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UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 2015- NOT GOOD
Media covering up EPA’s responsibility for Colorado river ...
charleswatson.net/2015/08/11/...for-colorado-river-pollution
via Media covering up EPA’s responsibility for Colorado river pollution. Share this: Twitter; ... Clinton's server may not have been 'wiped' September 13, 2015; SAD ...Pollution flowing faster than facts in EPA spill - CNN.com
www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/us/colorado-epa-mine-river-spill
2015-08-10 · ... The mustard hue of the Animas River in Colorado ... Cities in New Mexico are also at risk as the pollution flows from the Animas River ---------------------------
flood status - situation report - Lower Colorado River Authority
The LCRA River Operations Control Center posts the most recent information ...
Inks/Inks, Sep 24 2015 3:15AM, 887.20, 825.03, Aug 28 2015 2:44PM Flow over
the .... Floodgates: Solid gates that are opened as needed to release floodwaters.
Situation Report Summary Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:44PM This Flood Summary Report provides information about current river operations and conditions of the Colorado River and the Highland Lakes related to flood control operations, and is updated when conditions warrant. The LCRA River Operations Control Center posts the most recent information about water supply operations on the River Report, including long-range forecasts for lakes Buchanan and Travis.
Unscheduled releases from the Highland Lakes dams may occur suddenly and unexpectedly due to emergency hydroelectric generation or other reasons. Residents should exercise caution and avoid being in the water near the dams.
Return to top
Current Lake Levels at Dams and Gate Operations
*Disclaimer: Data is automatically retrieved and subject to revision.
Lake/Dam Time Head Elevation (Above Dam) Tail Elevation (Below Dam) Gate Operations/Spillway Buchanan/Buchanan Sep 24 2015 3:30PM 1005.91 887.29 Aug 28 2015 2:44PM No gate operations for flood are expected at this time. Inks/Inks Sep 24 2015 3:30PM 887.20 824.91 Aug 28 2015 2:44PM Flow over the spillway of Inks Dam is not expected at this time. (Inks Dam has a spillway, but no floodgates.) LBJ/Wirtz Sep 24 2015 3:30PM 824.65 736.72 Aug 28 2015 2:45PM No gate operations for flood are expected at this time. Marble Falls/Starcke Sep 24 2015 3:30PM 736.35 676.13 Aug 28 2015 2:45PM No gate operations for flood are expected at this time. Travis/Mansfield Sep 24 2015 3:30PM 666.73 492.25 Aug 28 2015 2:45PM No gate operations for flood are expected at this time. Austin/Miller Sep 24 2015 3:30PM 491.94 428.35 Aug 28 2015 2:45PM No gate operations for flood are expected at this time. Return to topLake Levels Over the Last 7 Days
*Disclaimer: Data is automatically retrieved and subject to revision.Floodgate Operations and Forecasts 
Lake Buchanan
Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:44PM
Inflows: Inflows to Lake Buchanan are below levels that would require flood operations at Buchanan Dam.
Gate Operations: No gate operations for flood are expected at this time.
Lake level forecast (Forecast is subject to change as conditions develop): Please see the River Report for current forecasts for Lake Buchanan.
Inks Lake
Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:44PM
Inflows: Inflows to Inks Lake are below levels that would require flood operations at Inks Dam.
Spillway: Flow over the spillway of Inks Dam is not expected at this time. (Inks Dam has a spillway, but no floodgates.)
Lake level forecast (Forecast is subject to change as conditions develop): Inks Lake is expected to remain within its normal operating range.Lake LBJ
Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:45PM
Inflows: Inflows to Lake LBJ are below levels that would require flood operations at Wirtz Dam.
Gate Operations: No gate operations for flood are expected at this time.
Lake level forecast (Forecast is subject to change as conditions develop): Lake LBJ is expected to remain within its normal operating range.Lake Marble Falls
Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:45PM
Inflows: Inflows to Lake Marble Falls are below levels that would require flood operations at Starcke Dam.
Gate Operations: No gate operations for flood are expected at this time.
Lake level forecast (Forecast is subject to change as conditions develop): Lake Marble Falls is expected to remain within its normal operating range.Lake Travis
Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:45PM
Inflows: Inflows to Lake Travis are below levels that would require flood operations at Mansfield Dam.
Gate Operations: No gate operations for flood are expected at this time.
Lake level forecast (Forecast is subject to change as conditions develop): Please see the River Report for long-range forecasts for Lake Travis.Lake Austin
Last Update: Aug 28 2015 2:45PM
Inflows: Inflows to Lake Austin are below levels that would require flood operations at Tom Miller Dam.
Gate Operations: No gate operations for flood are expected at this time.
