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<br />.1\'\. (\\l <br />~ <br /> <br />THE ~lVER OF CONTROVERSY: PERSiSTE~T ISSUES <br /> <br />by Uavid H. Getches and ~harles J. Mey~rs <br /> <br />The Colorado River is a national sycbol of the highest order. The life- <br /> <br />line of much of the arid West, it is a sobering reminder of our fragile de- <br /> <br />pendence on water supplies that are as ephemeral as the weather. It embodies <br /> <br />the West's history of struggles with nature and among rivals vying for scarce <br /> <br />resources. It demonstrates the paradoxical western attitude that allows a <br /> <br />distrust and distaste for intrusions of the federal government to coexist with <br /> <br />constant demands for federal assistance. As the most intensively managed ri- <br /> <br />ver of its size in the world. the Colorado stands for the ability to maximize <br /> <br />use of a natural resource. It reveals rhe interplay for technology, politics <br /> <br />and social goals. The purpose of this chapter is to call on the river's past <br /> <br />to anticipate the river's future problems and how to deal with them. <br /> <br />In little over half a century, the might of the river has been harnessed <br /> <br />and its appearance and chemistry radically changed. Ingenuity and determina- <br /> <br />tion have enabled human triumphover natural elements. Millions dwell comfort- <br /> <br />ably i~ former deserts, their thirst quenched by waters piped from the river, <br /> <br />their industries animated by energy generated by the river's force. This is <br /> <br />the new West. Yet, in rural areas a now-characteristic, deeply romantic ideal <br /> <br />of the old West has been perpetuated, A solid ranching and farming society is <br /> <br />founded on a common dedication to hard work and self-reliance, inspired by <br /> <br />communion with the land. The rural lifestyle of long ago would have become a <br /> <br />bit of nostalgia but for regular water supplies. Instead, that lifestyle has <br /> <br />spread throughout the West, expanding even to places where crops could not <br /> <br />- I - <br /> <br />" <br />" <br />