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755014 Solution 1: Bringing all stakeholders to the table, including historically marginalized communities nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755065 For the past century, rights to the Colorado River have been decided by powerful American states, and has left out the American Indians and Mexicans from the discussion entirely. Sustainably managing the Colorado Rivers requires negotiation and responsible planning from all key stakeholders. Inviting American Indian and Mexican leaders into discussions would ensure that an equitable solution for all is reached. To their credit, the American federal government appears to be doing so in inviting the American Indians to these talks, but their failure to include the Mexican authorities will only serve to harm their neighbors to the South.]]> 2022-12-04 01:44:32 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755065 Solution 2: Replacing water-intensive lawns in urban areas with native flora nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755102 Lawns and other forms of non-native flora are very popular in the west, but their existence is likely to be incompatible with sustainable management of the watershed. Instead, one solution could be for homeowners to replace their front lawns (and the watering that comes with them) with gardens filled with native plants. These plants are better suited for the climate that they inhabit, and will allow water that was wasted on maintaining lawns to instead be conserved.

Source:
Salahieh, N. (2022, April 28). SoCal water restrictions: How to make your yard more water efficient. KTLA.

]]> 2022-12-04 01:44:43 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755102 Solution 3: Subsidizing sustainable agricultural practices nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755124 Not all farming is created equal. The cultivation of crops such as almonds is incredibly water-intensive, requiring an entire gallon of water to grow just one almond nut. Without changing the incentive structure, farmers will continue to grow these crops even under historic drought conditions. One solution to this would be for state governments in the Colorado Watershed to subsidize a switch for famers from water-intensive crops like the aforementioned almond to low-water crops such as dry-farmed tomatoes. This would protect the economic welfare of those who depend on agriculture to earn their living, but would also address the problem of water overconsumption from agriculture uses.

Sources:
Runwal, P. (2019, February 16). California's 'dry farmers' grow crops without irrigation. The Mercury News.

Poinski, M. (2021, November 4). Despite drought, almonds will keep on growing. Food Dive. ]]> 2022-12-04 01:44:49 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407755124 Physical Parameters of the Watershed nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407756611 Despite its namesake, the Colorado River services more than just the state of Colorado. Large swathes of the western region of the United States are reliant upon water from the Colorado River, including the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in addition to Colorado. Additionally, the Colorado River also stretches slightly into northern Mexico, though it will be discussed later why it is not responsible for supporting this region.

Source:
Colorado River. Feeding Ourselves Thirsty. (n.d.).

]]> 2022-12-04 01:50:13 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407756611 Urban land use nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407757155 The Colorado River Basin is highly urbanized. Consequently, urban land usage represents a large proportion of total water used. The Colorado River Basin is responsible for supporting urban areas in the mountain-west like Denver and Las Vegas, as well as California mega-cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. Given their large populations, these cities require extensive water allocation, and these areas have been responsible for much of the overconsumption the river basin has experienced.]]> 2022-12-04 01:52:17 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407757155 Effects of Climate Change: Regional Political Conflict nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407766781 The political conflict associated with the management of the Colorado River has only been worsened by climate change. As noted earlier, climate change and rising global temperatures have exacerbated drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin. There already was hardly enough water to go around, but now water usage must be cut back even further to ensure that river remains sustainable, and with that comes political arguments. No state wants to be the one to cut back their consumption while others maintain their previous water usage, and this has caused difficult negotiations between the states about where cuts must be made. Just this past summer, Arizona and Nevada were ordered by the federal government to make cuts to their water usage. However, state representatives protested that they had been asked to make cuts to their water usage when other states like California were not. What were already contentious negotiations will certainly be exacerbated if the climate-induced drought continues.]]> 2022-12-04 02:26:31 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407766781 Effects of Climate Change: Contributing to the melting of mountain glaciers and snowpack nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407766938 A key consequence of climate change is rising global temperatures, which in turn has caused melting of mountain glaciers and snowpack within the Colorado River Basin. Since the watershed flows downstream in elevation, the presence of snowpack at the head of the watershed is crucial to maintaining consistent runoff levels. However, as global temperatures rise with the changing climate, this in turn contributes to the melting of mountain glaciers and decreases the annual level of snowpack that enters the river. This rears its head the further downstream one travels, as snowmelt contributes between 60% - 85% of all streamflow in the mountain west. Ultimately, worsening climate change will likely continue this decline in annual snowpack.

Source:
Western Water Assessment. (n.d.). Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology.

]]> 2022-12-04 02:27:09 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2407766938 References nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2410091165
Center for Biological Diversity. (n.d.). The Colorado River Cutthroat Trout. 

Center for Water Policy. (n.d.). Climate change impacts on hydropower in the Colorado River Basin. 

Colorado River. Feeding Ourselves Thirsty. (n.d.). 

Delonge, M. (2022, July 12). In California's Central Valley, drought is a growing threat to farms, food, and people. The Equation.  

The Denver Post. (2019, February 20). Fouled waters reveal lasting legacy of U.S. Mining Industry. 

Drought.gov. (n.d.). Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. 

