Upper Colorado: A River on the Brink
- Thread starter DubV134
- Start date
McFellon
Active member
I think it's sad how such a large and important river doesn't even make it to the ocean anymore.
I'll be studying something close to what you're doing now next year. Fortunately water use at that scale isn't an issue in the East where I live, so I never really think about it unless it's brought up in Trout or videos like this. Here, the main watershed stressors are pollution and habitat degradation, which can be mostly solved by planting trees and passing stricter legislation, but out there, you can't tell people to stop using water. I wish more people would be aware of how much of a limited resource water is. Telling people that using less water is bad is one thing, but showing them why will hopefully help.
I'll be studying something close to what you're doing now next year. Fortunately water use at that scale isn't an issue in the East where I live, so I never really think about it unless it's brought up in Trout or videos like this. Here, the main watershed stressors are pollution and habitat degradation, which can be mostly solved by planting trees and passing stricter legislation, but out there, you can't tell people to stop using water. I wish more people would be aware of how much of a limited resource water is. Telling people that using less water is bad is one thing, but showing them why will hopefully help.
bigbromskier
Active member
planting Kentucky Bluegrass in arid regions is so ridiculous. it's like planting a palm tree in Colorado, it's just not meant to be there. There are tons of other native turfgrasses that you can use in arid climates; they aren't as good-looking, but for something that is hardly used and purely aesthetic in most cases, using turf with less water requirements is not a big deal. Probably the biggest reason i despise las vegas; who puts a golf course in the desert??? Fools.
This is gonna be a huge huge issue in 10 years.
This is gonna be a huge huge issue in 10 years.
DubV134
Active member
those plus other major issues. the labyrinth of locks and dams that have been constructed on all large rivers has metaphorically frozen them in place. sediment/nutrients settle in the pools above a lock or dam and so a river is essentially raped of everything it carries after a series of 10 or 15 locks. (guess who pays to have the sediment dug out of the pools above a lock or dam)... but so all that good stuff that should be flowing downstream isnt - the reason why New Orleans is sinking, the entire region is the delta for the mississippi
JamesR
Active member
People have no concept of the true cost of their water usage because it's obscured by the government. The government controls water and as such, its cost has no reflection on its actual worth. The quickest way to save rivers is to sell them to private individuals or groups. Private owners would be as likely to let sell their water to the point at which it runs dry than you are to break down your house and sell the parts.
miroz
Active member
Seemingly ideal solution: Tell Denver to use less water.
Denver's response: fuck you, we have to make more money to pay for all our shit, so we need the water to make the money. Cue legislation. Cue diversions. Done.
This shit sucks. Fuck resource depletion. Our way of life depends on using more and more of what we can't have more of. It's kind of embarrassing; we don't deserve that percentage of these resources.
Denver's response: fuck you, we have to make more money to pay for all our shit, so we need the water to make the money. Cue legislation. Cue diversions. Done.
This shit sucks. Fuck resource depletion. Our way of life depends on using more and more of what we can't have more of. It's kind of embarrassing; we don't deserve that percentage of these resources.
miroz
Active member
Remember, though, while watering lawns may be the one of the most ridiculous uses of water there, growing industrial and manufacturing sectors require increasing amounts of water, too, much more than reduction in lawn watering would create. I bet that's a big part of the demand as well.
bermbuster49
Active member
jeaaa saw them in concert i second this bump
caucasian_chad
Active member
This makes me glad I live in MN, we have essentially an unlimited supply of water here.
JIBpsy^^
Active member
This really hits home for me because i live in summit county Colorado. The Lake here in summit, Lake Dillon, is Denver's largest water source. Denver water is almost unanimously hated in the community for a variety of reasons. 1. they closed the road ontop of the damn for like 3 months because of concerns about terrorists that were totally unfounded. It was 2 dudes filming a music video on the damn during a snow storm. I use that road every day to get to school. Its one of 3 roads that connect the 2 halves of the county. 2. We in summit county legally cant take a drop of water from the upper blue above the damn. The Upper blue is the river that founded Breckenridge. It is in our history. 3. they routinely miscalculate runoff levels and just open the floodgates nearly flooding communities around the lower blue. 4. They displaced the old town of dillon which is the first town in the area. Its now under water. 5 They suck in general.
Denver is so arid. people need to realize they cannot have green lawns in an arid place.
Denver is so arid. people need to realize they cannot have green lawns in an arid place.
