Colorado Water Workshop, Gunnison, Colorado, May 22, 2007Colorado Water Workshop, Gunnison, Colorado, May 22, 2007 Aqua Engineering, Inc.Aqua Engineering, Inc. Editor: MaryLou SmithEditor: MaryLou Smith Producer: Kendal PerezProducer: Kendal Perez

The Stories behind the StanceThe Stories behind the Stance

Telling Our StoriesTelling Our Stories

Jenny RussellJenny RussellTelluride, ColoradoTelluride, Colorado

Attorney at LawAttorney at Law

““I love the life of the river, I love the life of the river, and especially the desert and especially the desert river: wondering what’s river: wondering what’s around the bend and how around the bend and how I’ll handle the next rapid.”I’ll handle the next rapid.”

Tom IsemanTom IsemanDenver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado

The Nature The Nature ConservancyConservancy

““It scared me that It scared me that something as vital as something as vital as water might disappear.”water might disappear.”

Eric HecoxEric HecoxDenver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado

Department of Natural Department of Natural ResourcesResources

Interbasin Compact Interbasin Compact NegotiationsNegotiations

““As a child in East Africa, I As a child in East Africa, I learned to seek out the learned to seek out the water holes. That’s water holes. That’s where the animals were!”where the animals were!”

Rita CrumptonRita CrumptonGrand Junction, ColoradoGrand Junction, Colorado

Orchard Mesa Orchard Mesa Irrigation DistrictIrrigation District

““Colorado water was the Colorado water was the best water we kids ever best water we kids ever tasted.”tasted.”

John FetcherJohn FetcherSteamboat Springs, ColoradoSteamboat Springs, Colorado

Upper Yampa Water Upper Yampa Water Conservancy Conservancy DistrictDistrict

““We have more west slope We have more west slope surplus than we can ever surplus than we can ever use. Why send it on to use. Why send it on to California?”California?”

Neil GriggNeil GriggFort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado

Colorado State Colorado State University, Civil University, Civil Engineering Engineering DepartmentDepartment

““My father was a big river My father was a big river man.”man.”

Robert DrexelRobert DrexelGunnison, ColoradoGunnison, Colorado

Upper Gunnison River Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy Water Conservancy DistrictDistrict

““Water was so precious to Water was so precious to my grandfather that he my grandfather that he refused to allow me to refused to allow me to do the irrigating on the do the irrigating on the home ranch.”home ranch.”

Don MagnusonDon MagnusonEaton, ColoradoEaton, Colorado

Cache La Poudre Cache La Poudre Irrigating CompanyIrrigating Company

““I never remember a family I never remember a family gathering where the gathering where the conversation of the elders conversation of the elders didn’t drift to telling didn’t drift to telling stories about water.”stories about water.”

George SibleyGeorge SibleyGunnison, ColoradoGunnison, Colorado

Upper Gunnison River Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy Water Conservancy DistrictDistrict

““Trying to reach the Trying to reach the Colorado River the Colorado River the next day under the next day under the scorching desert sun scorching desert sun was brutal.”was brutal.”

Mary StirlingMary StirlingDenver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado

Colorado Water Colorado Water CongressCongress

““I didn’t think there would I didn’t think there would be any place to sail in be any place to sail in Colorado.”Colorado.”

Dennis SmithDennis SmithLeadville, ColoradoLeadville, Colorado

Arkansas Basin Arkansas Basin RoundtableRoundtable

““We raised worms in We raised worms in bathtubs and sold bathtubs and sold them all day to them all day to fishermen that lined fishermen that lined the lakes thick.”the lakes thick.”

Jane RawlingsJane RawlingsPueblo, ColoradoPueblo, Colorado

The Pueblo ChieftainThe Pueblo Chieftain

““During the 1950’s During the 1950’s drought, there was no drought, there was no flushing for ‘number flushing for ‘number one.’”one.’”

Greg HobbsGreg HobbsDenver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado

Colorado Supreme Colorado Supreme CourtCourt

““My favorite place was a My favorite place was a creek… with crawdads creek… with crawdads scuttling in the water and scuttling in the water and blue-bellies flashing on and blue-bellies flashing on and off the rocks.”off the rocks.”

David FreemanDavid FreemanFort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado

Colorado State Colorado State University, University, Sociology Sociology DepartmentDepartment

““As I grew of size to help lug As I grew of size to help lug water pails, my job was to water pails, my job was to help my grandmother haul help my grandmother haul that water.”that water.”

