...Colorado River Report "An inhospitable desert has become a playground, and the Colorado River has become a plumbing system.” The Colorado River Report (2000) states that, “the erection of dams, reservoirs, and canals, along with countless diversions, has turned the river in a plumbing system, and today, the Colorado is a river no more.” The creation of this pluming system has imposed destruction on the river, such as “most of the native fish are endangered, that major bird migration stops are severely truncated and degraded, that some of the most spectacular scenery in the world is less than spectacular” (Colorado River Report, 2000), for example. The Colorado River Tasks Force concluded that “the current usage of the river is unsustainable. The existing plumbing system is vulnerable to sustained drought or earthquakes, as well as to engineering failure” (Colorado River Report, 2000). Simply put, all of these problems are the outcome of “unbalanced allocation of a critical natural resource, the water of the Colorado River Basin” (Colorado River Report, 2000). The study expresses that California’s allocation of the Colorado River is 4.4 maf/y, yet California diversions from the river have often exceeded this and have been as much as 5.2 maf/y. The six other basin states have insisted that California implement a 4.4 Plan (of the water that must be delivered by the Upper Basin states to the Lower Basin) to alleviate most or all of these problems. “To do this...
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...The Colorado River is the major water route in the Southwest, a region that is drier than the deserts of North Africa. In recent years, a once “inhospitable desert has become a playground, and the Colorado River has become a plumbing system” (Colorado River Report, 2001). This statement means that people have made so many changes to the natural environment around the Colorado River bed that the area no longer resembles the original habitat of the area. These changes have affected the animal life as well as the natural environment of the area. Another change in the environment is a change in the river itself as it now serves as a plumbing system. These changes are relating to the ways that people have changed the habitat around the river. The more people that use and change the land, the more the river changes. The Colorado Task Force identified a number of problems. In response to the changes in the Colorado River, the Sierra Club created the Colorado River Task Force to identify and solve problems associated with overdevelopment as well as over-usage of the river area. One problem is to restore the Colorado River delta (Colorado River Report, 2001). The delta is home to many endangered species. Part of the restoration process is to stop dumping hazardous chemicals into the Delta (Colorado River Report, 2001).Another problem is the water quality in the Colorado River basins. The total maximum daily loads wanted to provide the states to recognize the need for some portion of...
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...water will always be there, and this is becoming more and more evident as population increases and the supply decreases. Two major means for freshwater in the western United States are the Colorado River and the Ogallala Aquifer. These bodies of freshwater have had a vast history of disputes over how they should be allocated, maintained and treated. Up until now, there have been no agreements that have satisfied everyone. The allocation of fresh water resources in western America needs to be secured because if the status quo is maintained, the consequences will be enormous to humans and the environment, as well as the economy, whom are all dependent upon freshwater for survival. The Colorado River has had a long history of water allocation controversies. It is a major river that runs through seven states including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. It then continues into Mexico and empties into the Gulf of California. This river is 1,450 miles long and supplies water to over 40 million people. (Imperial Valley) The seven states the river runs through came together in 1922 and agreed upon the Colorado River Compact. This governs the allocation of water along the river by dividing the river into an upper and lower basin. The upper basin consists of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Arizona. The lower basin is the other part of...
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...Colorado River Native Riparian Vegetation in Grand Canyon: How Has Glen Canyon Dam Impacted These Communities? by Susan B. Infalt ABSTRACT Native riparian vegetation has changed considerably along the mainstem of the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead since the closure of the dam. Old high water line (OHWL) plant species are in decline despite the shift some species have made into new, lower zones of the riparian area. Plants and sediment substrates directly adjacent to the river have been subjected to much less scour and desiccation with the post-dam hydrograph, and many woody species have been able to colonize much larger areas relative to pre-dam conditions. Novel communities such as return current channel marshes have developed in the canyon due to the lack of scour in backwater habitats. Overall, there has been a significant increase in the areal extent of riparian vegetation along this section of the Colorado River. The 1996 test flood was expected to scour existing riparian and marsh vegetation. Monitoring conducted after the flood revealed that vegetation was buried rather than scoured, and was able to recover to pre-flood levels within six months. Flows the size of the test flood, 45,000 cfs (1,274 m3/s), are inadequate to achieve current vegetation management goals, and will thus need to be modified if vegetation management goals are to be met. INTRODUCTION This paper will discuss the characteristics that make riparian zones in general extremely important...
