Day 8: Sunday, July 17

North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas, NV

Leaving the grandiose expanse of open canyon country was no easy feat Sunday morning, especially as we knew our next stop, the indulgent metropolis of Las Vegas, would present us with a very different environment. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the geologic masterpiece of the powerful Colorado River, offered a quiet alternative to its touristy South Rim counterpart (which we will be visiting this Friday).

We had a long drive to Vegas (about five hours) through the scorching desert expanses of both Utah and Arizona. While on this journey, we ran into our first vehicular issue; a loud wailing and grinding sound was coming from somewhere near the dashboard of the van. Being the fearless leader that he is, program coordinator Brendan was able to fix it (and we got a tiny respite from the van’s cramped interior).

Upon arriving in Las Vegas (temperature: 105° F at 3 pm,), we visited the massive Springs Preserve, a museum and ecological restoration site all rolled into one. Las Vegas was originally built on a spring (allowing life in the otherwise bone-dry desert), the natural form of which has since run dry. The Preserve museum offered information on Las Vegas’s geologic transformation, history as a city, water consumption, and ideas for sustainability and conservation. Outside, gardens based on native desert vegetation interspersed with informational creature exhibits were a highlight.

Day 9: Monday, July 18

After a fun evening in our hotel, the Golden Nugget (which houses a large outdoor pool with an aquarium in the middle, through which runs a water slide; questionable sustainability practices in a region with little water), we started the day off bright and early with an 8 am meeting at the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). Doug Bennett, their Water Conservation Manager, gave us a very detailed presentation about past, present, and projected water use in Las Vegas, followed by descriptions about current conservation programs and strategies. Vegas receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River, yet as a state, Nevada receives the smallest apportionment of any state in the Basin (only 0.3 maf each year). This means that any changes in the river’s flow, such as the recent drought, drastically influence Las Vegas. A pipeline is proposed that would tap the groundwater of the Great Basin in Northern Nevada and transport it to Las Vegas, however it is highly controversial (not to mention costly, at $3.5 billion).

Our next meeting with SNWA ecologist Jason Eckberg took us to the Las Vegas Wash, a previously ephemeral stream turned into a constant flow by discharge from the Wastewater Treatment Plant upstream. The Wash has been restored as a thriving habitat for many species of flora and fauna, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, and the native cottonwood trees. Its water is still wastewater and not fit for human consumption, but returning this water to Lake Mead helps in reuse and fulfilling return flow quotas.

A quick lunch later brought us to the Boulder City Bureau of Reclamation Operations Center, which creates release schedules for Hoover, Parker, and Davis dams. We learned about the complexity of predicting future flows, as well as the potential drains facing the Colorado River’s major storage units, Lakes Powell and Mead.

Next, we drove over to the Alfred Merritt Smith Water Treatment Plant, where we met with a civil engineer who told us about an ongoing project to create a new intake on Lake Mead. The reason for this new intake is due to dropping levels on Lake Mead; if an elevation of 1050 feet is reached (the lake is currently at 1104 ft), intake #1 will fail due to its shallow placement. The project is quite costly, but because intake #3 will be placed at elevation 860 feet, it will hopefully extend the life of Lake Mead.

Our final stop for the day was at the gargantuan Hoover Dam, an impressive feat of human engineering. No matter how many pictures one has seen of it, the dam is still mind-blowing in size and stature, and in our case, heat—the temperature clocked in at 113°F. We are very grateful to Doug Bennett and the SNWA for setting up this jam-packed tour of Las Vegas water for us. We’re also ready to move on to the agricultural mecca of Imperial Valley, CA tomorrow and out of Sin City.

By Sally Hardin, Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Researcher

Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam

We left the Canyonlands early and began a long travel day to Lake Powell. After a late arrival at the Wahweap campground, we went down to see the lake and then decided to get some rest in preparation for our morning tour of Glen Canyon Dam.

As we descended hundreds of feet in the Glen Canyon Dam elevator, our knowledgeable tour guide led us through the history of the dam. Construction lasted only three years, in part due to the around the clock work regimen. While efficient, this construction approach was grueling, taking the lives of 18 workers. We were able to see one of the twelve enormous buckets that were used to carry an aggregate five million cubic yards of cement during construction.

After our initial elevator descent, our group travelled down even further in order to see the powerplant’s eight generators. Each generator produces 165 mega watts when the reservoir is near capacity. Annual output from hydroelectric power is about five billion kWh- enough to support the annual electrical needs of 400,000 houses. In addition to the turbines that are currently in use, we saw one that had been recently removed after logging 41 years so it could be replaced by a more efficient and durable design.