Economic importance of the Colorado River. The Nature Conservancy. (n.d.). 

Guardian News and Media. (2019, October 21). The lost river: Mexicans fight for mighty waterway taken by the US. 

Guardian News and Media. (2022, October 27). Sixth set of human remains found in Vanishing lake mead. 

National Geographic. (n.d.). The American nile.

Poinski, M. (2021, November 4). Despite drought, almonds will keep on growing. Food Dive.

Runwal, P. (2019, February 16). California's 'dry farmers' grow crops without irrigation. The Mercury News.

Sakas, M. E. (2021, December 7). Historically excluded from Colorado River Policy, tribes want a say in how the dwindling resource is used. access to clean water is a start. Colorado Public Radio.

Salahieh, N. (2022, April 28). SoCal water restrictions: How to make your yard more water efficient. KTLA.

Smithsonian Institution. (2022, November 28). A century ago, this water agreement changed the west. now, the region is in crisis.

Western Water Assessment. (n.d.). Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology.

]]> 2022-12-06 03:28:32 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2410091165 Causal Loop Diagram nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411289580 Pictured above is the causal loop diagram that I have created for the Colorado River Watershed. As we can see, CO2 emissions and population growth are key leverage points for the entirety of the system. CO2 emissions and population growth drive the economy of the region, but are also responsible for depleting the water reserves that make the entire system possible. CO2 emissions are a global problem that cannot be entirely solved on a local level, but agricultural and urban activity are points where solutions can be reached. ]]> 2022-12-06 21:06:06 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411289580 Environmental Equity: The Mexican Right to the Colorado River nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411319611 Additionally, it should be emphasized that though this presentation has focused on American claims to the Colorado River, the United States is not the only nation with a valid claim to the water. Before the 20th century, water from the Colorado River was used by northern Mexicans to sustain their daily livelihoods. However, American business interests saw an opportunity to generate massive profits by capturing this water for themselves. Allying themselves with corrupt Mexican state officials, in 1901 the Alamo Canal was constructed to divert water from Mexico to agricultural land in the Imperial Valley. Infrastructure projects like the Hoover Dam diverted the flow of the river even further, and by 1944 Mexico was left out of negotiations for water rights to the Colorado River entirely with the Morales Dam's construction on the US-Mexico border. Whereas this water once supported the growth of both nations, economic profit took precedent, and the indigenous community of northern Mexico has suffered as a result.

Source:
Guardian News and Media. (2019, October 21). The lost river: Mexicans fight for mighty waterway taken by the US.

]]> 2022-12-06 21:42:34 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411319611 Loss of Species: The Colorado River Cutthroat Trout nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411352983 The Cutthroat Trout has historically been ubiquitous across the Colorado River. However, the Trout has been challenged due to changes in habitat and human behavior. Damming of rivers and industrial activity has caused the streams in which these fish live to change, and has left them vulnerable to illness. Additionally, the Cutthroat Trout has received increased competition from invasive species that have pushed the Trout out of 95% of its original range in the river. These factors coalesce to threaten the very survival of the Cutthroat Trout, one of only a few species of fish unique and native to the Colorado River Basin.

Source:
Center for Biological Diversity. (n.d.). The Colorado River Cutthroat Trout.

]]> 2022-12-06 22:30:41 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411352983 Social Impacts of Drought: The Bodies of Lake Mead nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411353934 One shocking story that encapsulates the challenges facing the Colorado River is at Lake Mead. Lake Mead is a reservoir located in between Arizona and Nevada created by the Hoover Dam. Lake Mead has dried up in recent years, and in a morbid twist, the water has receded so much as to reveal six dead bodies that were submerged in the water. Investigators speculate that many of these victims were likely murdered and disposed of in Lake Mead, and were only found because of the drought conditions at the reservoir. It is likely that more will be found as the reservoir water line continues to drop in the coming years.

Sources:
Guardian News and Media. (2022, October 27). Sixth set of human remains found in Vanishing lake mead.

]]> 2022-12-06 22:32:31 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411353934 Social Parameters nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411686389 The influence of the Colorado River stretches beyond the physical boundaries of its watershed. Its water is carried beyond its boundaries to support large cities in its respective states. It is difficult to overstate just how important the Colorado River is for powering the region. In total, the Colorado River Basin provides water to nearly 40 million people, and supports an estimated 1.6 trillion dollars in economic activity each year. Additionally, the Colorado River is also responsible for supporting the many American Indian reservations that lie within the watershed.

Source:
Economic importance of the Colorado River. The Nature Conservancy. (n.d.). ]]> 2022-12-07 05:08:39 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2411686389 Threats to Water Security: Overconsumption nathanjhuskey https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2413511789 One of the biggest challenges facing managers of the Colorado River is individual overconsumption. Despite warnings from officials that the public needs to cut back on water consumption in order to conserve water, water consumption has instead gone up in many localities. Government officials have so far avoided imposing too harsh of penalties on public overconsumption, but this will likely have to change in order to sustainably manage the river.]]> 2022-12-07 21:30:30 UTC https://padlet.com/nathanjhuskey/xo8vhv37pc89sd2m/wish/2413511789