E-Newsletter

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

September 2006
Issue V

In Remembrance: An Exhibit and a Donation Commemorate the Big Thompson Flood

This year, July 31st marked the thirtieth anniversary of Colorado's worst natural disaster. The Big Thompson flood still looms large for many residents, and there were many commemorations that served as a chance for thoughtful reflection and remembrance of the 144 lives lost, and 418 homes and 52 businesses destroyed. The Water Resources Archive contributed in its own way by creating an exhibit in the Archives reading room in CSU's Morgan Library. Titled "Water Through Time: An Exhibit Recalling Colorado Water Events Upon the Fifth Anniversary of the Water Resources Archive," the exhibit featured several key water events with the Big Thompson flood as the focus.

Many of the exhibit items were drawn from the Archive's David McComb Big Thompson Flood Collection. McComb was a CSU history professor who documented the aftermath of the flood through photographs and oral history interviews. Putting images of the devastation and survivors' stories on display helped to keep the memory of those lost in the disaster alive.

"The materials from major events in Colorado water history, such as the Colorado-Big Thompson project or the Fryingpan-Arkansas diversion, were amazing because they represent the human ingenuity and vast amounts of labor that go into trying to control nature," says Nicolai Kryloff, graduate student administrative assistant for the Archive who helped create the exhibit. "The materials from the flood were chilling. The event reminds us of how vulnerable we are to natural forces, despite our best efforts to control them."

Channel 7 News and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District also helped commemorate the day by holding a public program on that Monday evening. Among the presentations about flash floods in general and the Big Thompson one in particular, Ken Wright, CFO of Wright Water Engineers, presented three boxes of records to the Water Resources Archive. Wright served as consultant to former governor Richard Lamm and participated in the state's response to the flood. The records of this work, now in the Archive and available to the public, will continue to provide valuable lessons for the future.

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Archive Update: Summer Progress

Many people kick back and relax during the summer, but not folks at the Water Resources Archive. Student assistants were hard at work organizing collections and creating four new finding aids. Now online are guides for the Papers of Charles C. Fisk, an engineer who wrote a book on Denver's water; the Papers of Marvin D. Hoover, a Colorado hydrologist; the Papers of Carl J. Hoffman, a Bureau of Reclamation engineer; and the North Poudre Irrigation Company Oral History Collection, which documents water management in Northern Colorado. Also revised was the finding aid for the Papers of James L. Ogilvie, another Bureau of Reclamation engineer, to incorporate several hundred photographs.

Even as work on this progressed, there was no slowing down as additional materials were donated. The Fisk family gave more documents as that collection was being finalized. Also, the Mogren and Nordin families added more to their collections, as did the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute. For new collections, in addition to the Wright Water Engineers records described above, Marvin E. Jensen donated his materials related to his consulting work on the Lower Colorado River Accounting System.

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Looking Forward: A New Advisory Board

The Archive is pleased to announce the formation of an inaugural advisory board. The board, which first met September 8th, consists of Robert Ward (chair), Mark Fiege, Justice Greg Hobbs, Mary Lou Smith, Dave Stewart, Dan Tyler and Brian Werner. Also involved are the Libraries' dean, director of development, coordinator of Archives and Special Collections, head archivist for the Water Resources Archive and assistant to the dean. The board has a focus on advising and assisting with collection development, outreach, and fundraising. With their enthusiasm, great strides forward will be taken to continue preserving the state's water heritage.

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Join Us: The Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area Film Debut Sponsored by Friends of CSU Libraries

Described by many as both wild and majestic, the Cache la Poudre River has been an essential part of life in Northern Colorado and has played a significant role in the development of water law in the Western United States. Among the first to be established west of the Mississippi, Congress designated the Cache la Poudre River Corridor as a National Heritage Area "to provide for the interpretation.of the unique and significant contributions to our national heritage of cultural and historic lands, waterways and structures within the Corridor." In its recent history, the Poudre witnessed the evolution of highly sophisticated water storage and delivery systems. The film uses historic as well as current photos to highlight the beauty and historical significance of the area. Join us on Thursday, September 21 at 5:30 pm in the Cherokee Park Ballroom of the Lory Student Center for Dr. Susan Boyle's presentation of this landmark film. Free and open to the public. Refreshments to follow.

This program is proudly sponsored by Friends of the Colorado State University Libraries, presenting programs for CSU and the community that enrich, educate, and entertain. For more information or to join Friends, contact Becky Reeve (970.491.1833 or Becky.Reeve@Colostate.edu).

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Support the Archive: Mark Your Calendars for Water Tables

Colorado State University Libraries will once again host Water Tables: An Evening with the Experts on Saturday, January 27, 2007, at the Morgan Library on the Colorado State University campus. A benefit for the Water Resources Archive, the event offers a rare and unique firsthand experience of Colorado's water resources past and present in an intimate dinner setting. This is your opportunity to meet and engage with the foremost water experts specializing in the environment, engineering, water law, history, and more while exploring the Water Resources Archive.

Beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a reception and tours of the Water Resources Archive, guests will view photographs, documents, maps, and other artifacts that reveal Colorado's water past while mingling with an array of water experts. Following the tours and reception, guests will be escorted across the plaza to the ballrooms of Lory Student Center where water experts, serving as table hosts, will facilitate engaging topic conversations while dinner is served.

Proceeds from the event will help support and enhance the Water Resources Archive at Colorado State University. Tickets are $125 per person. For reservations and information, contact Colorado State University Libraries (970.491.1833) or visit the Web site. Reservations will be accepted through January 10.

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Virtual Visit: Learn How to Donate Materials

The Archive accepts materials in any format that are related to the study and development of water resources in Colorado. Materials need not be organized or "old" or be related to any prominent entity or event to be historically significant. What you have been saving in your home or office could be instrumental to a researcher, scholar, student, policymaker or professional. Learn how to donate your materials by visiting our Web site.

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.