E-Newsletter

Preserving the Source
An e-newsletter from the Water Resources Archive
at Colorado State University

March 2006
Issue III

Saved from the Shredders: Archive Acquires New Collection

What appears at first glance as boxes of old papers gathering dust in an attic or taking up needed office space often prove to be priceless, hidden treasures that, when gifted to an archive, serve as essential primary research materials. For anyone engaged in research, a professional's papers provide the evidence of events and ideas of the past that are critical to historical interpretation. It is impossible to gage the potential impact of these materials; therefore, the mention of an appointment with a paper shredding company sends shivers down any archivist's spine.

Luckily, this time, the Water Resources Archive was able to beat the blades of the shredder and recently acquired the Papers of Carl F. Nordin. A part-time professor and consultant of engineering at Colorado State University, during his long career as a hydraulic engineer, Carl F. Nordin worked on research projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration and was also the project director for the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey. His work on water took him around the world to places as far away as China, Egypt, and the Amazon.

Patricia Nordin had stored her late husband's papers in a garage storage room for some time. Like many people preparing to move, she made an appointment for a company to shred these materials. By chance, only a few days prior to the shredding appointment, Mrs. Nordin heard about the Archive's quest for materials from an acquaintance who had recently attended Water Tables: A Benefit Banquet for the Water Resources Archive. After surveying the materials, Archivist Patty Rettig knew that Carl Nordin's papers would make an excellent addition to the Archive.

The collection-which consists of slides, photographs, reports, correspondence, maps, graphs and other papers-documents Nordin's work on water in Colorado and all over the world To view the collection and study Carl Nordin's valuable contributions to water around the world, visit the Water Resources Archive in Morgan Library.

Archive Update: Exhibit Travels Around the State

The Water Resources Archive's traveling exhibit "Carpenter and the Compacts" has been on the road quite a bit this winter. The exhibit and staff were on hand to raise awareness about the Archive and its services at the Four States Irrigation Council annual meeting (Fort Collins), the Big Thompson Watershed Forum (Greeley), and the Ogallala Aquifer Symposium (Wray). Back in the archives, a new finding aid is available online for the Papers of Rollin Q. Tenney.

Looking Forward: New Research Feature Puts the Archive at Your Fingertips

A new research feature will soon be coming to the Water Resources Archive, providing alternative access to digitized objects. Rather than requiring users to seek out digitized materials separate from collection descriptions, these items will be linked directly from their listings within the finding aids. This will enable users of the online finding aids to immediately see what is available digitally without having to search elsewhere. Hyperlinks in the finding aids will bring up digitized objects with the click of a mouse, providing instant access to archival materials right on your desktop!

Support the Archive: Water Tables Whets Appetites and Raises Funds

Commissioner Keys at Water Tables Photo at right: Commissioner John W. Keys, III, leads a discussion on Managing Water in the American West.

The research room was anything but quiet when nearly 100 members of the water community poured into the Archives and Special Collections Department of Morgan Library on January 28, 2006, for Water Tables: An Evening with the Experts. A benefit for the Water Resources Archive, Water Tables featured a vibrant display of archival collections and an array of water experts, who hosted conversations about the past, present, and future of western water concerns during a gourmet meal. Sponsors and participants raised nearly $8,000 in support of the Archive and proceeds will help the Archive to acquire, preserve and promote additional and existing collections significant to Colorado's water history.

"We had some of the best minds in the subject of Western Water all sitting in one room. It was one of those heady evenings where you got to rub elbows and converse with some really good people that have made significant contributions to their community," said Mike Applegate. (To view a complete list of hosts and their topics, visit our Water Tables Web site.) The Archive plans to host another such event next year. Keep your eye out for Water Tables 2007 information.

Water Tables would not have been possible without the generous help of the Water Tables Planning Committee and our dedicated sponsors. Those sponsors include Applegate Group, Inc., Harrison Resource Corporation, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Stewart Environmental Consultants, Inc. (Gold Binding Sponsors, donating $1,000 or more); Aqua Engineering, Inc., Ayres Associates, Black and Veatch, Boyle Engineering Corporation, CDM, Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc., New Frontier Bank, Wright Water Engineers, Inc. (Silver Binding Sponsors, donating $500 or more); Hilton Fort Collins, and Hydro Construction Company, Inc. (donating up to $500).

Virtual Visit: "Carpenter and the Compacts" Exhibit Now Online

The Water Resources Archive has a new virtual exhibit on its Web site. With text and images taken from the WRA's latest traveling exhibit "Carpenter and the Compacts," you (and all the world) can now see what only select audiences across the state have gotten to see. Log on for a visit today (http://lib.colostate.edu/archives/water/compacts/)

This quarterly electronic newsletter is designed to keep you informed on the developments with the Water Resources Archive. If you would prefer not to receive further updates, or if you know someone else who would like to receive this, just drop a line to us at development@library.colostate.edu.

This e-newsletter is created by Patty Rettig with the assistance of Judea Franck.