Speaker: Sara A. Porterfield, University of Colorado at Boulder
The Colorado River has long served as an icon of the arid American West and the central character in the story of human manipulation of water resources in the United States. However, the Colorado River Basin has shaped and been shaped by the development of rivers around the world. This webinar explores the history of a global exchange of information, technology, and ideology between the Colorado River Basin and international river basins in the late nineteenth century, an exchange that continues to the present day. Through stories of the engineers, bureaucrats, policymakers, and whitewater boaters who traveled to and from the Colorado River Basin to rivers around the world, we will trace the Colorado's global network and gain a greater understanding of the complex values and practices that shape water management around the world. Understanding the international history of the Colorado River Basin can help us better understand the past, yes, but it also provides valuable lessons for those engaged in current policymaking and water management decisions.
Q&A to follow. PDH credit available for attendees.