Lake level forecast (Forecast is subject to change as conditions develop): Lake Austin is expected to remain within its normal operating range.LCRA does not own or operate Lady Bird Lake and Longhorn Dam. Lake levels are shown for information, but forecasts are not available. Return to topRiver Levels and Forecasts River forecasts are provided by the National Weather Service River Forecast Center. Click on the "Forecast" link to view the forecast and other useful information for each location. *Disclaimer: Data is automatically retrieved and subject to revision. Bank Full Stage Flood Stage Upper Basin Location Bank Full Stage(ft) Flood Stage(ft) Current Stage(ft) Current Flow(cfs) Latest Forecast And More Colorado River at Winchell 24.0 26.0 1.37 0 Forecast Pecan Bayou near Mullin 20.0 40.0 0.70 4 Forecast San Saba River at Menard 12.0 18.0 2.41 10 Forecast San Saba River near Brady 16.0 30.0 1.57 0 Forecast San Saba River at San Saba 20.0 24.0 2.50 20 Forecast Colorado River near San Saba 25.0 30.0 1.69 21 Forecast Llano River near Junction 12.0 16.0 2.16 94 Forecast Llano River near Mason 6.0 13.0 0.57 64 Forecast Beaver Creek near Mason 9.0 12.0 1.55 1 Forecast Llano River at Llano 10.0 10.0 0.24 35 Forecast Sandy Creek near Kingsland 8.0 12.0 4.62 0 Forecast Pedernales River near Fredericksburg 12.0 22.0 4.33 0 Forecast Pedernales River near Johnson City 13.0 14.0 10.16 2 Forecast Lower Basin Location Bank Full Stage(ft) Flood Stage(ft) Current Stage(ft) Current Flow(cfs) Latest Forecast And More Barton Creek at Loop 360, Austin 8.0 8.0 1.78 0 Forecast Colorado River at Austin 25.0 33.0 11.45 159 Forecast Onion Creek at Hwy 183, Austin 15.0 17.0 4.41 4 Forecast Colorado River at Bastrop 14.0 23.0 2.48 235 Forecast Colorado River at Smithville 10.0 20.0 1.19 258 Forecast Colorado River above La Grange 19.0 26.0 3.23 261 Forecast Colorado River at Columbus 30.0 34.0 9.27 350 Forecast Colorado River at Wharton 20.0 39.0 7.66 153 Forecast Colorado River at Bay City 23.0 44.0 2.76 527 Forecast San Bernard River at East Bernard 13.0 17.0 6.24 2 Forecast Colorado River at Matagorda 4.8 8.8 1.60 N/A Return to topUseful Links LCRA Hydromet Real Time Data
http://hydromet.lcra.org/
LCRA Weather Summary
http://www.lcra.org/water/river-and-weather/weather-summary/Pages/default.aspx
How LCRA's System of Dams Works
http://www.lcra.org/water/floods/Pages/how-lcra-system-of-dams-works.aspx
Key elevations for Lake Travis during floods
http://www.lcra.org/water/flood/laketravisreleases.html
Emergency Information for City of Austin (includes boating restrictions)
http://www.austintexas.gov/department/hsem
Road Closures in Austin and Surrounding Areas (hosted by City of Austin)
http://www.atxfloods.com/
USGS Real-time Streamflow for Texas
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/current/?type=flow
USGS Real-time Lakes and Reservoirs for Texas
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/current?type=lake
NWS 5-day Rain Forecasts
http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/day1-5.shtml
NWS West Gulf River Forecast Center Quick Briefing
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/wgrfc/HMDmain.php
NWS San Angelo Weather Office and Flood Forecasts Map
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=sjt
NWS Austin/San Antonio Weather Office and Flood Forecasts Map
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=ewx
NWS Houston/Galveston Weather Office and Flood Forecasts Map
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=hgx
NWS Doppler Radars
http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/southplains.php
http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/full_loop.php
NWS Storm Prediction Center (Tornadoes and severe storms)
http://www.spc.noaa.gov
NWS National Hurricane Center (Hurricanes and tropical storms)
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov Return to topWords and Definitions Water Glossary
Action Stage: The stage at which some sort of action is taken for a point along the river. Action Stage is different for all points depending on the community's needs - it may be flooding of secondary roads or just a "heads up" that the river is rising. Action Stage is determined by the National Weather Service. Sometimes used interchangeably with Bank Full Stage.
Bank Full Stage: The stage at which a river will not overflow its river banks or cause any significant damage within the river reach. Bank Full Stage is determined by the National Weather Service. Sometimes used interchangeably with action stage.
Cubic Feet per Second (cfs): A measure of streamflow. One CFS is equal to about 450 gallons per minute.
Elevation: The height of water in a lake or reservoir above mean sea level.
Flash Flood: A flood which follows within a few hours of heavy or excessive rainfall.
Flash Flood Warning: Flash flooding has been reported or is imminent – take necessary precautions.
Flash Flood Watch: Flash flooding is possible within the designated watch area – be alert.
Floodgates: Solid gates that are opened as needed to release floodwaters.
Flood Stage: The stage at which roads or buildings begin to get affected. Flood Stage is determined by the National Weather Service.
Hydrogeneration: Using water that is passed through a dam to generate electrical power with a turbine.
Mean Sea Level (msl): The elevation of the ocean halfway between high and low tide. Elevations are measured in feet above mean sea level as a point of reference.
Operating Range: The elevations between which the lakes are operated during normal conditions. Lake levels can fluctuate outside of these ranges at times.
Pass-Through Lakes: Lakes designed to allow water to pass through as opposed to being stored. Pass-through lakes do not have a constant level. Lakes Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Austin are "pass-through" lakes.
Spillway: The area of a dam that is designed to allow water to flow freely over it.
Stage: The height of water flowing in a river above a nearby reference point, for example, the height of the water above the river bed.
Please call the LCRA river and lake information line at 1-800-776-5272 for more information.----River Report - Hydromet - Lower Colorado River Authority
Summary| River Operations Report - Water Supply Operations Summary
Data presented on this web page includes provisional data obtained by LCRA for the use of its professional staff. This data is retrieved and displayed automatically, and is subject to revision.
