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<br />2002
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<br />/Jecr",lJer
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<br />COLORADO \VATER
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<br /><i,
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<br />KEY!\'OTE ADDRESS -- 13th AmUlal South Platte Forum
<br />A SOUTH I'L\'ITE BASI:'> \\'ILllLlFE IIAIHT,\T O\'ERVIE\\'
<br />
<br />hy /Jon Luecke. Enl'iromuelllul Scieutist ami U'uter ReSOUTt"f!,\ Specialist
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<br />lntroductinn
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<br />In a l<)iC txX1" eflllllcd I'rl~erc..' and I'ri\ ileee: Ameriea in
<br />thc Ace of En\ irunmenlali,m. au(hor William Tu~-"er delined
<br />progre.... a.. ,impl~. "',"e pro..-c.... whefl:b~ e;J..:h gcneralllln
<br />trie.. to m;lke life beuer for ihdf ;md for Ihe next generatillll,"
<br />He wenl on 10 ob,>el'\'e thai:
<br />
<br />"Slanding in Ihe path 101 progre..sJ \~ere em ironmentall..t..,
<br />"a :>.o..:ial group that ,'pro...e.. eveT! foml of e~'onomil.: gro.... th
<br />and progre,... a,> a general poli..:y," Emironmenlilli'>m W;b
<br />ari,>tocrati~.. privilegl:d. ;lIW ~-on'el'\'ali\'c in the wor...t ..ell..e:
<br />....\t heiln. t"11\'if(lnm~'nlali..m favor.. Iht' attluel1l over the pour.
<br />Ihe have.. over the havC-lIo":' Li"... an..to.::rah through the
<br />age,>. "having made illo Ihe top. len\'ironlllenl;lli~bl be..:ollle
<br />far morc ~'olk'enlCd .... ith pre\enting olhe..... from dimhing
<br />Ihe ladder behind them. than in ma"ing up il Ie.... more runp
<br />Ihem't']\'e..,"
<br />
<br />I will 10' not 10 di..aproilll Mr. Tu..:"t'r with m~ llh...erv;Jlioll'.
<br />a.. ;1Il em ironlllentali..t. on S\'uth Plath: i'>'>ue.. in Colur:J,lo,
<br />
<br />TO......I the ..Iage. I'd Ii!..t' 10 ljuott' fHllll an t'''''a~ by \\'alla..'e
<br />Stef!ner lrom hi.. bl,,-'" Where Ihl' )UUtohird.. Sine.. to Ih,'
<br />h'lIlllllade Sprine..: Lhine illld \\ritinl! in Ihl' \\c..1.
<br />
<br />....\ridity. more Ih:Jn .1II~thing d..e. gi\t'.. Ihe \\e..lt'ffi land-
<br />..,'ape it'> ,'h..ra<.'ter. It I.. aridit~ tll;tt !,iw.. Iht' .Iir It.. "peci,tl
<br />dl!' darilY: aridilY thai put'> bnllian...... in the: light and poli..ht'..
<br />;tnd cnlarge.. the ,Iar'>: aridil~ Ihal leaJ.. the f:ra.._..c.. to e\llhc
<br />a.. bum.:hc.. rather Than a, turf: aridilY that c'f'\l..e.. th.... pig.
<br />mentation of th... rot\\ canh and limll... almo"l dimillat~'... th...
<br />,'olm (II ..:h[omrh~ II: af1~lllY lhat e:wd...s Ihe eanh III dill'> and
<br />badtUld<., rather than in ..oUelled .lIld \egetaled slol''''''' Ihill ha..
<br />...hap..:u Ihe ,'hara..:t"fl..li"::JIl~ ..\\ III ;mu motoik animal'> 01 the
<br />dl)- ~ra,,!:JM" and tht' .:hara..:tl'ri"li;:;llIy fl{X'tum;llllk lIt the
<br />desen... The \\'.....1. W"ller \\'dlh ..aid. I' "a ..emi.de..en ....ilh
<br />;\ de..en hcan,"lf I preler 10 thin" 01 il a.. I\~olon!:, dl:Jin..
<br />of moun!:Jin range.. llllh de...en.. or ..cllli-tk.....n.. in Ih...ir r;\in
<br />..hado..... Ihat i.. not III de:n~ hi... a,>,>cnlon thatlhe primar~ urut~
<br />{If Ihe We"l i, a ..hnnJ.ge (ll wal<:r.
