Land Lines Janeiro 2019
Colorado River Reflections
As former Arizona governor and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt has a unique perspective on the Colorado River Basin. Babbitt Center Director Jim Holway sits down with the venerable policy maker to talk about the significance of the river, the urgency of addressing the ongoing drought, and his own path forward.
Hydraulic Empire
In its sheer complexity, the Colorado stands out among the rivers of America, and probably the world. Explore the twists and turns of this 1,450-mile waterway, which lead from the snowy mountains of Colorado to the shores of Mexico, providing invaluable lessons in history, geography, innovation, and imagination along the way.
Beyond Drought
The Colorado River Basin states and tribes, the U.S. government, and Mexico have been pushing hard to finalize plans for addressing a persistent drought. But these efforts are likely just the beginning of a hard reckoning throughout the basin, as water managers rethink some of their basic assumptions about the river—beginning with how much water it can provide.
Grow with the Flow
In the face of a multiyear drought and the uncertainty of climate change, planning for the future availability of water in the arid and rapidly urbanizing southwestern United States has taken on a new urgency. Kathleen McCormick takes a close look at Flagstaff, Arizona, and Westminster, Colorado—two cities where urban planners and water managers are working together in new ways to recognize the relationship between water and the built environment.
This issue, celebrating the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy and 30 years of Land Lines, includes articles on the colorful history of the Colorado River, seeking compromise in an era of drought, how western planners can integrate water and land, and more.