Students at a Saint Mary’s University are discovering liquid treasures in the Colorado River basin all way from Minnesota. Andy Robertson’s geospatial services team employees more than 50 students, who create high-tech digital maps. “Picture Google Maps on steroids. And they’re trying to make determinations of what’s a wetland and what isn’t a wetland,” said Robertson. The students are so good at it, New Mexico hired them to map all the wetlands in the state. “We didn’t know where wetlands were. We didn’t know what type we had.” Maryann McGraw with the New Mexico Environment Department. Now, New Mexico knows where all its wetlands are. “We need to know where these things are so we can protect them,” McGraw continued. But it’s not easy. Many wetlands in New Mexico disappear from the naked eye during the dry months.

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• 9 News (Denver, Colorado): Wetland restoration project underway in Summit County