Renewable Energy-Western Resource Advocates-Colorado

On the same day, June 9th, as the visit to the National Renewable Lab we stopped at a library outside Boulder, Colorado to hear a discussion form the Western Resource Advocates. Karen Sheldon, President of Western Resource Advocates, was our speaker.

Western Resource Advocates works in eight states and has regional offices in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona.The organization concentrates mainly on climate change. Their fuel source of primary concern is coal. They also work with water producers in the regions to ensure they use smart water practices and  the WRA teach communities about water conservation. The Western Resource Advocates also focus on land management- especially wood affected by pine borrowing beetles due to climate change. (The winters aren’t cold enough to kill off the beetles and therefore much forest in the west is affected by the beetle.)

Ms. Sheldon went into the characteristics of the West to give us a background with the area. The West is mostly owned by federal government- either wilderness areas or national parks or forests. It has a young statehood of somewhere in the 1800s compared to the 1700s for New Jersey and most of the East.

In the Upper Mountain watersheds, there is an abundance of resources coal, oil, natural gas, and water but in the lower parts of the West it is still called the Great American Desert. Having enough water in the West is an issue of concern. There is a saying that goes “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over.” The water police in Colorado are armed.  The West has always had to allocate water and they have a prior appropriation law - if you were there first then the water goes to you.

The West has managed their water with the Colorado River Compact in existence since 1922. Lees Ferry, Arizona is the dividing point between the Upper and Lower Basin States. The Upper and Lower Basin both are supposed to receive 7.5 million acre feet from the Colorado each year. 

Here is a picture of the Upper and Lower Basin states and the dividing point, Lee's Ferry. There will be a section in Water Issues in the West to further breakdown the Colorado River Compact.