Water in the West: The Story of the Colorado River
Students in this project will engage with one of the most significant forces shaping the American West and one of the most pressing issues facing our region: the Colorado River. Together, we will trace its life-giving story—from prehuman times, to its role in Indigenous communities, to its influence on settler expansion, and to its present-day commodification for the economy, recreation, irrigation, and the supply of clean drinking water to millions of people who choose to live in the American desert. Along the way, we will learn from and with the diverse communities that rely on and work to protect the river, including Native nations, ranchers, commercial recreation leaders, municipal managers, and conservationists. This project invites us to consider a central question: How can we give back to a river that has given us so much?
Our experience begins at the river’s source, with the opportunity to visit the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park. Students will snowshoe or hike through its watershed to study the river’s ecology and explore the humble beginnings of one of North America’s most important waterways. In the following days, we will extend this learning through additional field experiences and community conversations. In Lyons, we will tour Button Rock Dam and Ralph Price Reservoir to see the infrastructure that captures and stores river water. In Louisville or Boulder, we will explore water treatment plants to understand how river water becomes safe for human consumption. We will also meet with local and regional professionals in water law, ecology, recreation, and conservation, and listen to Indigenous perspectives that honor the river as a living relative rather than a resource to be divided.
The culminating activity will challenge students to take what they have learned and apply it in a collaborative simulation of a renegotiation of the Colorado River Compact. Each student will take on the role of a stakeholder—representing states, countries, or tribes—and work to negotiate water allocations in a region where supply no longer meets demand. This simulation will highlight the difficult trade-offs and competing priorities that define water management in the West.
Through these experiences, students will develop a broad and nuanced understanding of the ecological and cultural history of the Colorado River, its political and economic significance today, and the possibilities that lie ahead for its future. They will cultivate a deeper sense of connection to both nature and community, learning to see themselves as cohabitants of the American West with shared responsibilities to the river.
This project is particularly well-suited for students with interests in ecology, geography, history, water rights law, international diplomacy, Indigenous studies, recreation, conservation, energy, activism, or the impacts of dams and irrigation. It is a semi-active project that involves hiking and snowshoeing, blending outdoor exploration with critical inquiry into one of the most important water issues of our time.
Educational Goals:
Study the ecological and cultural history of the Colorado River, before and after human impact.
Understand today’s political, cultural, environmental, and consumptive uses of the Colorado River.
Explore possibilities for the Colorado River and discover the roles we play in its future.
Develop a sense of connection to nature and people as cohabitants of the American West.
Instructor: TJ Alcala and Ana Grillo
Open to: Grades 9–12
Limit: 12 students
Cost: $160
Dates: March 6 and 9–13, normal school hours