Current Lake Levels
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Current Storage In Lakes Buchanan and Travis
Upstream Flow Conditions and Gauged Inflows
Downstream Flow Conditions
Previous Day Releases
Instream Flow Conditions and Environmental Criteria
Freshwater Inflows to Matagorda Bay
Long-Range Lake Level and Storage Forecasts (Links) Historical Data and Reports (Links)
Weather forecasts for the LCRA service area LCRA Hydromet System
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"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one." -- Jacques Yves Cousteau
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HEADS UP:
About time..... the hypocrisy was bleeding into reality .... and all the jane fondas and her hippe oldsters knew it... and did nothing but protest and party.... instead of community work and educate from the ground up...... that's why Canadians are winning..... we learned long ago.... u start from the grassroots movement of all people ... NOT end there.... ur all 2 late..... and at least Harper is honest about not giving a sheeeeeet....
21 Youth Activists Sue Obama Administration and U.S. Government Over Climate Change
8/15/15
The grown-ups should know better.And soon, if a group of young activists have their way, the adults will be taken to task—in court.
Twenty-one teen activists, including 15-year-old hip-hop singer and youth advocate Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh Martinez, are suing the U.S. government, all the way up to President Barack Obama’s office.
“The Federal Government has known for decades that CO2 pollution from burning fossil fuels was causing global warming and dangerous climate change,” said Xiuhtezcatl in a press release announcing the suit on August 12. “It also knew that continuing to burn fossil fuels would destabilize our climate system, significantly harming my generation and generations to come. Despite knowing these dangers, Defendants did nothing to prevent this harm. In fact, my Government increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere to levels it knew were unsafe.”
Xiuhtezcatl, who recently called on governments at the United Nations to address climate change as a human rights issue, is joined by a cadre of some of society’s youngest members. They range in age from 8 to 19, according to MSNBC.
RELATED: Video: 15-year-old Climate Warrior Addresses U.N., Calls Climate Change a ‘Human Rights Issue’
They even include the unborn—represented by climate scientist James Hansen, who is both supporting them and appearing on the lawsuit on behalf of “future generations.” He also issued a proclamation in support of the suit, noting that his granddaughter Sophie is one of the plaintiffs.
“In my opinion, this lawsuit is made necessary by the at-best schizophrenic, if not suicidal, nature of U.S. climate and energy policy,” Hansen wrote in his declaration.
“It is now clear, as the relevant scientific community has established for some time, that from fossil fuel burning will further disrupt Earth’s climate system, and that, in turn, will impose profound and mounting risks of ecological, economic and social collapse,” he wrote. “In my view, our government’s actions and inactions that cause or contribute to those emissions violate the fundamental rights of Sophie, other Youth, and future generations. Those violated rights include the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to property, the right to equal protection under the law, the right to government protection of public trust resources, and the right to retain a fighting chance to preserve a habitable climate system.”
The suit is filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon.
Hansen, who left NASA in 2013 to focus on educating the public about climate change, released a study at the end of July warning that the world’s ice is melting much faster than was previously thought. He predicted that ocean levels would rise much more drastically, and quickly, than current models project.
A similar lawsuit in Washington State gained some traction in June, when a judge allowed Zoe & Stella Frazier v. Washington Department of Ecology to proceed. It was brought in 2014 by eight teens and preteens ranging from age nine on up, reported Nation of Change. Their suit seeks to require the state “to develop a science-based plan for limiting carbon emissions in order to protect the climate for future generations,” Nation of Change reported.
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THE WOLVES-
save the environment- save it 4 the future generations- man need do it
now more than ever 2 understand.... SAVE IT FOR THE CHILDREN
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Names of the Colorado Indian Tribes
Colorado is a a state in west central United States in the Rocky Mountains - both Plains and Southwest Native American cultures. The Southwest cultures were adopted by the Apache, Pueblo, Zuni and Navajo. The Plains culture was adopted by the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, Shoshone tribe, Comanche, Pawnee and Kiowa.
Colorado is a a state in west central United States in the Rocky Mountains - both Plains and Southwest Native American cultures. The Southwest cultures were adopted by the Apache, Pueblo, Zuni and Navajo. The Plains culture was adopted by the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, Shoshone tribe, Comanche, Pawnee and Kiowa.
Fast Facts about the History of Colorado Indians
The way of life and history of Colorado Indians was dictated by the natural raw materials available in the State of Colorado. The natural resources and materials available provided the food, clothing and houses of the Colorado Indians. Fast facts about the history, culture and life of the State of Colorado Indians. Discover facts and information about the history of the State of Colorado Indians.
The way of life and history of Colorado Indians was dictated by the natural raw materials available in the State of Colorado. The natural resources and materials available provided the food, clothing and houses of the Colorado Indians. Fast facts about the history, culture and life of the State of Colorado Indians. Discover facts and information about the history of the State of Colorado Indians.
- Name of State: Colorado
- Meaning of State name: The name is the Spanish word for "red" in reference to the color of the water of the Colorado River.
- Geography, Environment and Characteristics of the State of Colorado: Eastern dry high plains; hilly to mountainous central plateau; western Rocky Mountains of high ranges alternating with broad valleys and deep narrow canyons.
