It has been an immersive and thought-provoking start for the "Water in the West" Winterim group! We kicked off our journey on Friday by diving into the cultural currents of water, comparing creation myths to see how the stories of our youth shape our modern perceptions of the natural world and the role humans play in its health. After screening the documentary Watershed, which highlights the Colorado River’s struggle to reach the sea, the group mapped out the river’s complex web of uses and launched our mobile art project—a creative endeavor designed to represent the delicate balance between human necessity and the restoration of the river’s delta.

Today, we transitioned from storytelling to the hard science of the landscape. We explored the fundamentals of fluvial geomorphology, using stream table simulations to visualize Lane’s Equation and the concept of dynamic equilibrium—the idea that a river is a system constantly reacting to change in a never-ending quest for balance. A highlight of the day was a video call with a program alumnus who has built a career centered on the Colorado River, providing a real-world look at water advocacy. We wrapped up by diving into the NPR podcast Parched, with students teaching one another about everything from "water police" to agricultural conservation, all in preparation for our field study at the Button Rock Dam tomorrow!