I was particularly interested in learning how the hydroelectric electricity is transferred from the turbines to homes. After watching a video and speaking with our tour guide, it became clear that the transportation of electricity generated from a hydroelectric powerplant is really no different from any other power plant. Electricity generated at the plant travels from: Generators -> Transformers (increasing voltage to reduce energy losses) -> Switchyard -> Power Lines -> Local Substations (voltage is reduced so it can travel along distribution lines) -> Homes and Businesses.

With 1.9 million people dependent on electricity from Glen Canyon Powerplant, it is clear why water levels in Lake Powell are a huge economic concern. If Powell’s water drops below 3,490 feet (about 19.5% capacity), power can no longer be generated. Due to this wet year, the reservoir is currently 73% full, but that high percentage can give a false sense of security. The lake is highly sensitive to short-term weather fluctuations as well as long-term climatic changes. Just six years ago in 2005, Lake Powell hit an all-time low when it dipped down to 33% capacity.

Lee’s Ferry

After leaving Glen Canyon Dam, we started on our way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Halfway to our destination, we made a stop at Lee’s Ferry, the point that divides the Upper and Lower Basin. In addition to the policy implications of this Upper/Lower Basin designation, this area was an interesting visit because we were able to see and feel the impact of Glen Canyon Dam. The water temperature dropped from 74 degrees in Lake Powell to a frigid 47 degrees at Lee’s Ferry because the water is released from bottom of the reservoir, drastically impacting the habitats for native fish species. We also witnessed a huge change in the sediment and silt distribution above and below Glen Canyon Dam. The Colorado River was originally named for its red color that was attributed to the healthy flow of sediment down the River. However, below Glen Canyon Dam, the water is crystal clear because the sediment and silt is becoming trapped behind the dam. Not only is this a threat to fish and wildlife that rely on the nutrients that are transported with the sediment, but it also threatens the dam efficiency by taking up 1.2 million acre-feet behind the dam.

The Grand Canyon

That afternoon we met with interns from the National Park Service’s Big Springs Station that surveys an apex predator called the goshawk in order to monitor the health of the forest. We were lucky enough to get to see a mother and her fledgling (who were not as pleased to see us).  After seeing the birds, the Park Service interns were nice enough to bring us to one of their favorite camping spots on the North Rim where we watched a spectacular sunset and slept out under the stars on an overhang on the rim of the Grand Canyon.

By Natalie Triedman, Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Researcher

Moab, UT and Canyonlands National Park

After enduring a lengthy night of perpetual mosquito harassment we departed from the riverside campsite at the BLM Goldbar campground and made our way three miles south of Moab to the National Park Service’s Southeast Utah Group Headquarters. The Southeast Utah Group is the centralized administrative unit in charge of maintaining Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument.

At the headquarters we met with Paul Henderson, Assistant Superintendent for the Southeast Utah Group. Paul was kind enough to discuss with our group the various challenges faced by the NPS when managing the aforementioned national parks and monuments. The majority of our discussion focused on Canyonlands, the largest of the four parks in the area, and the most challenging to manage. Paul laid out seven specific concerns the park service is currently dealing with.

First and foremost was the ongoing cleanup of the uranium-mining site located just north of Moab and directly on the Colorado River. Following standard procedure of virtually all mining companies in the West, the company that once owned this site filed for bankruptcy and subsequently abandoned the property, eventually leading to the Departments of Energy’s acquisition of the site. This particular site will remain one of the last and largest tailing sites along the Colorado until the cleanup is completed in approximately 12 years. While the NPS did not play an active role in the cleanup of the site, the leaching of materials into the river posed a significant threat to the riparian zones within the park boundaries.

The second issue looming over Canyonlands National Park, and throughout the river systems of the West, is the presence of tamarisk, or salt cedar. This non-native invasive and species was introduced to the region some forty years ago in an effort to reduce bank erosion. The plant has since choked out native cottonwoods and other local flora through its high water consumption and release of highly saline wastewater. Paul explained that the park service has not engaged in experimental tamarisk beetle introductions or large-scale fire removal.

Additional challenges that Paul discussed were: the management of five endangered fish species, the recovery of high operational costs, communication between park officials in emergency situations that is inhibited by the high number of dead spots, management of a geologic park with nonsensical geographic boundaries, and the classic NPS problem of balancing their dual missions of promoting recreation and entertainment and protecting our nations natural resources for future generations.

