An e-newsletter from the
Water Resources Archive
April 2018
Issue #47
Hello, Spring!
The arrival of spring awakens the senses. If we pay attention, we see sights and hear sounds that appear fresh, even if familiar. Take a moment to watch, read, listen, and look—in life and in this e-newsletter! Also, challenge your brain with a water puzzler, and don’t hesitate to donate so the Water Resources Archive can continue saving and digitizing unique materials.
Watch with Us: Forthcoming Film
The Water Resources Archive will host the Colorado premier of The Colorado, an epic film about North America’s wildest river, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins on April 21. Murat Eyuboglu, the film’s director, co-writer, and cinematographer, and Christa Sadler, author of the companion book, will join us. A Q&A session as well as a book signing will follow the screening.
Narrated by stage legend and Oscar winner Mark Rylance, the film ranges broadly over the history of the Colorado River and the lands of its watershed, offering a visual and aural feast and touching on such topics as the earliest settlements in the region; European and Anglo-American explorations in the 18th and 19th centuries; the dam-building era and its consequences; agriculture and immigration; the impact of climate change on the region; and the fate of the river’s delta in Mexico. The New York Times described it as a “visually captivating and unsettling” film which maintains “a delicate balance between didactic drive and meditative awe.”
Watch the trailer and find details online. The event is free and open to the public.
What to Read: Mulroy’s Mention
When retired general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority Pat Mulroy spoke at our Western Water Symposium and Barbecue in 2016 (photo above), she mentioned working on a book. That volume is now out:The Water Problem: Climate Change and Water Policy in the United States. In addition to Mulroy’s contributions, which include a chapter co-authored with Denver Water’s Jim Lochhead (who also spoke at the 2016 WWSB!), chapters range from California to New York and look at ideas that could be implemented other places.
Give a Listen: Longenbaugh on Groundwater
Anyone who has met Bob Longenbaugh knows he has a lot to say–especially about groundwater, his specialty for 60 years. He studied the subject extensively while working in Colorado State University’s College of Engineering and then as Colorado’s assistant state engineer. Give a listen as he recounts his experiences and words of wisdom in a new oral history interview, focused on the Ogallala Aquifer. Find some of his reports, data, photographs, and maps in the Groundwater Data Collection.
Take a Look: Intriguing Images
Women and children stand next to a creek, with a laundry basket, basins, and a bucket. Titled “Mexican Laundry,” this undated image (above) is intriguing for many reasons. Taken at Culebra Creek in the San Luis Valley, likely in the late 1890s, it appears staged. What was the photographer’s purpose? Is the term “Mexican” accurate? Are the women dressed for doing laundry, or for being in a picture?
The image is something of an anomaly among the hundreds in the Irrigation Photograph Collection, and it is among the first batch digitized. Other, more typical photos, are intriguing as well, giving a glimpse into the 1890s and days gone by. The “Water wheel on G.V. [Grand Valley] Canal” is quite a sight, and “Irrigation Views. Division Box, College Grounds” shows how much has changed at the campus of Colorado State University and its weather station.
Water Puzzler
The State of Colorado created a new water conservancy district 60 years ago this month. The motivation behind this came in part from a charter board member, who went on to serve for forty years. That farmer’s initial involvement on a local ditch board evolved into support for the transmountain diversion project which the district would administer. This board member became known for his outspoken passion for water and for farming, which he expressed to Judge Dennis Maes in a letter (above) requesting reappointment. That action was taken for the final time in 1997, one year before this long-term board member passed away.
Which conservancy district is this, and who is the charter board member?
Every Drop Counts: Donate Now
Much of the Water Resources Archive’s work organizing and digitizing materials relies on the generosity of donors. To add your support, please visit our Donations page and select Water Resources Archive in the online giving form.
Puzzler answer:
The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District was created under Colorado State Statutes on April 29, 1958. Frank Milenski served on the board from creation until his death in 1998. Learn more in the Papers of Frank Milenski, and read his full letter to Judge Maes (p.3-4 of the PDF file).
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This e-newsletter is created by Patty Rettig .
Designed by Demi Connelley