- Culture adopted by Colorado Indians: Southwest Cultural Group and some adopted the Great Plains. In the West Colorado area some adopted the Great Basin culture
- Languages: Southern Athabaskan (Apachean) language, Shoshonean or Uto-Aztecan
- Way of Life (Lifestyle): Farmers and some Nomadic hunters
- Types of housing, homes or shelters: Farmers lived in Adobe (pueblo) houses. Hunters lived in Hogans, tepees, brush shelters or wickiups
YOUTUBE- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'S FIRST PEOPLES-
native indian tribes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hd6f2hHNzg
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History Timeline of the Colorado Indians
The history and the way of life of Colorado Indians was profoundly affected by newcomers to the area. The indigenous people had occupied the land thousands of years before the first European explorers arrived. The Europeans brought with them new ideas, customs, religions, weapons, transport (the horse and the wheel), livestock (cattle and sheep) and disease which profoundly affected the history of the Native Indians. For a comprehensive History timeline regarding the early settlers and colonists refer to the Colonial America Time Period. The history of the State and of its Native American Indians is detailed in a simple History Timeline. This Colorado Indian History Timeline provides a list detailing dates of conflicts, wars and battles involving Colorado Indians and their history. We have also detailed major events in US history which impacted the history of the Colorado Indians.
The history and the way of life of Colorado Indians was profoundly affected by newcomers to the area. The indigenous people had occupied the land thousands of years before the first European explorers arrived. The Europeans brought with them new ideas, customs, religions, weapons, transport (the horse and the wheel), livestock (cattle and sheep) and disease which profoundly affected the history of the Native Indians. For a comprehensive History timeline regarding the early settlers and colonists refer to the Colonial America Time Period. The history of the State and of its Native American Indians is detailed in a simple History Timeline. This Colorado Indian History Timeline provides a list detailing dates of conflicts, wars and battles involving Colorado Indians and their history. We have also detailed major events in US history which impacted the history of the Colorado Indians.
Colorado History Timeline
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| History Timeline of the Native Indians of Colorado | ||
| 10,000 BC | The first indigenous people were of the Paleo-Indian culture who lived in caves or were Nomadic Hunters | |
| 7000 BC | Archaic Period in which people built basic shelters and made stone weapons and stone tools | |
| 2500 BC | Gulf Formational Period with development of ceramics and pottery | |
| 1000 AD | Woodland period with permanent houses and farming | |
| 1300 | Mississippian culture period of Mound Builders | |
| 1500 | Colorado is the homeland of the Ute Indian tribe | |
| 1682 | French Explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claims Colorado for France | |
| 1765 | The Spanish led by Juan Maria Rivera search for gold and silver | |
| 1775 | 1775 - 1783 - The American Revolution. | |
| 1776 | July 4, 1776 - United States Declaration of Independence | |
| 1803 | The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France for 15 million dollars for the land | |
| 1812 | 1812 - 1815: The War of 1812 between U.S. and Great Britain, ended in a stalemate but confirmed America's Independence | |
| 1830 | Indian Removal Act | |
| 1832 | Department of Indian Affairs established | |
| 1848 | Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - Mexico cedes its land in Colorado to the United States | |
| 1860 | Kiowa and Comanche expedition, Indian Territory. To remove the Kiowa and Comanche from the area of the Arkansas River. | |
| 1861 | Congress establishes Colorado Territory | |
| 1861 | 1861 - 1865: The American Civil War. | |
| 1863 | Conflicts erupt between the white settlers and Plains Indians | |
| 1864 | Sand Creek Massacre - Colonel John Chivington and his Colorado Volunteers massacred Cheyenne and Arapaho men, women, and children. | |
| 1862 | U.S. Congress passes Homestead Act opening the Great Plains to settlers | |
| 1863 | 1863-1869 War against the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa and Comanche Indians in Kansas, Nebraska (Territory), Colorado (Territory) and Oklahoma Indian Territory | |
| 1865 | The surrender of Robert E. Lee on April 9 1865 signalled the end of the Confederacy | |
| 1865 | Indian attacks intensify in Colorado | |
| 1868 | Battle of Beecher Island, also known as the Battle of Arikaree Fork, was a conflict between the United States Army and several of the Plains native American tribes, including the Cheyenne Indians | |
| 1869 | Battle of Summit Springs was the final military engagement between whites and plains Indians in Colorado | |
| 1876 | Sioux and the Cheyenne joined forces and fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 against General George Armstrong Custer on June 25, 1876 | |
| 1881 | Ute tribes are removed from Colorado onto Indian reservations | |
| 1887 | Dawes General Allotment Act passed by Congress leads to the break up of the large Indian Reservations and the sale of Indian lands to white settlers | |
| 1915 | The Bluff War, aka Posey War or the Polk and Posse War, Ute and Paiute and the US army. Location: San Juan County, Utah and Montezuma County, Colorado | |
| 1969 | All Indians declared citizens of U.S. | |
| 1979 | American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed | |
| History Timeline of the Native Indians of Colorado | ||
State of Colorado History Timeline
History of Colorado Indians
Factors that contributed to the history of the state are detailed in the History Timeline. The history timeline shows the impact of the new comers to the state.
Stone Age History of Colorado
The American Native Indians who lived in what is now the present state of Colorado led a Stone Age lifestyle - they only had stone tools and weapons, had never seen a horse and had no knowledge of the wheel. The history of the Colorado Indians are detailed in this article.
Map of Colorado
The map of Colorado provides a bird's eye view of the location of the tribal territories and homelands of the Colorado Indians in relation to the present day United States of America. The map indicates the location of the State and the American Native Indians of Colorado. | ||
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COLORADO RIVER |
| history | who owns grand canyon? | colorado river | logging, mining, ranching | literature | humans at grand canyon | music | native cultures | science | visual arts |
 The Colorado River at the confluence of the Little Colorado River. Credit: National Park Service |
The Colorado River carves a distinct course through
the depths of American cultural history. The river has been an
important source of water and life for Native American groups for over
12,000 years, launched the business and adventure of modern river
running, honed the political capabilities of the environmental movement
through its battles against dams in the United States, and provided
inspiration to noted American painters, photographers, songwriters,
and authors.