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...Grand Canyon, immense canyon cut by the Colorado River in the high plateau region of northwestern Arizona, U.S., noted for its fantastic shapes and coloration. The Grand Canyon lies in the southwestern portion of the Colorado Plateau, which occupies a large area of the southwestern United States and consists essentially of horizontal layered rocks and lava flows. The broad, intricately sculptured chasm of the canyon contains between its outer walls a multitude of imposing peaks, buttes, gorges, and ravines. It ranges in width from about 175 yards (160 metres) to 18 miles (29 km) and extends in a winding course from the mouth of the Paria River, near Lees Ferry and the northern boundary of Arizona with Utah, to Grand Wash Cliffs, near the Nevada state line, a distance of about 277 miles (446 km); the first portion of the canyon—from Lees Ferry to the confluence with the Little Colorado River—is called Marble Canyon. The Grand Canyon also includes many tributary side canyons and surrounding plateaus. The greatest depths of the Grand Canyon lie more than a mile (some 6,000 feet [1,800 metres]) below its rim. The deepest and most spectacularly beautiful section, 56 miles (90 km) long, is within the central part of Grand Canyon National Park, which encompasses the river’s length from Lake Powell (formed by Glen Canyon Dam in 1963) to Lake Mead (formed by Hoover Dam in 1936). The North Rim, at approximately 8,200 feet (2,500 metres) above sea level, is some 1,200 feet (365 metres)...
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...abilities have vastly improved. These two changes, worldwide, have led to many large-scale projects that have altered the environment of sizable regions. This investigation focuses on three major water diversions- the Salton Sea, Aral Sea, and the Colorado River. Part 1: The Salton Sea 1. Describe the location of the Salton Sea. What is the climate and geography of the area? 2. How did the Salton Sea form? Explain what role humans played. 3. What is the present condition of this body of water? How has it changed over the last 25 years? Why? 4. Describe several ways the Salton Sea has altered the ecosystem of the region. Explain the stability of that ecosystem. How is it changing over time? 5. Outline 3 environmental and 3 economic reasons the Salton Sea is important. 6. What steps are being taken to remediate the Salton Sea? What are the chances of success? Explain. 7. Compare the similarities and differences between the Salton Sea and Lake Chad in sub-Saharan Africa. Part 2: The Aral Sea 1. Find the location and other geographic information about the Aral Sea from a current atlas. a) Which former Soviet republics border the Aral Sea? b) Which rivers mainly supply the Aral Sea? 2. What government agency is...
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...tools and equipment that could help them take care of the lands they owned. Due to irrigation many changes took place in Yuma and Southern Arizona in many ways. Dams were built and the population grew. The Yuma Project was extremely important to the people of Yuma County. Many great changes happened. Irrigation started to flow, farms started to appear, and the population grew. In 1912, towards the beginning of the Yuma Project, 13,767 acres were used for irrigation. There was an unknown numbers of farms but 470 farms were served with a population of 1,504 total. Only two towns were around, with an average population of 3,525 people. The total population of the area was 5,029. ”Statistics are taken from Annual Project Histories and Annual Reports for specified years.” As time progressed, the numbers went up. Farmers had more land, the population skyrocketed, and the amount of towns went up. More land was available so irrigation was able to be used in more of Southern Arizona. By the end of the Yuma Project, the population was up to 378,000 people in total, with six towns that had an average population of 35,100. The Yuma Project lead to a buy-out which helped the population of Southern Arizona even more. Economically, the crops yield went up a lot. The agricultural income went up, as well as the income from crops. The impact of the buyout had on the population was more noticeable than it was on the economy. At the time of the buy-out, the total population was dependent on agricultural...
