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State of the Rockies Report Card

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State of the Rockies Report Card The 2012 Colorado College State of the Rockies Report Card The Colorado River Basin: Agenda for Use, Restoration, and Sustainability for the Next Generation An Outreach Initiative of Colorado College Colorado College’s Rocky Mountain Study Region Montana Helena Boise Wyoming Idaho Nevada Cheyenne Salt Lake City Carson City Denver Utah Colorado Arizona Santa Fe Phoenix New Mexico The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project is designed to provide a thoughtful, objective voice on regional issues by offering credible research on problems faced by the Rocky Mountain West, and by convening citizens and experts to discuss the future of our region. Each year, the State of the Rockies provides: - Opportunities for collaborative student-faculty research partnerships; - An annual State of the Rockies Report Card; - A companion State of the Rockies Speaker Series and Conference. Taken together, these arms of the State of the Rockies Project offer the tools, forum, and accessibility needed for Colorado College to foster a strong sense of citizenship for both our graduates and the broader regional community. The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Cover Photo by: An Outreach Initiative of Stephen G. Weaver Colorado College The 2012 State of the Rockies Report Card Basin Overview 2 The 2012 Colorado College State of the Rockies Report Card The Colorado River Basin: Agenda for Use, Restoration, and Sustainability for the Next Generation Edited By: Walter E. Hecox, Ph.D. Rockies Project Director Brendan P. Boepple Rockies Project Program Coordinator Matthew C. Gottfried GIS Technical Director A publication of: The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project 14 E. Cache La Poudre St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903 www.coloradocollege.edu/stateoftherockies © April 2012 by the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced in any manner without prior permission of Colorado College. ISBN: 978-0-935052-52-7 2011-2012 State of the Rockies Project Acknowledgements The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project would like to thank the following individuals and groups for their generous contributions to help support summer research, publication of Report Cards, monthly speakers, and conference activities. General Support -Colorado College -Michael B. Slade, Colorado College Class of 1979 and Trustee and Megan G. Slade -John B. Troubh, Colorado College Class of 1979 and Louisa Troubh -The Trinchera & Tercio Foundation -The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation -Western Conservation Foundation -The David and Lucile Packard Foundation -Charles H. “Chip” Collins, Colorado College Class of 1977 and Anne C. Childs, Colorado College Class of 1978 -Stephen B. Perry -Jane E.S. Sokolow, Colorado College Class of 1972 -Walter E. and Ann E. Hecox, Colorado College Class of 1964 -James Collis, Parent Colorado College Class of 2013 -Anonymous (3) Summer Research Support -The Loewy Family Fund of the Denver Foundation -The Grant Lyddon Foundation of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Monica Mueller THE 2012 COLORADO COLLEGE STATE OF THE ROCKIES REPORT CARD- Acknowledgements THE 2012 COLORADO COLLEGE STATE OF THE ROCKIES REPORT CARD- Table of Contents Table of Contents An Introduction from the President – The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project: Research, Report, Engage! Jill Tiefenthaler, President, Colorado College.............................................................................................................................................. 2 Colorado College, The Rocky Mountain West, and The State of the Rockies Project Walter E. Hecox, Project Director, State of the Rockies Project......................................................................................................................4 Editors’ Preface Walter E. Hecox, Project Director, State of the Rockies Project Brendan P. Boepple, Program Coordinator, State of the Rockies Project Matthew C. Gottfried, Technical Liaison, State of the Rockies Project..................................................................................................................6 The Colorado River Basin: Agenda for Use, Restoration, and Sustainability for the Next Generation Kayaking from Source to Sea on the Colorado River: The Basin Up-Close and Personal Zak Podmore, with Will Stauffer-Norris contributing...................................................................................................................................12 The Colorado River Basin: An Overview The 2011-12 State of the Rockies Project Research Team.............................................................................................................................24 Demographics, Economy, and Agriculture Depend on Water Storage and Diversion: Is it a Zero Sum Game? Case Study: The Flaming Gorge Pipeline Case Study: The Wellton Mohawk Irrigation District and the Cienega de Santa Clara Sally Hardin, Student Researcher, State of the Rockies Project............................................................................................................................32 Laws of the Colorado River Basin: Obsolete or Flexible for a Sustainable Future? Warren King, Student Researcher, State of the Rockies Project.................................................................................................................... 52 Recreation in the Colorado River Basin: Is America’s Playground Under Threat? Benjamen Taber, Student Researcher, State of the Rockies Project............................................................................................................. 76 Environment and Ecology of the Colorado River Basin Case Study: The Tamarisk Case Study: Zebra and Quagga Mussels Natalie Triedman, Student Researcher, State of the Rockies Project............................................................................................................ 88 The Colorado River Basin and Climate: Perfect Storm for the Twenty-First Century? Case Study: Dust on Snow Case Study: Desalination Carson McMurray, Student Researcher, State of the Rockies Project............................................................................................................108 Managing the Colorado River Basin: An Agenda for Use, Restoration, and Sustainability An Open Letter State of the Rockies Project Student Researchers............................................................................................................................................128 Additional Acknowledgements and Contributors...........................................................................................................................136 The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Research, Report, Engage! An Introduction from the President of Colorado College The 2012 Colorado College State of the Rockies Report Card Leah Lieber As Colorado College’s new president, I am excited to Mexico, documented in social media and blogs. introduce my first Colorado College State of the RockiesRe - Monthly speakers have enriched our campus intel- port Card. I view the Rockies Project as one of the college’s lectual environment, bringing renowned experts to discuss signature programs and an important community, regional, Colorado River Basin exploration, law and management, cli- even national resource. On behalf of the college community, mate, environmental challenges, healthy forests, and unheard welcome to this ninth annual report of vital student research voices of Mexico and Native American tribes. An April 2012 on an iconic part of the college’s Rockies backyard. The Rockies Conference, at which this Report Card was unveiled, Colorado River Basin represents a world-renowned natural continued the focus on the Colorado River Basin with sessions wonder in the American West. For decades our students and on federal Department of Interior management challenges, faculty have studied this region, even as they have rafted its state of Colorado uses and claims on the river, and a portion of rivers, climbed its cliffs and mountains, and hiked through its the basin we call the “western slope.” A student photo contest forests. Indeed, our environment in the Rockies region has displaying a Save the Colorado River Basin banner in each fundamentally shaped our institution. Through the Rockies picture, enticed students, faculty, and alumni to explore and Project we continue to give back by studying critical aspects document favorite parts of the region. Associated with all of of the economy and environment that are so unique and yet fragile. During summer 2011 and into this academic year, the Rockies Project has concentrated on a multi-faceted and ambi- tious evaluation and celebration of the Colorado River Basin. Student summer research, subsequently peer reviewed and ed- ited, comprises the sections of this Report Card that focus on the law of the river basin, its infrastructure, associated agricul- ture and economies, recreation, and environmental challenges. In October 2011 to late January 2012, two recent CC graduates endured an epic 1,700-mile “source to sea” kayak trip from the head waters of the Green River in Wyoming to the delta in Colorado College President Jill Tiefenthaler with her family on the Colorado River About the author: Jill Tiefenthaler is the President of Colorado College 2 Introduction from the President The 2012 State of the Rockies Report Card The 2012 State of the Rockies Report Card Introduction from the President 3 this, the Rockies
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