Kathleen CurryKathleen CurryGunnison, ColoradoGunnison, Colorado

Colorado House of Colorado House of RepresentativesRepresentatives

““Fourth grade, cleaning trash Fourth grade, cleaning trash out of the stream. In that out of the stream. In that moment I decided to work moment I decided to work in the water field.”in the water field.”

Jeff CraneJeff CraneHotchkiss, ColoradoHotchkiss, Colorado

Colorado Watershed Colorado Watershed AssemblyAssembly

““Although warned Although warned against it, I drank against it, I drank heartily from high heartily from high mountain streams mountain streams simply because I simply because I could.”could.”

Bill BrownBill BrownFort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado

Fischer, Brown & Fischer, Brown & Gunn, P.C.Gunn, P.C.

““I didn’t know a cfs from I didn’t know a cfs from an acre foot, but I an acre foot, but I waded in (pun intended, waded in (pun intended, I suppose.) And I was I suppose.) And I was hooked.”hooked.”

Steve GlazerSteve GlazerCrested Butte, ColoradoCrested Butte, Colorado

High Country Citizens’ High Country Citizens’ AllianceAlliance

““I was awakened by I was awakened by seeing a mountain seeing a mountain stream being stream being completely diverted completely diverted for irrigation.” for irrigation.”

Wayne VanderschuereWayne VanderschuereColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs UtilitiesUtilities

““I realized water had I realized water had become a passion become a passion and not just a job.”and not just a job.”

Ray WrightRay WrightAlamosa, ColoradoAlamosa, Colorado

Rio Grande Water Rio Grande Water Conservancy Conservancy DistrictDistrict

““I remember when the I remember when the lawsuits came that lawsuits came that began to restrict our began to restrict our water supply.”water supply.”

Daniel TylerDaniel TylerSteamboat Springs, ColoradoSteamboat Springs, Colorado

Author, Author, Silver Fox of the Silver Fox of the RockiesRockies

““When you can wrap When you can wrap yourself in the oldest yourself in the oldest running case in the running case in the Southwest, why not take Southwest, why not take on a new mantra? on a new mantra? “Waterman!” That’s “Waterman!” That’s me!”me!”

Melinda KassenMelinda KassenBoulder, ColoradoBoulder, Colorado

Trout UnlimitedTrout Unlimited

““It is not appropriate to It is not appropriate to treat water like a treat water like a commodity; it is like air.”commodity; it is like air.”

Ralph CurtisRalph CurtisAlamosa, ColoradoAlamosa, Colorado

Rio Grande Water Rio Grande Water Conservationcy Conservationcy DistrictDistrict

““Keeping cattle out of the Keeping cattle out of the riparian areas is an riparian areas is an environmental idea that environmental idea that just makes sense.”just makes sense.”

John BarthelowJohn BarthelowFort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado

US Geological US Geological SurveySurvey

““I’d rather talk about the I’d rather talk about the physics of why removing physics of why removing water from rivers so often water from rivers so often heats them up during the heats them up during the summer.”summer.”

John WienerJohn WienerBoulder, ColoradoBoulder, Colorado

University of University of ColoradoColorado

““I feel compelled to at least I feel compelled to at least witness well and contribute witness well and contribute to showing alternatives and to showing alternatives and seeing better outcomes.”seeing better outcomes.”

Ram Dhan KhalsaRam Dhan KhalsaGrand Junction, ColoradoGrand Junction, Colorado

Bureau of Bureau of ReclamationReclamation

““Arguing over who should Arguing over who should get the water is like two get the water is like two fleas on a dog arguing fleas on a dog arguing about who owns the about who owns the dog.”dog.”

Doug KenneyDoug KenneyBoulder, ColoradoBoulder, Colorado

Natural Resources Natural Resources Law Center, Law Center, University of University of Colorado School of Colorado School of LawLaw

““Crossing the Missouri at Crossing the Missouri at age six, I was shocked age six, I was shocked and inspired by the and inspired by the scale and grandeur.”scale and grandeur.”

Rio de la VistaRio de la VistaAlamosa, ColoradoAlamosa, Colorado

Rio Grande Land Rio Grande Land TrustTrust

““When, I wonder, does a drop When, I wonder, does a drop of water enter the legal of water enter the legal system? We have not yet system? We have not yet adjudicated the cloud.”adjudicated the cloud.”

Jack FlobeckJack FlobeckColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado

Aqua Prima CenterAqua Prima Center

““My core belief about My core belief about water is simple. It’s a gift water is simple. It’s a gift from heaven.”from heaven.”