Colorado Water History
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Throughout time, Coloradans have struggled to harvest enough water to meet our needs. Colorado’s fluid past has shaped the way we use and manage water. The state’s dry climate has challenged residents across the centuries. People face a common dilemma:
How can we find and store enough water?
How do we ensure that this water is divided and used fairly?
How do we maintain the quality of the water and the natural environment?
For years, Coloradans have engineered solutions to these problems, enacting laws to ensure fair distribution of water. These laws undergo revision as Colorado’s needs and values change. Colorado’s water history, and its water future, will require a careful balance of its agricultural, municipal, industrial, recreational, and environmental needs. To learn more visit Colorado Foundation for Water Education
The history of water in Colorado is a story of natural history, geography, people, place, politics, and climate. Much of the state’s water history has been shaped by population growth. In particular, a tenfold increase in residents from 1900 to 2010 and demand for the water in Colorado’s nine major watersheds and four major aquifers.
A feature length documentary film that illustrates the timeless influence of water in both connecting and dividing an arid state and region. From Ancient Puebloan cultures and the gold rush origins of Colorado water law to agriculture, dams, diversions and conservation. Website
To download a digital file, visit https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thegreatdivide
My Water Comes from the Mountains: takes children on an illustrated journey through their local watershed, from snow high on the Continental Divide to the water in their faucet tap. The book narrates the path of water from alpine to plains ecosystems as it becomes the drinking supply and irrigation water for the city of Boulder and neighboring communities.
Activity kits: My H2O watershed curriculum and a materials kit for elementary classrooms supplements the My Water books and engages students in inquiry-based activities in water science. The guide and kit blend Colorado state educational standards in science, language arts, geography and math.
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