Because of the carving forces
of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the river’s course
tells the story of the earth’s formation and structure like few places
on earth. We can learn much about the nature, culture, and history of
the Grand Canyon and America by taking a closer look at this
magnificent river.
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The
Colorado River cuts deeply into the geologic history of the Grand
Canyon. The canyon’s depth varies from almost a vertical mile from
Grand Canyon Village along the South Rim to the river to almost 6,000
feet at other locations along the canyon. The canyon’s width ranges
from an average of 10 miles across near Grand Canyon Village but may
be as wide as 18 miles across from rim to rim.
Over the past 6 million
years, the Colorado River has carved through almost 2 billion years of
the earth’s geologic history at the Grand Canyon. Layers of limestone,
sandstone, shale, granite, and schist make up the Grand Canyon’s rock
sequences. These layers continue to be worn away through water and
wind erosio, creating the cliffs and slopes that make up this
fantastic play of shape and color through time and space.
The diagram at right shows the
layers of time that hikers and mule riders descend through on their way
to the Colorado River. Visitors to the Canyon's South Rim can learn more
about the layers by walking the Trail of Time, scheduled
for completion in October 2010. The two-kilometer interpretive trail
begins at Yavapai Observation Station in present-day time and takes the
visitor "back" a million years for each meter walked. Dr. Steven Semken,
associate professor of Geoscience Education and Geological Sciences in
the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University,
has collaborated on this long-term project with researchers from the
University of New Mexico and the University of Massachusetts, as well as
the National Park Service and National Science Foundation.
The USGS Web site has 3D tours
of national parks, including one of the Grand Canyon, using historic
images from John Wesley Powell’s Colorado River Expedition surveys
from 18710-1879.
|
 A geologic cross section of the Grand Canyon reveals a variety of rock layers. Image: U.S. Geological Survey |
Granaries built by Ancestral
Puebloans remain tucked into the cliff face above Nankoweap in Marble
Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park.
Credit: Mark Lellouch, NPS.
|
The
Colorado River is important to many Native American communities
surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. For over 12,000 years, the
river has been an important source of water and life for indigenous
groups living in and around this vast canyon. Indigenous groups used
the river’s water for agriculture and to fortify their lives in the
canyon and along the rim.
Contemporary Havasupai, Hopi,
Hualapai, Paiute, Navajo, Yavapai-Apache, and Zuni Tribes are active
in decisions and discussions regarding the uses of the Colorado River.
The Intertribal Council of Arizona includes over 20 Colorado River
Indian Tribes that own more than one third of the allotment of water
rights—717,000 acre feet of senior water rights to the Colorado
River—in the state of Arizona.
For more information on tribes connected to Grand Canyon, see our Native Cultures page. Or visit the websites of Arizona tribes at the Intertribal Council of Arizona.
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Although
there are no dams inside the national park boundaries, two dams on
the river flank the park and have a great influence on the plant and
animal diversity, river flows, and human use of the Colorado River
through the Grand Canyon and beyond. The Hoover Dam and Lake Mead were completed in 1936 at the lower or southwest end of the canyon. The Glen Canyon Dam, completed in 1963, lies at the upper end of the canyon near Lees Ferry and creates Lake Powell.
Cities and farms in the arid
Southwest draw heavily from the Colorado River. More water is exported
from the Colorado River than from any other river in the United
States. Cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, San
Diego and many other communities draw water from the Colorado River
basin for municipal and industrial uses. In addition, 2 million acres
of land are irrigated by water from the Colorado River.
Some people are content to view
the Grand Canyon from the rim. Others hike down into the inner gorge,
camp or stay at Phantom Ranch. Still others think to truly experience
the Canyon requires a trip down the turbulent waters of the Colorado
River. Read about some famous river runners in Grand Canyon history on
our Running the River page.
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The Glen Canyon Dam lies on the upper end of the Grand Canyon.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. 1988. Photo # C45-300-21094
|
--- Canyon history
------------------------ Our Elysium: Matt Damon, Robert Redford, and the Colorado River
Posted: Updated:
If you haven't seen Elysium, it's a futuristic movie about how wealthy people create a large orbiting satellite in space on which the air and water is clean, everyone is healthy and has free health care, and where the very wealthy people live and play. On earth down below, the hordes and masses struggle, sweat, kill each other, and live amongst environmental catastrophe and squalor across the landscape. Matt Damon plays the hero role; Jodie Foster not so much. Damon, if you are not aware, also plays a hero in real life, creating an organization called Water.org that is trying to bring clean, drinkable water to a billion people in countries across the world that are suffering from the effects of polluted water. Drinking tainted water can not only make you sick, it can kill you, and so people who work to keep water clean are real-life heroes for which Hollywood allegories are not even needed. And so when I walked out of the airplane in the Phoenix airport last week, to attend a Colorado River fundraiser headlined by another actor and activist Robert Redford, I made my usual bee-line for the drinking water fountain near the terminal gate. But the water from the fountain tasted awful -- kind of a briney, fuzzy first taste with a weird after-taste I couldn't identify. I'm a Colorado River activist and a clean water advocate by profession, and I like to drink tap water for a host of reasons, the biggest of which is to compare tastes around the Southwest U.S. and to make sure both rivers and drinking water are clean and healthy. I was in Phoenix representing the Save The Colorado River campaign, which works to do just that. Over the past year, the United States and Mexico, as well as a group of environmental organizations, had created an agreement to put some water back in the bone-dry Colorado River Delta where the river no longer meets the sea. Most people in the U.S., and