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...The second change in the canyon was when the ancestral Colorado River became integrated with the lower Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The rivers conjunction contributed to an increase in the erosion of the Grand Canyon, as more water now flowed through. The last significant change caused by plate tectonics seen was the influence of the Colorado River due to formation of the Hurricane and Toroweap Faults located in the western portion of the canyon (Pelletier, 2009). The formation of these faults allowed for an increase flow of water in the western canyon contributing to an increase in erosion. These formations are unique to the Grand Canyon and have occurred due to the movement of tectonic plates. In Peru, the Colca Canyon is situated on the South American plate, which has continually been moving west, colliding with the Nazca Plate. This collision caused the major uplift that formed the Andes Mountains, which the Colca Canyon is a part of. In response to this uplift, the canyon has seen the valley deepen by an average rate of .2 mm per year (Thouret et al., 2007). This rate is extremely fast in comparison to the rate other canyons in the world are deepening at. The sediments found in the layering of canyons contain different particles that cause canyons to shape in particular ways. Just as different sediments shape these canyons, different sediments shape the rest of our world. The shape of mountains, rivers, valleys, and all other natural structures has to do with...
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...explore the effects of the All-American Canal and the ongoing battle against illegal immigration. The canal is owned by the federal government and operated by the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). This paper will examines both sides of the moral obligation and responsibility of the government and the immigrants that attempt to cross the canal. Keywords: Imperial Irrigation District, responsibility Claim: “It is permissible for the federal government to allow the drowning deaths of illegal immigrants at the All-American Canal to continue because they aren’t required to provide life saving equipment. Explanation of the claim: The All-American Canal is an aqueduct that conveys the last drops of Colorado River water into the Imperial Valley in California. The canal provides drinking water for 9 cities and irrigates over 500,000 acres. It was built in the 1930’s by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and completed in 1942. It’s owned by the federal government and operated by the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). Two thirds of our winter fruits and vegetables are grown using this water. The canal creates jobs in the farming industry and half of the people who pick the crops are illegal aliens who cross the canal from Mexico. The problem is the canal is 225 feet across and 20 feet deep with currents that can carry a person 8 feet per second once in the water. Since the double fences were installed on the borders of San Diego, Ca. and Mexico...
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...Few would argue that the Grand Canyon is the most desirable tourist destinations in the world. Adventures there include descriptive words such as “amazing,” “breathtaking,” “incredible,” and “magnificent.” How do you describe one of the seven wonders of the world? The Canyon’s elegance and beauty go far beyond people’s ability to describe. So much has been written about the wonders of Grand Canyon. The South Rim is overrun with plenty visitors, both from the US and international. Bumper to bumper traffic and large pushy crowds are the norm at the scenic sight. But the best-kept secret of the Grand Canyon adventure isn’t discovered by visiting the arid South Rim. The best way to see the Grand Canyon is to get “Off the Beaten Path” via the North Rim! It’s a visitor’s dream come true, with incredible views, improved trails and great facilities. The only thing the North Rim doesn’t offer you are the crowds. When approaching the northern canyon access, you travel through the scenic Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway, which traverses the 1500 square mile North Kaibab National Forest-Grand Canyon National Game Preserve. Travelers drive through the gentle green forests, which rise dramatically to 9,000 feet in elevation. The Kaibab, which the Paiute Indians called “the mountain lying down,” changes from the Sonoran desert zone at one extreme, to the frosty climate of the sub-alpine zone nearer the canyon. Dense pine forests of the high Kaibab Plateau end abruptly at the canyon’s edge...