Paul proved not only to be a library of information but an entertaining speaker as well. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him, and would like to again thank him for all of his assistance.

Once our meeting adjourned, we made our way to the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park. After setting up at a beautiful campsite, our group embarked on the 11-mile roundtrip journey from the Big Spring Canyon Overlook trailhead to the Green and Colorado River Confluence overlook. From 1,000 feet up we witnessed the two of the great rivers in the West collide and continue their journey South to Mexico.

We will now do the same, as our research team heads out once again on our way to Lake Powel.

By Warren King, State of he Rockies Project Researcher

Tuesday, July 12

Paonia to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

While parting with the idyllic Orchard Valley Farms was tough, we had much to look forward to as we packed up early Tuesday morning to head off to the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. We were there to investigate, first-hand, the effects of a recent negotiation securing a 1933 federally reserved water right for the Black Canyon National Monument (now National Park). This water right established minimum and peak flows for the Gunnison River flowing through Black Canyon, and has been in effect for three years now.

Later in the afternoon we’d meet with a knowledgeable Park Hydrologist and get the full details on the status of the Gunnison River (an important tributary to the Colorado River). But for now, it was time to hike down the 1,800 vertical feet into the canyon and see the roaring river ourselves. The 1.75 mile hike down “SOB Draw” took us a little more than an hour as we carefully picked our way down scree, lowered ourselves around boulders, and avoided poison ivy as well as we could. The view down into the canyon was stunning, and reaching the bottom left us with no doubt as to why this spectacular yet remote canyon was awarded National Park Status.

After a dip in one of the river’s many pools and the obligatory photo shoot (check out our facebook page), it was time to head back up. This required some serious scrambling, but was arguably far more fun than the uphill slog offered by flatter, less rocky trails. Plus, the view was unbeatable.

Because of the remote location of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, it took us nearly two hours to drive from our North Rim hike over to the South Rim, where we were camping. The drive offered incredible scenery, however, as well as chance to check out the river’s largest reservoir in Colorado, the Blue Mesa Reservoir. This dam-reservoir system, in conjunction with two other major dams (Crystal and Morrow Point), makes up the Aspinall Unit. This storage and diversion system was the brainchild of Colorado Representative Wayne Aspinall, thoroughly debated by the environmental community, but finally created in order to provide water for growing metropolitan areas throughout the West.

Once on the South Rim of Black Canyon, we rolled up into camp just in time to meet with Michael Dale, the Park hydrologist, and were greeted by heavy rain. Dale was a great sport and we discussed flow rates, park recreation, impacts of dams, water rights and the economy of the surrounding area. He was an excellent source as far as familiarizing us with the technicalities of flow forecasts and changing hydrological components.

Wednesday, July 13th

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP to Green River, UT to Moab, UT

After a beautiful sunset and a refreshing night’s sleep, we took off early again this morning, this time bound for Utah. A morning in the car got us caught up with various field trip contacts using email on our smartphones, and Carson finished a movie detailing our first few days on the road (you can check it out here). We stopped first at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River, Utah, where we learned extensively about Powell’s first trip down the river in 1869.

We hopped back on the road to get to Moab, where we were met by the now-routine afternoon thunderstorm and the treat of waterfalls of rain running off of Moab’s stoic red rock. We pulled into town in time for a meeting with Living Rivers head John Weisheit (www.livingrivers.org ), a long-time advocate for recognizing the natural flow regime of the river and the negative impacts of growing human presence. Weisheit provided a very cynical but realistic point of view on the Colorado’s future, discrediting the efforts of water purveyors and policymakers in consistently diverting and damming the river.

Now that we’re having precious internet time at Moab’s public library, we’ll be all ready for another evening camping, a Thursday morning meeting, and a hike to the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers tomorrow.

By Sally Hardin, Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Researcher

Monday, July 11, 2011

Avon-Glenwood Springs-Aspen-Paonia

Morning on the Colorado

Departing early from the Hillman’s in Avon, we followed the Eagle River to the confluence with the Colorado.  Continuing on to Glenwood Springs, we arrived at our outfitters for the morning: Whitewater Rafting, LLC.  After a brief safety talk featuring the compulsory bad jokes, we climbed into a van with our guide, Levi, and another party.

