Whos Who
Overview
This section of the wiki identifies many of the entities that fund, produce, translate, and use the science that is relevant to the Colorado River Basin and management of its resources.
These entities are grouped into these broad categories:
- Research programs
- Forecasters
- Water agencies
- Water user associations
- Other groups
Research programs
| Program/Unit | University/Agency | City | State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Colorado River Studies | Utah State U. | Logan | UT | A nexus for innovative research, teaching, and outreach that informs management of the Colorado River and other major rivers of the American Southwest. |
| Western Water Assessment (WWA) | U. of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | CO | A university-based applied research program that addresses societal vulnerabilities to climate variability and climate change, particularly those related to water resources. |
| Research and Development Office | Reclamation | Denver | CO | By developing and applying science and technology, advances Reclamation's mission to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources. |
| Colorado River Basin R2O Program | Reclamation | Boulder | CO | Engages a variety of scientists and government agencies to collaborate on projects that advance Reclamation's use of climate information, hydrology, modeling, and decision science. |
| Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) | U. of Arizona (also New Mexico State U.) | Tucson | AZ | Promotes collaborative research involving scientists, decision makers, resource managers and users, educators, and others who need more and better information about climate and its impacts. |
| Water Resources Program | U. of New Mexico | Albuquerque | AZ | A center of expertise on water-related issues and training for environmental professionals, promoting fair, healthy and sustainable solutions to the challenges of water use in New Mexico and the Southwest. |
| Colorado Water Center | Colorado State U. | Fort Collins | CO | Leads interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach to address complex and evolving water-related challenges in Colorado and beyond. |
| Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions (CCASS) | U. of Arizona | Tucson | AZ | Brings together a wealth of expertise at the University of Arizona to support sound management choices in the context of climate change, linking science, information needs of managers, and decision-making. |
| Water Resources Research Center | U. of Arizona | Tucson | AZ | Tackles key water policy and management issues, empower informed decision-making, and enrich understanding through engagement, education, and applied research. |
| Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center | US Geological Survey | Flagstaff | AZ | Focuses its science efforts on the effects of operations from Glen Canyon Dam on the physical, biological and ecological processes and resources of the Colorado River downstream of the dam. |
| Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center | U. of Arizona; US Geological Survey | Tucson | AZ | Provides objective scientific information, tools, and techniques that land, water, wildlife, and cultural resource managers and other interested parties can apply to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change impacts in the southwestern United States. |
| North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center | U. of Colorado; US Geological Survey | Boulder | CO | Fosters innovative and applied research in support of tribal, federal, state, and local natural resource management and decision-making, serving Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska. |
| Hutchins Water Center | Colorado Mesa U. | Grand Junction | CO | Performs and facilitates interdisciplinary and collaborative research, education, outreach, and dialogue to address the water issues facing the Upper Colorado River Basin. |
| Four Corners Water Center | Fort Lewis College | Durango | CO | An interdisciplinary center dedicated to contributing to solutions to our water challenges. |
| Getches-Wilkinson Center | U. of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | CO | A center of faculty and curriculum addressing environmental, energy, and natural resources law. |
| Water Utility Climate Alliance | 12 member agencies; 4 using Colorado River water | Las Vegas | NV | Leverages collective water utility experiences to develop leading practices in climate change adaptation and mitigation. |
Forecasting and monitoring
| Unit/Program | University/Agency | City | State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Basin River Forecast Center | National Weather Service, NOAA | Salt Lake City | UT | Streamflow, seasonal water supply, and flood forecasting |