even across the Southwest U.S., don't' know it but every drop of the Colorado River's 5 trillion gallons of water per year are totally drained and diverted out by farmers and cities. South of the U.S. border below Mexicali used to lay the Colorado River Delta containing 2 million acres of wetlands, a fly-way for millions of migratory birds, and life-giving habitat to villages of Cocopah Indian people -- all of which are now 95 percent completely gone, dead, zero, nothing, replaced by sand dunes and baked earth as far as the eye can see. The river and the natural and human culture around it have been drained bone dry and destroyed. But the Phoenix event provided a glimpse of hope in this bleak wasteland. Last year, Robert Redford, his son James, and their Redford Center created a movie called Watershed, which depicted the plight of the Colorado River and offered some hopeful opportunities to restore the river all along its 1,500 mile journey from the mountains near Denver to the end of the river at the Gulf of California where the river is dry. The Save The Colorado River campaign provided funding to the Redford Center for a film tour throughout the Southwest U.S in order to raise awareness. The tour was a huge success with thousands of people seeing the film and taking action by reaching out to policymakers. The agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and environmental organizations is to buy some water from farmers, run that water back down the last stretch of the river, and restore a small sliver of the Colorado River Delta. Mr. Redford, who has long advocated for restoring the Colorado River, jumped on board and has taken a lead role in raising money to buy the water. The event in Phoenix was the launch of that fundraising campaign for the "Colorado River Delta Water Trust" -- $10 million is needed; $3 million already raised. The second day I was in Phoenix I identified the after-taste in the Phoenix tap water about the same time my stomach began to twist in knots. It was mold -- a distinct and disgusting taste there hanging on the back of my tongue. All the while the outdoor temperature reached 110 degrees, baking everything, ratcheting up the thirst, only cooling down to 109 degrees at about 9 p.m. and 92 degrees at daybreak the next morning. I know tap water can taste bad -- I taste it everywhere I go -- but can it also make you sick in the United States? At 2 a.m. in the hotel and with gurgling intestines, I was deciding if I should dissolve alka seltzer in that tap water or not. A quick Internet search and sure enough I found myriad complaints about the taste and quality of the Phoenix tap water and a even an official denial from the City of Phoenix -- which provides this water to 1.5 million people -- trying to assure the public that the water was safe to drink. The moldy taste, said the City, was from algae that grows in the water pipes, but the City also assured the people that the algae is removed, merely its odor remaining in the water. I was not assured, and the next morning I bought 2 liters of bottled water, and after drinking much of it felt much better. At the event in Phoenix, Mr. Redford spoke as did his son James. Eloquent and gracious, they told the story of the Colorado River Delta and their work and leadership to restore it. The Mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton, also spoke, as did the Mexican "Father of the Colorado River Delta" Roberto Salmon-Castelo. It was extremely important to have buy-in from so many elected officials on both sides of the border, a true effort and agreement of international statesmanship and compromise -- in part led by former U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar -- that took 5 years to put together and bring to fruition at this event. There is hope for getting water back in the river and there is hope for the Colorado River Delta. But south of the border in Mexico, you can't drink the water because it will make you sick. North of the border in Phoenix and beyond -- actually in many places throughout the Colorado River basin in the Southwest U.S. -- people who can afford to buy bottled water generally don't drink tap water at all. At the top of the basin in Colorado and Wyoming, concerns about fluoride, nitrates, chlorine, heavy metals from acid-mine drainage, pesticides, prescription drugs, and fracking chemicals all keep some people buying bottled water and avoiding tap water. Lower in the Colorado River basin, those concerns are only amplified -- in fact the Colorado River itself is used many times over, flowing through city wastewater systems and livestock feedlots and then back to the river to be diverted out and into another city's water filtration plants and then to faucets, and over and over again along its 1,500 mile journey. In Phoenix, the tap water comes from several sources including the Colorado River, some of which involve hundreds of miles of open canals that run across and through the landscape picking up even more pollutants along that journey. And then the City of Phoenix has the difficult task of filtering out those pollutants and piping the water to faucets through hundreds of miles of underground algae-growing pipes baking in the 110-degree heat. My 2-liter bottle of water cost 49 cents at Whole Foods and was worth every penny. But what if you can't afford a dollar a day per person in your family for bottled water? What if you can't get to a store to buy bottled water? What if it's 110 degrees out, you're poor, you don't have air conditioning or a car, and you're thirsty, as are thousands of people in Phoenix every day? You drink the foul-tasting tap water, that's what. And the same is true in Tucson and San Diego and Los Angeles and Las Vegas and other cities throughout the Southwest U.S. Should well-off people in the Southwest U.S. get to drink clean, healthy, bottled water while poor people have to drink questionable "public" water that is diverted out of polluted, drying-up rivers and smells and tastes like mold? Was Elysium an allegory, or is it already here in the U.S.? Getting clean, healthy water flowing in rivers again in the U.S. and beyond is not just an environmental issue, it's a public health issue and a social justice issue, because the water cycle and the life cycle are one, for everyone. You can learn more about the Colorado River Delta Water Trust here. Gary Wockner, PhD, directs the Save The Colorado River Campaign.
----
Will Ferrell
and Robert Redford fight for Colorado River
03/18/14
01:07 PM—Updated 03/18/14
04:05 PM
Leave it to a comedy A-lister and a
legendary actor to help make a PSA-style video about a river basin and climate
change worth watching. Will Ferrell and Robert Redford have teamed up to help
out Raise the River, a coalition of groups working to restore the Colorado
River Delta after decades of overuse that have nearly bled it dry.
