Natural Resources Law Center to Study Colorado River Governance
Colorado Law’s Natural Resources Law Center will begin work on a new Colorado River Governance Initiative.
The current governance structure for the Colorado River focuses primarily on managing river flows to generate electricity and satisfy water demands, especially in the lower basin of the Colorado River. While efforts have been made in recent years to protect wildlife habitat and river ecosystems, especially through the Grand Canyon and in the Colorado River delta, these efforts have proved only modestly successful and difficult to sustain.
Under this new initiative, the Center will examine the current governance structure on the Colorado River and engage policymakers on possible institutional reforms. They will analyze reform options to determine the extent to which they protect wildlife resources of the river system, protect or improve water quality, and promote improved wildlife habitat along the river corridor, while at the same time assuring adequate water supplies for human needs.
“One of the biggest challenges in reforming the Colorado River governance structure is political,” noted Center Director Mark Squillace. “An elaborate system of treaties, compacts, laws, court decisions, and policies – often called The Law of the River – currently govern river management, and each element of this Law has beneficiaries who are likely to oppose change. Unfortunately, some parts of the Law work against protecting the overall health of the Colorado River system, and this problem is complicated by factors such as climate change and population growth, which impose additional stresses on a resource that even now struggles to meet current demand. The initiative is designed to develop a blueprint for future management that will allow for managing the River basin’s resources more holistically, and in a manner that preserves wildlife resources and habitats while ensuring the availability of adequate water supplies for humans.”
“For more than 25 years, the Natural Resources Law Center has been engaged in cutting-edge research on a wide range of resource policies, most notably in the area of water resources. Over these years, the Center has developed a reputation for offering practical and sound policy advice. These skills will be put to the test with this new initiative, but we are excited for the opportunity and the challenge.”
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| The Colorado River watershed covers 242,000 square miles of North America. |