| National Water and Climate Center | Natural Resources Conservation Service | Portland | OR | Coordination of SNOTEL snowpack monitoring; seasonal water supply forecasting |
| Arizona Snow Survey | Natural Resources Conservation Service | Phoenix | AZ | State-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports |
| New Mexico Snow Survey | Natural Resources Conservation Service | NM | State-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports | |
| Utah Snow Survey | Natural Resources Conservation Service | Salt Lake City | UT | State-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports |
| Colorado Snow Survey | Natural Resources Conservation Service | Lakewood | CO | State-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports |
| Wyoming Snow Survey | Natural Resources Conservation Service | Casper | WY | State-specific SNOTEL information and charts; water supply reports |
| Intermountain West Regional Drought Early Warning System | National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS); NOAA | Boulder | CO | NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System; researches drought; national early drought warning system |
| Western Regional Climate Center | Desert Research Institute | Reno | NV | Climate services at national, regional, and state levels |
| Colorado Climate Center | Colorado State U. | Fort Collins | CO | Develops tools and methods to better communicate the climatology and climate variability of Colorado |
| Utah Climate Center | Utah State U. | Logan | UT | Facilitate access to climate data and information; to use expertise in atmospheric science; to interpret climate information in an accurate and innovative fashion |
| Wyoming State Climate Office | U. of Wyoming | Laramie | WY | Provides water and climate-related data in Wyoming |
| Colorado Dust on Snow Program | Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies | Silverton | CO | Applied science effort to monitor and record dust on snow in Colorado |
Water Agencies
| Agency | City | State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reclamation - Upper Colorado River Region | Salt Lake City | UT | Manages over 30 Upper Basin dams, reservoirs, and associated projects, including Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge, Navajo, Blue Mesa. |
| Reclamation - Lower Colorado River Region | Boulder City | NV | Manages Lower Basin reservoirs, including Lake Mead, and water distribution to major users, acting as "water master" for Lower Basin. |
| Reclamation - Boulder Canyon Operations Office | Boulder City | NV | Office within the Lower Colorado River Region that operates Lake Mead. |
| Central Arizona Project (CAP) | Phoenix | AZ | Operates the CAP canal and system, delivering water to the Phoenix valley, Tucson, Tribal nations, and non-tribal agricultural users. |
| Salt River Project | Phoenix | AZ | Delivers water and power to 2 million users in the Phoenix area, using CAP water, local, groundwater, and surface water from the Salt-Verde-Tonto Rivers. |
| Arizona Dept. of Water Resources | Phoenix | AZ | Protects, enhances, and conserves Arizona's water through 24 programs, including Colorado River Management. |
| Mohave County Water Authority | Bullhead City | AZ | Consortium of six municipalities and water districts in southwestern Arizona that rely on Colorado River water, focused on protecting those resources. |
| Tucson Water | Tucson | AZ | Water utility for Tucson; since the 1990s has shifted its supply from groundwater to mostly CAP water from the Colorado River. |
| Colorado River Board of California | Protect the interests and rights of the State of California in the water and power resources of the Colorado River system. | ||
| California Dept. of Water Resources | Sacramento | CA | |
| Metropolitan Water District of Southern California | Los Angeles | CA | |
| San Diego County Water Authority | San Diego | CA | |
| Imperial Irrigation District | Imperial | CA | |
| Los Angeles Department of Water and Power | Los Angeles | CA | |
| Colorado Water Conservation Board | Denver | CO | |
| Denver Water | Denver | CO | |
| Aurora Water | Aurora | CO | |
| Northern Water | Berthoud | CO | |
| Dolores Water Conservancy District | CO | Manages water from the Dolores River | |
| Colorado River District | Glenwood Springs | CO | |
| Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District | Gunnison | CO | |
| Colorado River Board of Nevada | Las Vegas | NV | |
| Southern Nevada Water Authority[\ | Las Vegas | NV | |
| New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission | Albuquerque | NM | |
| Utah Division of Water Resources | Salt Lake City | UT | |
| Colorado River Authority of Utah | Salt Lake City | UT | |
| Upper Colorado River Commission | Salt Lake City | UT | |
| Central Utah Water Conservancy District | UT | Manages Central Utah Project (CUP) |