Because the Colorado is very high right now—almost 20,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) below the confluence of the Roaring Fork—we were unable to go through the Shoshone rapids.  Instead, we embarked from Bear Creek. The first big rapid we hit, Mine Shaft, nearly sent Warren and Carson into the drink.  Though we hit some fun rapids after that, there were long stretches where we could talk with Levi.

We asked Levi about the impact of the Shoshone Dam, and he mentioned that it has been greatly beneficial to the rafting industry of Glenwood Springs.  In order to generate power Shoshone needs to release a minimum of 1,200 cfs, guaranteeing enough water in the Colorado to raft.   Since Shoshone is a top-release dam, it does not have the negative temperature effects of bottom-release dams like Glen Canyon: cold water equals a greater likelihood of hypothermia.  Levi also told us about the ecology and hydrology of the river.  One interesting fact he gave us is that the source of Glenwood hot springs is actually under the Colorado, the river was diverted in order to make the Glenwood Hot Springs pool, and the hot spring is the greatest natural source of salt on that section of the river.

Towards the end of our rafting adventure, we formed a trust circle.  Holding on to each other’s shoulders, we stood on the edge of the raft while Levi spun us in a circle, gradually increasing speed.  As we circled, we went past two juvenile Bald Eagles, undoubtedly laughing as the inevitable occurred: Sally and Warren fell out of the boat as our trust circle collapsed.

Recreation on and around the Colorado River has a significant economic impact, and can be a great ally of the environment.  We would learn more about environmental and recreation groups working together to ensure in-stream flows when we visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Afternoon in Aspen

We drove to Aspen in a light rainstorm.  It is truly amazing how green the mountains and how full the rivers are.  After a decade of drought we need the water, but we have to remember that one wet year does not end a drought.

In the afternoon we met with Auden Schendler, the Vice President for Sustainability at Aspen Ski Company.  He gave an overview of Aspen’s sustainability efforts.  First, Aspen performed some institutional greening: recycling programs, installing low-flush toilets, and so forth.  They realized, however, that such small-scale effects alone would not have any impact on climate change.  Climate change and the warming of much of the world could result in a shorter ski season and less snow, both of which would affect the ski industry.

Aspen then added efforts to reduce their carbon footprint by directly generating power from green sources as opposed to purchasing “meaningless” alternative energy certificates.  But, Schendler told us, these small-scale efforts are not going to have any significant impact on mitigating climate change.  Even if Aspen were to figure out a way to insure snow for skiing, Schendler noted that the decrease in socio-economic stability would decrease the number of people that could ski.  If your town has flooded in North Dakota, or if your home was wiped out by a hurricane, you do not have the luxury to go on a ski trip.

With this in mind, Aspen has been using their leverage as a political and economic force (not to mention a vacation destination) to influence people who have the power to change the world.  Aspen, along with over 700 other companies boycotted Kimberly Clark (Kleenex) because of their unsustainable forestry practices.  Like magic, Aspen made national press and Kimberly Clark has since greened their operations.

Evening on the Farm

Shortly after six we pulled into Orchard Valley Farms and Black Bridge Winery in Paonia, CO.  Owned by my great aunt and uncle Kathy and Lee Bradley, the farm has water rights to the Farmer’s Ditch—rights dating to 1890.  Since western water law is based upon the doctrine of prior appropriation (“first in time, first in line”), these early water rights are vital to the farmers.

The Bradleys started farming apples in Orchard Valley Farms in 1991.  They gradually replaced the apple trees with other crops until today; they grow cherries, peaches, wine grapes and some other produce that they sell at their market.   We spoke with Lee and Kathy about their operation and sampled some of their produce.

Camping out in the peach orchard, we cooked brats over an open fire and roasted corn: a great end to a full day.

By Ben Taber, Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Researcher

The State of the Rockies Summer Research trip has begun.  The Rockies research team left Colorado Springs today and are on their way to Avon, CO.  Along the way we’ll witness the remainder of this years record high snowpack levels and the high runoff that has been produced in Colorado and the rest of the Basin. Tomorrow has excitement in store as the research team is headed to Glenwood Springs to raft Glenwood Canyon and then off to meetings in Aspen in the afternoon.

Stay tuned in here as the research team will try and update this blog daily with different information regarding what we’re seeing, who we’re meeting with, and what we’ve learned about the intricate Colorado River Basin.  The team will also be updating its Facebook page throughout the trip with photos and links to videos we’ve posted on our YouTube channel.