Colorado Experience: Western Water—and Power

Published 2020-02-28
Ever since Western settlers dreamed of deserts in bloom, men have chased the mirage of more water than these arid lands can provide. “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting” describes the urgent struggle every generation of Coloradans faces to control this fleeting resource—creating hydrodynamic history through structures that can propel water to run uphill toward money, and power.

All Comments (21)
  • A major example of a version of water diversion is the engineering of the Chicago River from it's drainage into Lake Michigan and reverse it to drain into the Mississippi River to serve Chicago for sewage and Commercial navigation.
  • @rminhas4549
    Amazing program. It makes you wonder about the alterations to hydrology that were made and the effects they had. Surface and groundwater issues we are now seeing. The ecological plant and animal communities that have shifted as a result, such as the rich fens and riparian habitats. The effect that mining might have played, and also communities on either side of the slope. The future of Colorado!
  • I went to Western and Mesa had both Schultz and Vandenbusch as professors. They both seen i was a dumb tired jock and made me drop their history classes. After that we had a mutual respect for one another. They wernt going to let me sit in a class and fail. Both these guys are walking encyclopedias. Top notch Drs.
  • @IEchuckie
    I never knew how much water eastern Colorado took from the western slopes and for how long it's been doing it.
  • @scotcoon1186
    If it's wetter than normal when we find it, it's not a drought when it returns to normal.
  • @pikeywyatt
    have been watching R M PBS for a short time ,i like the videos i see.have just subscribed,look forward to more excellent videos thanks from east sussex uk.
  • @JoshMattson85
    Really cool history. Makes me happy to be a part of it at Shoshone!
  • @jongarrison3501
    Amazing program!! Wish I could have seen all of these projects/construction in person but this amazing footage makes me feel as if I am there. RMPBS has gained another subscriber.
  • @anditravels_
    Powell.... oh Sir, I wish we had listened to you.
  • I would love to see open lands for People wherever our water can be found
  • I don't mind Denver using our water.But not to give it to California.Which has sebveral desalination plants that they haven't used.This water,could help people in the other states.If Dubai can do it,we can too.
  • Lakes in the west are going dry and were trying to figure out what to do! the answer is right here!!!!!!!
  • @colomtnhigh77
    Really interesting, thank you for putting us together. All of these projects unfortunately create unnatural results: people and crops where they should not be.
  • @SuperCoopdogg
    Here we are now dealing with a water shortage in az and yet they keep building and people keep flocking here. So theyll want to leave because there wont be any water