Moving Waters: The Colorado River & the West

Where water
is life...

Water. Is there enough to go around? Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in concerns over the future of everything from small scale agriculture to New Mexico's ski industry. As our population grows and diverse interests compete for access to this precious resource, water is quickly emerging as a major public issue in the American West.

Rituals, Rights, and Realities along the Watershed
Moving Waters was a regional project tying together the overlapping concerns of seven states. In an attempt to embrace the range of social issues informed by life in the Colorado Watershed, the project will examine three primary themes: 1) our emotional and spiritual relationship with the river; 2) the legal issues which shape our current uses of the river; and 3) the ecological, technological, historical, and geographic factors which outline how we live with the river. Rites. From the earliest human settlements to the most contemporary communities, people have maintained a complex emotional relationship with water in this region. The rites perspective of the project will consider everything from literature and music to religious and ceremonial arts as a way to understand the spiritual relationship people have with the Colorado. Storytellers, balladeers, writers and artists will all lend their insight into this complex range of issues. Rights. How much water can different communities access each year? Who determines these allotments? What happens when demands exceed the available supply? An investigation of jurisprudence issues will provide an understanding of the legal history that has determined access to and use of water in the west. Realities. The Moving Waters project will also consider geographical, historical, environmental, and technological forces that have shaped the realities of western water. Irrigation strategies, power generating dams, the viability of family ranching and farming as a sustainable economic activity-all of these factors will be considered for their role in shaping the way we perceive and interact with water in the west.

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In its continuing efforts to promote public dialogue, discussion, and exploration of pressing social issues, NMHC worked with 6 other state humanities councils in Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, California and Nevada to produce Moving Waters: The Colorado River and the West. This large scale 2 year program examined many facets of the Colorado River watershed through a wide range of public events, including a documentary radio series, traveling exhibit, web site, reading discussion groups, and local programming in 22 communities stretching from Wyoming to Arizona. For many states this side of the Mississippi, the Colorado River and its massive drainage system provides the lifeblood for the American West. While it once formed a mighty barrier to exploration, today the river is known more for its tumultuous lawsuits than for its roiling rapids. Yet, legalities tell only part of the story. Despite its nearly invisible presence through much of the western U.S., the pervasive mystique and massive presence of the Colorado River nourishes not only our cities and towns, but also our imaginations.

Seeking to understand
who we are,
who we were
and who we aspire to be.

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