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...“Beauty in Nature” It was cold, dark, and quiet, and I was having the time of my life. As I was lying on my cot on that little beach at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, I started to relive the whole experience from start to finish and I suddenly relized how fortunate I was to have this experience. It all started in the beginning of January 2010. For my sixteenth birthday, my grandparents said that I could pick anything I wanted to do, anywhere in the country, and they would pay for my Dad, my Grandpa, and I to go. After a few weeks of indecision (I had so many ideas that I couldn’t decide) my Grandpa called me and told me that he had asked a travel agent for ideas. She informed him of a trip that consisted of visiting the city of Las Vegas, spending a day on a cattle ranch, and, best of all, a three day, two night rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. A decision that I had been struggling with for weeks was solved with a short phone call. This was the trip I wanted to take, the trip of a life time. The date was set, we would fly to Las Vegas at the end of May. This posed a slight problem in that school didn’t let out untill the fifth of June, and final exams were taking place in the last two weeks. After much effort on my part, I was able to exempt a couple of exams and convince the rest of my teachers to allow my to take their test early. Everything was in order, we were to leave a full week before the end of school. The plan was for my Dad and I to drive up to my Grandparents’...
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...2013 "This is where families form unbreakable bonds. Where sharing a moment means creating a memory. And where your family getaway is something you'll return to forever. Come share this unforgettable experience. In a land called Colorado." This particular ad is a description of a visit to the state of Colorado. Convincing more tourism is the purpose for this ad. The targeted audience for this ad is seen visually in the painting of a family surrounded by a camp-wood fire in the middle of nowhere. Families, and mainly people who love to travel, are called through this promotion. This ad appeals to families of a certain socio-economic and educational level. There are advertising techniques used to symbolize these things. Plain folks, the most seen technique, is a suggestion that the product is a practical product of good value for ordinary people. When you look at the Colorado ad, you can easily visualize your "ordinary" family around that camp fire in the wilderness. However, families who cannot provide the "perfect" life for their children cannot replace the people that are photographed in the picture. Families that are poor or unstable, such as drug addicts, alcoholics, and abusive will not be seen taking a plane, bus, or car al the way to Colorado to see the mountains. The ideal family is seen here. Using the consumer's imagination, they are finishing up riding their horses around for a nature walk, settling down around a fire to watch the stars race across the skies. They...
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...feet deep and the North is 8,000 feet deep as well and being higher in elevation. The channels were cut through layer after layer of a rock while the Colorado Plateau was being uplifted caused by the process of the crustal thickening. No matter how many geologist study the Grand Canyon no one can ever figure out how it was formed but everyone has their guesses. The guesses by geologist were stated that the possibility of it being formed was based on the environment causing deposition and the Earth’s movements causing it to have a continental drift and being able to see the process of erosion and volcanism....
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...She brings to light the tradeoffs of the pioneering American of legend and the necessity to not forget what is lost in time. Another water project, the Salton Sea on the Southern tip of California is a prime example of the way artists of the West interacted with government projects of water management. The diversion of water from the Colorado river in canals in the early 20th century led to the creation of the small inland sea. Edmund Mitchell writes about the reason for the creation of the sea in his essay “The Salton Sea” in 1906: “the California Development Company set itself to supply...
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...River Colorado This extraordinary river has many unique features and runs through 7 American states including Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Baja, California, and Sonora. Humans have benefitted from the river for the last 2000 years due to its huge potential. More water is exported from the colorado basin than from any other river basin in the US. However these human uses have caused various effects on the river discharge. Key Features: Big Thompson Trans-Basin Diversion Reservoirs including Mead, Powell, Flaming, Gorge and Fontenelle Dams such as Hoover, Davis and Parker Glen Canyon Grand Canyon The Colorado River Delta Figure 1 - shows the course of the river. The Upper Colorado starts at the source at La Poudre Pass Lake in the Rocky Mountain national Park in Colorado. Here the annual precipitation is very high in the park with as much as 2540mm of snow during the winter. Under the Rocky Mountains there is the Big Thompson Trans-Basin Diversion, which diverts water to 2 million people living in Colorado. The Colorado River begins to flow to the west into Grand Lake in Colorado. Once the Colorado River meets the U.S. southwest, it begins to meet several more dams and reservoirs including the Fontenelle (the first of 11 dams) and receives its principle tributary, the Green River before it reaches the Glen Canyon Dam which forms the reservoir Lake Powell in Southern Utah. Here the Colorado also joins with San Juan River. From here...
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