A stoic Redford explains the
coalition’s goal: restore the environment and wildlife of the Colorado River
basin by adding a little water (less than 1% of annual flow) to the river.
Ferrell plays his typically absurdist character with the counterpoint: Why not
simply bring the ocean to the river?
Conservationists have documented the
river’s decline for years, and the demands of the 30 million people who
rely on its waters have sapped it to the point that it no longer consistently
flows to the ocean.
Redford has decades of environmental work under his
belt. And Ferrell has become increasingly active in advocacy work. The series of river-focused videos is
his third attempt this year at using comedy to help draw attention to a cause.
He teamed up with first lady Michelle Obama twice in the last month to help
promote her “Let’s Move” initiative, donning drag in aTonight Show sketch to play a teen girl discussing
healthy habits. He joined her again to host a “focus group” discussing healthy
eating with kids.
Grist previously reported
on the video featuring Ferrell and Redford.
Explore:
An October road trip to southern Utah along Route 95
inspired this panorarmic painting by landscape artist Nicole Strasburg, in which she captures the grandeur of the
country along the Colorado River as it intersects with the Dirty Devil and
eventually flows into Lake Powell. Made in USA. Exclusive. 48"W x
12"H. Internet Exclusive
---
WATERSHED-
exploring a new water ethic for the new west
Executive
produced & narrated by Robert Redford
Produced
by the Redford Center and Kontent Films
Executive
Produced and Narrated by Robert Redford and Directed by award-winning
filmmaker, Mark Decena, WATERSHED tells
the story of the threats to the once-mighty Colorado River and offers solutions
for the future of the American West.
As the
most dammed, dibbed, and diverted river in the world struggles to support
thirty million people and the peace-keeping agreement known as the Colorado
River Pact reaches its limits, WATERSHED
introduces hope.
Can we
meet the needs of a growing population in the face of rising temperatures and
lower rainfall in an already arid land? Can we find harmony amongst the
competing interests of cities, agriculture, industry, recreation, wildlife, and
indigenous communities with rights to the water?
Sweeping
through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, the Colorado River is a lifeline to
expanding populations and booming urban centers that demand water for drinking,
sanitation and energy generation. And with 70% of the rivers’ water supporting
agriculture, the river already runs dry before it reaches its natural end at
the Gulf of California. Unless action is taken, the river will continue its
retreat – a potentially catastrophic scenario for the millions who depend on
it.
In WATERSHED, we
meet Jeff Ehlert, a fly fishing guide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
rancher Dan James, Delta restoration worker Edith Santiago, Navajo Council
member Glojean Todacheene, Rifle Colorado Mayor Keith Lambert, Los Angeles
native Jimmy Lizama and a group of Outward Bound teens rafting down the
Colorado River as they all reflect a compelling new water ethic—one that
illuminates how letting go of the ways of old can lead to a path of coexisting
with enough for all.
The
Redford Center created WATERSHED as a
inspirational social action tool for people who want to engage. Promoting
personal water conservation pledges of 5% – symbolic of the small amount of the
rivers’ flow required to reconnect the river to its delta – and garnering
donations to help purchase the water rights necessary to restore the
connectivity, WATERSHED is a central tool in a larger
grassroots effort focused on saving the Colorado River and supporting the
communities throughout the river basin.
Presented
by the Redford Center
A
Production of the Redford Center and Kontent Films
Writer /
Director: Mark Decena
Executive
Producers: Robert Redford, Teri Heyman, Lee Bycel
Producers:
James Redford, Jill Tidman
Producer
/ Post Production Supervisor: Renata Foucré
Co-producer:
Scott Compton
Director
of Photography: John Behrens
Editor:
Matt Notaro
Story
Editors: John Dilley, Forrest Pound
Assistant
Editors: Joanna Hidalgo, Luke Shock
Editorial
House: Remedy Editorial
Additional
Photography: Fearghal ODea, Forrest Pound, Renata Foucré, Mark Decena
Associate
Producers: Forrest Pound, Tye Davis
Content
Advisor: Barry Nelson, NRDC
Distribution
Partners: NRDC, McSweeney’s, Save The Colorado and Sonoran Institute
Associate
Story Developers: Jordan Bass, Ira Chute, Chris Ying, Emily Doe
Publicity,
Marketing and Distribution Consultant: Diana Iles Parker
1. Robert Redford And Son Film Colorado River...
www.starpulse.com/.../robert_redford_and_son_film_colorado_r
Mar 25, 2012 · Robert Redford has made an eye-opening documentary about
the Colorado River to highlight the need for water conservation in the U.S. The
veteran actor ...
2. Redford to help raise money for Colo. River delta...
bigstory.ap.org/article/redford-help-raise-money-colo...
Colorado River Campaign director Gary Wockner also will attend. ... Redford
to help raise money for Colo. River delta ... Robert Redford, James Beard.
