The ‘academic proposal’ for the Colorado River
Two groups of states submitted conflicting proposals in March describing how federal officials should manage reservoirs on the Colorado River after 2026. Former Colorado River Water Conservation District General Manager Eric Kuhn, along with two other water experts, have their own idea to pitch. Kuhn and his co-authors, University of New Mexico professor John Fleck and Utah State University professor Jack Schmidt want to add more flexibility to dam operations to address environmental and recreation concerns in the Grand Canyon below Glen Canyon Dam (the dam that forms Lake Powell). Kuhn presented what has been called the “academic proposal” during a Colorado Basin Roundtable meeting in Glenwood Springs on Monday. He said the document is not a “proposal” akin to the states’ proposals, describing it as more of an “approach” that can be incorporated with other proposals.
Related Colorado River stories:
- KJZZ – Tempe, AZ: Arizona tribes were left out of water decisions until 1908. Here’s how they negotiate today
- KJZZ – Tempe, AZ: In agricultural Yuma, state, federal and local water talks are dictated by the law of the river
- The Guardian: Warming climate is turning rivers rusty with toxic metals