Water security is critical to the economy of Colorado and other western states. Snowmelt runoff from high-elevation mountains provides most of the usable water in Colorado. Mark Williams, professor of geography and INSTAAR Fellow, explains why mountains are "water towers” while focusing on how our water security is threatened by a variety of factors, including climate change, the mountain pine beetle epidemic, and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.
These videos are a complete record of Save Our Snow, Mark's CU on the Weekend workshop conducted March 10, 2012. CU on the Weekend is a series of one-day classes offered through Continuing Education, a unique opportunity to interact with some of CU-Boulder's best faculty and learn more about their academic passions. For current class descriptions visit the CU on the Weekend listing. The workshop was filmed by Learn More About Climate, a project of the CU Office for University Outreach.