The American West has a guaranteed-to-fail water allocation system. It works like this, not sort-of like this, but exactly like this: If your state, county, community or business needs water, a politician with some clout can get that water demand met. It will cost to get him or her to adopt your burden.
Well, assume your politician was brilliant in your defense and got you most of the water you needed. Viola, problem solved. You’re good to go. Right?
So then, what is the problem here … you stupid tree hugging commie?
Well, it is simple, Mr. Bundy. It goes not sort-of like this, but exactly like this. If there are only 1,000 gallons of water available to allocate, and the politicians (appointed agencies in charge of water diversions of the Colorado River, for example) allocate 1,498 gallons – the water problem does not go away.
Mr. Bundy, watch this trailer for a better picture of what might be taken away from you – forever.
American Rivers’ 62 Years, the Green and Yampa rivers
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s the West faces a looming water crisis, the Colorado River Basin is in the spotlight more than ever. And unfortunately, because of its abundant water and record demand, the wild Yampa River continues to be a target for diversion.
We need rivers like the Yampa – to remind us how rivers are supposed to function, to demonstrate that it is possible to sustain vibrant agriculture while conserving endangered fish and recreation, and to help us improve the management of other rivers in the Colorado Basin. That’s why O.A.R.S. has teamed up with American Rivers on 62 Years to urge key decision makers to continue to safeguard the Yampa for future generations. Please join us as we diligently work to preserve and protect this icon of the American West.
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The last time Ken Brower traveled down the Yampa River in Northwest Colorado was with his father, David Brower, in 1952. This was the year his father became the first executive director of the Sierra Club and joined the fight against a pair of proposed dams on the Green River in Northwest Colorado. The dams—a big one at Echo Park and a smaller one at Split Mountain—would have flooded the canyons of the Green and its tributary, the Yampa, inundating the heart of Dinosaur National Monument.
With a conservation campaign that included a book, magazine articles, a film, a traveling slideshow, grassroots organizing, river trips and lobbying, David Brower and the Sierra Club ultimately won the fight—ushering in a period many consider the dawn of modern environmentalism.
62 years later, Ken revisited the Yampa and Green Rivers to reflect on his father’s work, their 1952 river trip and how we will confront the looming water crisis in the American West.
NOTE: Featured Image is the Yampa River. Image credit American Rivers’ Kent Vertree.
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