<br />
<br />The ,'OIl"'-'ljUt'IKt'" 01 .Iridit~ multipl~ b~ a "1M 01 d,lmino
<br />dfCl.-t. In th<.' allelllptto ~-omp..:n..ate for natuf<:'.. b~-"......c ha\<:
<br />remade \\hok ........:tiOlh ,111tk' \\e..tem lilnd....:ap..:. The mooem
<br />We~lt'> a,,, ..ureJy La"'" \k;ld ;md La"t' Po\~ell <1M th..' hm
<br />PCl.'" re,>el'oir. tilt' irrig;ll...d gr~,....n('r:- oflhc SJ.lt River \'allt'~
<br />;md Ihc- ..m,lg blankct mer Phoeni\. a.. it i... the hll:'h Wind
<br />River RJ.llgt' 01 Ihe W;I..J.h:h or the (iranJ Can~"n. Wc ha\e
<br />a..:tcd U('llln Ih<: \\e..lt'm I;md....:;lf'<: with Ih" f...r...... 01 a gt'''ll,lgi"
<br />
<br />,'al agcn1. But andity ..till'> ..,,,Il'> the lun<:. direc'" our tlllker-
<br />inf:. rrewnt'> Ihe hl."aling of our mi'iake..: ;md \'a..t Ull\\atered
<br />rcache, "'1111 l."mpha,ile the ,,'omra'>t Oet\\eelllh<: de..t'n ;Uld
<br />the ..own,"
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<br />The ":Oll'~'ljue/K<:.. ul thi, aridit~ are al-.o l1l;lI\ite..led in the
<br />rel<lli\'c ,..:arcity of "4.uali.., and ripanan are;l.. in the: We"l -- a
<br />.....an.:ily that magnilie, Ih...ir ..igllltkan..:e to a v. ide fange of
<br />native ..pe..:ie,. Oil averagc the'>e areas ..:omlllul<: only 11\'e
<br />pcr~'el1l of hahit;!t in thc arid and ..elmariJ We...t. bul perfonn
<br />tin conjunction.... ith ;\ natuf;jll~ va0ing hydrology I a di\'Cr'>C
<br />..e:1 of e:<.'o..y..te:1ll functions for at ]e;!..t fl5 pen:enl of nati\'e
<br />..peck.., TIli.. facl, when ..:ombined v. ith Ihe: tradition of treat~
<br />lllg Willer a.. ...-ht'ap cmnmodit~ in the ..e:rvi..:e of a narrow ly
<br />delined ...<:t 01 economi..: developmem (lhjeclives. ha.. lead
<br />10 \<:r:- signiti..:am e..-o]o~i~'i1llo.......... \..ho..... imf'onan,,'e far
<br />e\ceed.. thc are:a ot phy..ical hilb\l.iI thai h;l'> been lllundate:d.
<br />de,>i..:..'ated. (lr oth<:rwi..e Iran..foml<:d. E\er~ "'e~te:m ri\.t'r
<br />corridor i.. no.... hi~hl~ lk\'eloped. Uf the ~5 larg......t dam'> in
<br />lh... Uml('d Slat<:... o\er l)l) per..'cnl arc in Ih... \\'e..1.
<br />
<br />SllInt." Fir~1 Imprt:~~iOlh (Ir Ihe Soulh I'lallt'
<br />
<br />The:oJme Talhl'll Frt'mollt'... ........'ond e\f'<:ditioll. 1~2--1l: "Here
<br />Ihe butlalo nlllle t(\ dfln!.. and ..1;Jnd during the- hcal 01 th<:
<br />da~. adding their 0.... n e\\-remelltto th<: aln:;\d~ putre.....ent wa-
<br />tef'>. Hli.. ,'ompound. wann<:d for w,,'..'k,., b~ Ih.... blazing ..un.
<br />make.. a drin!.. p;tl:Jlable 10 one ..ut'kring lrom t'xtrt'llle Ihir,t,"
<br />
<br />('(IIOlle] \kelun: j IXh7l: "Th... nver roll'> ih turbid Willer..
<br />Ihrough lhe Platte Villk~ and ma"e.. nu ...ign of lik ;II{lllg ib
<br />border. It i.. '>hallo..... widt'. ,lIld ll1udd~ and bro"en tly iIUlU-
<br />merahle i...land... treacherou.. ;lIld apr;lreml~ u'>t'le..... It
<br />doe"Il" even ..hin It'> o....n banI.... with ..hrub.. or limber,"
<br />
<br />Jame.. \Iidmler (L'~lIll'nnial. 1'17--11: ",\Ild 1inall~ IllI.'re is the
<br />ri\l.'r. a ,>ad. tx'\\i]dt'red 11(,thlllg of a ri\er. 11":;Irr1".. no t;re;lI
<br />ollllOUnt 01 water. and \\h~'n II hJ." ..onte. it i.. un~'enain ....her...
<br />it Want'> In la!..e II. :--:u ..hir ..:an lIa\'lgatt' it. nor l'\'t'll ..'ano... II
<br />....Ith re;l'>tlllilhk J.....uriJn..'e. It i.. the bUll of more Jo"e.. Ihan
<br />;lIIy lllher ri,,'r on eanh. and Ih<: greatc,tjo!..e h 10 ..:all it a
<br />ri\Cr .It .111. 1t'...1 ",IIlJ b..mom. a .... J./k.knllg ;IHenhought. ;1
<br />u..ek'>'> imgallon. J. fru,tratilll!. ;lnd when y('u'\'e ..,lid alllhal.
<br />11 ..udd\'nl~ ri,l."" up. apriJ.. oul \0 a mil.: .... ide'. engulf.. Yl'ur
<br />cwr' and la~.. wa..tt' 10 Yl1ur faml."
<br />
<br />Jne \'ern:ngia \RoeJ.T \towI/di" St'"". ,\ugU"1 I'NJI: "Pre-
<br />tend.l(-.f a moment. that ~..,U are henlllnt in IXJ--1, StJ.lld on
<br />Ih... e;I"'h:m gr;h..land, J.nd gue \\e..1. Fi"~ mik.. a....ay. the
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