Other Agencies
| Name of unit | University/Agency | Location | URL | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Colorado River Multispecies Conservation Program | Reclamation | https://www.lcrmscp.gov/index.html | ||
| Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program | US Fish and Wildlife Service | https://coloradoriverrecovery.org/ | ||
| Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum | https://www.coloradoriversalinity.org/ | |||
| California Natural Resources Agency | https://resources.ca.gov/ | |||
| International Boundary and Water Commission | https://www.ibwc.gov/home.html | |||
| Western Area Power Administration | https://www.wapa.gov/Pages/Western.aspx | |||
| Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) | Reclamation | https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/amp/index.html |
Water Users
| University/Agency | Location | URL | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley Water Users Assocation | Grand Junction, CO | https://gvwua.com/ | Manages diversions and deliveries on Western slope (CO) water projects |
| Colorado River Water Users Association | https://www.crwua.org/ | Develop personal relationships to allow frank discussions of the many issues involving the Colorado River. |
Environment-focused NGOs
| Organization | Program (if applicable) | City | State | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronatura Noroeste | Ensenada | Baja California, Mex | The conservation of the flora, fauna and priority ecosystems of northwest Mexico | |
| The Nature Conservancy | Colorado River Program | Boulder | CO | TNC is working hard across the entire Colorado River Basin to protect this amazing river and resource |
| Lincoln Institute for Land Policy | Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy | Phoenix | AZ | The Babbitt Center seeks to advance the integration of land and water management to meet the current and future water needs in the Colorado River Basin. |
| Walton Family Foundation | Bentonville | AR | Foundation with a core value to protect rivers and the communities they support | |
| U. of Montana | Water & Tribes Initiative - Colorado River Basin | Missoula | MT | enhance tribal capacity and advance sustainable water management in the basin through collaborative decision-making |
| Western Resource Advocates | Protecting the Colorado River | Boulder | CO | identified common sense steps that will keep the Colorado River flowing and improve climate resilience to better manage future water shortages |
| American Rivers | Southwest Region | Denver | CO | advocate for rivers through community-based programs, collaborative strategies to support agriculture and municipalities, and legislative means like the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act |
| Aspen Global Change Institute | Basalt | CO | -description- | |
| Sonoran Institute | Colorado River Delta Program | Tucson | AZ | The Sonoran Institute and partners have been working in the Colorado River Delta to renew, restore, and reconnect its diverse ecosystems for the benefit of wildlife and people. |
| Living Rivers | Moab | UT | By articulating conservation and alternative management strategies to the public, seeks to revive the natural habitat and spirit of rivers by undoing the extensive damage done by dams, diversions and pollution on the Colorado Plateau. | |
| Audubon | Western Water Initiative | Boulder | CO | Align bird habitat protection and restoration with more reliable water supplies for communities |
| Mountain Studies Institute | Durango | CO | Mountain research and education center | |
| Pacific Institute | Oakland | CO | Creates and advances solutions to the world's most pressing water challenges | |
| Glen Canyon Institute | Organization supporting the natural ecosystems of Glen Canyon |
Tribal Nations
| Nation | Agency | Location | URL | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navajo Tribal Utility Authority | Navajo Nation | |||
| Southern Ute Tribe | https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/natural-resources/water-resources/ | Water Resources Division | ||
| AhaMakav Cultural Society /Fort Mohave Indian Tribe |
https://www.fortmojaveindiantribe.com/tribal-departments/agriculture-land-water-resources/ | Agriculture, Land, and Water resources | ||
| Tohono O'odham Nation | http://www.tonation-nsn.gov/water-resources/ | Water Resources | ||
| Dept. of Water Resources | Navajo Nation | https://www.nndwr.navajo-nsn.gov/ | Department of Water Resources | |
| Quechan Indian Tribe | https://www.quechantribe.com/departments-environmental.html | Environmentla Department | ||
| Jicarilla Apache Nation | https://tentribespartnership.org/tribes/jicarilla-apache-nation/ | |||
| Gila River Indian Community | https://www.gricdeq.org/ | Department of Environmental Quality |