-------------------
The 2015 Colorado Animas River JokeWhen United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees were “investigating a leak” at the Gold King Mine, while reportedly attempting to install a tap for the mine, the dam containing what is said to be approximately 3 million gallons of mine waste was “accidentally” destroyed and its contents released into a tributary of the Animas River: Cement Creek.  Not only is Cement Creek a “tributary” of the Animas, but the Animas is further a tributary of the San Juan River, which is further a tributary of the Colorado River, a river spanning around 1,450 total miles through southwest Colorado and even through the Grand Canyon itself. The 3 million gallons, released into a conveniently nearby water source, has been declared a “state of emergency” for residents of Colorado. But what is not said through media-outlets, is that supposedly the mine had been leaking toxic waste for “years” at a rate of 50 to 250 gallons per minute. Averaging between 50 to 250 gallons, we could assume that an average of 150 gallons were released per minute, for years. 150 gallons per minute into one year = 78,840,000 gallons per year. 78,840,000 : 3,000,000 78.84 : 3 It was released days later that the EPA concluded their initial estimates of what had been released into the water were wrong and that it was at least “3 times” as much of what was previously believed. It has also been stated that the Gold King Mine is only one of the 22,000 abandoned mines in Colorado alone. With 150 gallons per minute being equal to 2.5 gallons per second, it should be less than difficult to imagine 2.5 gallons of milk dumping possibly into the same water supply per second over the course of years. When upon “accidentally” breaking the dam that contained such sludge, only “3 million” is said to have been dumped into the water. Sounds like a final draining before reuse or any other reason that human-kind will probably never know. Drink Fukushima, drink Animas, drink it all. http://www.thelackof.com/the-2015-colorado-animas-river-joke/ --------------------- NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC... The Colorado RiverThe Colorado River supplies water for 30 million people. It is one of the most contested, recreated-upon, and carefully controlled rivers on Earth. Diverted under peaks, utilized by turbines that create hydropower, and stored by enormous reservoirs, the 1,450-mile-long Colorado faces growing challenges associated with increasing population, declining ecosystems, drought, and expected climate change. Click on a topic below to learn more.
Balancing Limited Supply With Increasing DemandThe Colorado River Basin is a critical component of North American water supply, providing H2O to 30 million people and thousands of acres of farmland. When Colorado River withdrawals were first allocated among the river basin’s seven states, in 1922, the river held 17.5 million acre-feet (5.7 trillion gallons) of water. However, new science has shown that 1922 was part of an especially wet period. The river now averages about 14.7 million acre-feet per year and is allocated among seven states and Mexico. Water managers are trying to address growing challenges associated with over-allocation, rapidly increasing urban populations, development of unused water rights, and expected climate change. The water levels of the river’s two largest reservoirs—Lake Mead and Lake Powell, stored by Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams—have dropped significantly in recent years, threatening supplies for major cities. In addition, the trapping of silt behind dams also limits the quality and extent of river habitats.http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/change-the-course/colorado-river-map/ --------------------  Colorado toxic river spill: EPA has gone from 'good guys' to enemy of average AmericansColorado toxic river spill: EPA has gone from 'good guys' to enemy of average Americans
By John Kinkaid
August 12, 2015
Fox News
Grace: (noun) An act or instance of kindness, courtesy or clemency. Mercy, pardon.
Here in northwest Colorado we feel like we’re at the epicenter of
federal policy actions with regard to land and the environment. When
you think of the war on coal, we are the bullseye. The irony is that we
are the true stewards of the air, water and land. On a sunny day the
sky is deep blue and we love it.
As a retired Control Room Operator at one of the largest coal-fired
power plants in the U.S., I know firsthand how much time, effort and
money go into keeping things clean. We hunt. We fish. We ski.
We have a vested interest in maintaining the environment.
And yet we can never do enough to satisfy the EPA. EPA has been on
mission creep since its inception in 1970. And somewhere in the
intervening years between then and now, a line was crossed. The line
between good common sense solutions and heavy-handed job crushing
regulations.
Somewhere along the line, EPA quit being the “good guys” and became the enemy of average citizens and the U.S. economy.
And now, last week here in Colorado, EPA created one of the worst
environmental disasters in United States history. Three million gallons
of toxic waste were dumped into the Animas River and is working its way
to Lake Powell in Arizona. Last I heard, 500 gallons per minute were
still leaking into the river. You can’t raft, fish, swim or drink. Let
me say up front that our regional EPA administrator, Shaun McGrath is a
man of honor. He came forward and took responsibility. I’ve met Shaun
and he’s one of the good guys.
My harshest criticism is reserved for EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
It took six days for her to publicly acknowledge the toxic spill and
apologize for it. My impression of McCarthy is that she is an
intelligent, arrogant, ideologue, who is hell-bent on fundamentally
transforming the United States of America by regulation. Thousands of
them. A death march to January of 2017
It doesn’t matter if the rules don’t make sense. It doesn’t matter if
the regulations don’t work. It just doesn’t matter to the EPA at all.
It doesn’t matter how many people lose their jobs. It doesn’t matter
how many communities are destroyed.
McCarthy should have dropped what she was doing last weekend to come along side our senators to survey the damage.
It won’t happen, but I believe that McCarthy should step down as EPA
Administrator. EPA needs a very serious overhaul. It’s a bipartisan
problem and it has taken decades to reach this crisis point.
It’s my sincere hope that no one becomes ill as a result of the toxic
spill and that the Animas River can become healthy and vibrant again
very soon.
It is also my hope that southwest Colorado’s economy remains strong.
It would be wonderful if, as a result of the spill, the EPA learned about grace. Receiving it and giving it.
EPA needs to step back and re-evaluate how it conducts business.
Somehow they need to find their way back across the line, leaving job
crushing regulations behind and rediscovering common sense rules that
work and still protect the environment.
How ironic, that the very agency entrusted with protecting our water, created its own Love Canal.
Physician, heal thyself.
John Kinkaid is the Chair of the Moffat County Commission in
Colorado. He was elected to office in 2012 after a 33 year career as a
Control Room Operator at Craig Station, one of the largest coal-fired
power plants in the United States. Public policy is his passion. He is
married with 3 children and 2 grandchildren.
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