Will Stauffer-Norris ’11 and Zak Podmore ’11 on the Green River south of Wyoming’s Wind River Range in late October.

Two Colorado College State of the Rockies Project field researchers have begun a four-month “Source to Sea” journey down the length of the Colorado River.

Will Stauffer-Norris ’11, of Dayville, Ore., and  Zak Podmore ’11, of Glenwood Springs, Colo., are paddling the entire length of the Colorado River Basin, from the headwaters of the Green River high in Wyoming’s Wind River Range to the Sea of Cortez. The Colorado River Basin, one of the world’s major fresh-water sources, flows through portions of seven states in the American Southwest on its way down to Mexico, and roughly 27 million people rely on the river for water, energy, and healthy ecosystems. Their goal is to study the Colorado River Basin and how its use, restoration, and sustainability will impact future generations. Their research will be included as part of this year’s Colorado College State of the Rockies Project, a student-led project that aims to increase public understanding of vital social, economic, and environmental issues affecting the Rocky Mountain region. Their findings will be presented at the State of the Rockies conference in April 2012.

Will and Zak will be reporting from their kayaks with photos, videos, blog posts, and daily GPS tracking. Their schedule:

You can follow them at http://coloradosourcetosea.coloradocollege.edu/