Join us, Liquid IV’s Impact On The Road Team to meet the Colorado River Waterkeeper. We’re headed to Moab Utah to learn about what over-allocation is and what is happening to the Colorado River.
“The Colorado River basin supplies water to up to 40 million people and five million acres of farmland across two countries, seven U.S. states, and up to 30 federally recognized Native American Tribes.” (Stanford University https://waterinthewest.stanford.edu/publications/coming-months-colorado-river-basin)
The Colorado River is a vital water source for the West, but it faces a massive problem. It has been overallocated, meaning it’s been promised to more than it can provide. The river is actively being dried up by taking more than it can provide.
Like everything, we can’t look at the environmental issues facing the Colorado river without thinking of the economic and social aspects. NPR’s Parched reported 80% of water from the Colorado goes to farms (mostly in California) while many communities (mainly low socioeconomic & tribal) located directly on the Colorado River don’t have access to clean drinking water. These problems are complex and so are the solutions, but it all starts with awareness.
What better resource than the global nonprofit, The Waterkeeper Alliance. They are dedicated to “clean, healthy, and abundant water for all people and the planet” (https://waterkeeper.org/who-we-are/). With over 300 chapters or Waterkeepers, each with a “unique voice, reflecting our diverse communities and watersheds,” Waterkeepers intimately know the needs of their community and environment. Because of that, they’re the best resource to defend, enforce, and promote clean water laws for their waterway. Waterkeeper Alliance is dedicated to uniting and uplifting communities, as we’re stronger together “when we lift up each others’ voices and the voices of the communities we serve.”
John Weisheit is the Colorado River Waterkeeper and Conservation Director for Living Rivers. He has been a river guide and activist for over 20 years. He focuses on awareness and policy to protect the health of the river and equitable access to clean drinking water.
Their Efforts
- Increase awareness and policy to protect the health of the river and equitable access to clean drinking water
- Changing infrastructure to better protect equitable access to clean water
- Removing dams that harm ecosystems and animals
- Removing mines that contribute to pollutants in the river
Everything starts with awareness, because we don’t know what we don’t know. Once we see the problem, we can’t unsee it. Educating yourself then taking actions that make sense for you personally is the best way to go about it. Activism is a long-term journey, as change takes time and effort. John’s advice was to keep your fire burning, tap into your why, and shout it from the rooftops! Sign petitions! Advocate for your waterways! Push for policy change that prioritizes public and ecological health.
TLDR
- Who: Colorado River Waterkeeper of The Waterkeeper Alliance
- What: Environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting the health of the river and providing equitable access to clean drinking water
- The Problem: Overallocated waters – more water is being taken than the river can provide, rapidly drying the river up
- Their Efforts: Education, petitions, and aggressive policy change
- How you can get involved: Educate yourself and advocate for policy change that prioritizes public and ecological health
Join us at our next stop!
We’re off to Columbia Missouri to learn about impaired (contaminated) water sources and who is collecting data to help these waters.
References:
- https://waterkeeper.org/who-we-are/
- https://waterinthewest.stanford.edu/publications/coming-months-colorado-river-basin
- https://www.npr.org/2023/06/25/1184238103/in-parched-podcast-reporter-explores-the-decades-long-drought-in-southwestern-u-
- https://www.npr.org/2023/07/02/1185721736/who-gets-a-say-in-the-colorado-rivers-water-supply
- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/02/colorado-river-crisis-explained/
- https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2023/02/28/colorado-river/
- https://theconversation.com/the-colorado-river-drought-crisis-5-essential-reads-203651
