On The Colorado - Resources

The Colorado River basin is one of the most studied landscapes in the entire world. In addition to the work done by government agencies, there are public, private and quasi-governmental organizations that conduct research and/or archive this work, and in the many disciplines of physical and social sciences. These institutions are listed aphabetically by state.

Click here to learn more about Luna Leopold.

To add an institution, please write to OTC

FEDERAL

National Academy of Sciences: The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is an honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare.

National Research Council (NRC): functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences. The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the dissemination of knowledge.

STATES

ARIZONA
Arizona Power Authority
The Arizona Power Authority, a body corporate and politic of Arizona, was formed as a result of federal legislation that allocated a portion of power produced from Hoover Dam and Power Plant.

Arizona Water Institute
Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and The University of Arizona have formed a partnership that will position the state as a world leader in water resources management and technology.

Center for Climate Adaption Science and Solutions
The Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions brings together a wealth of expertise at the University of Arizona to support sound management choices in the context of this change, linking science, information needs of managers, and decision-making.

Climate Assessment of the Southwest (CLIMAS)
University of Arizona at Tucson. Established to assess the impacts of climate variability and longer-term climate change on human and natural systems in the Southwest. Our mission is to improve the ability of the region to respond sufficiently and appropriately to climatic events and climate changes.

Colorado Plateau Digital Archive
University of Northern Arizona at Flagstaff. The Cline Library provides a rich array of archival and published material which documents the history and development of the Colorado Plateau in a variety of disciplines.

Link to search engine

Colorado River Central Arizona Project Collection

Arizona State University at Tempe. Records of the Central Arizona and Boulder Canyon Project, comprised of selections from the Carl T. Hayden Papers and other sources.

Colorado River Energy Distributors Association (CREDA) is a non-profit organization representing consumer-owned electric systems that purchase federal hydropower and resources of the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP).

Land Use History of the Colorado Plateau

Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff. This bibliographic database helps natural resource managers, researchers, policy makers, students, and interested members of the public find more information about the land-use and land cover history of the Colorado Plateau.

Nature, Culture and History at the Grand Canyon
A Project of Arizona State University.

Moving Waters
Arizona Humanities Council. From December 2001 through July 2002, seven western humanities councils from seven states that share the Colorado River presented Moving Waters: The Colorado River and the West . The aim of the project was to generate regional consciousness of the river.

SHARA is at the University of Arizona at Tucson. To identify critical stakeholder-relevant knowledge gaps and conduct basin-focused multidisciplinary research to fill them; and to convey what is known and what is being learned to improve water management and policy.

Sustainibility of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA)

Southwest Hydrology (SAHRA publication)

Water Resources Research Center (WRRC)
University of Arizona. WRRC promotes understanding of critical state and regional water management and policy issues through research, community outreach and public education.

CALIFORNIA
Water Resources Center Archives
(WRCA) University of California at Riverside. Collects, preserves and provides access to historical and contemporary water-related materials that support the instructional and research programs of the University of California and the needs of the people of the State.

Clearing house for dam removal

Water Education Foundation's Colorado River Project
(WEF) is an impartial non-profit organization to create a better understanding of water issues and help resolve water resource problems through educational programs.

COLORADO
Center for Advancement Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES) University of Colorado at Boulder. An interdisciplinary Center for the research and development of decision support tools for management of water and environmental resources.

Colorado River Governance Initiative
The purpose of the Colorado River Governance Initiative (CRGI) is to identify institutional reforms that can address the current and emerging concerns over water scarcity on the Colorado River. Publications of the Colorado River Governance Initiative are available in Colorado River Information Portal as well as in the Getches-Wilkinson Center Collection.

Colorado River Research Group

The CRRG is a self-directed team of ten veteran Colorado River scholars. Each member has led a research program concerning water resources management, river science, or water law and public policy, or has written widely on these topics. The purpose of the CRRG is to provide a non-partisan, basin-wide perspective on matters pertaining to the Colorado River, helping all those with a stake in the river identify, justify and implement actions that sustainably meet society's demands for water while maintaining the distinct attributes of the Colorado River ecosystem. (Publications)

Water Resources Archive
Colorado State University at Fort Collins. The Archive consists of collections from individuals and organizations that have been instrumental in the development of water resources in Colorado and the West.

Western Water Assessment
WWA) University of Colorado at Boulder. To identify and characterize regional vulnerabilities to climate variability and change, and to develop information, products and processes to assist water-resource decision-makers throughout the Intermountain West.

NEVADA
Western Regional Climate Center is one of six regional climate centers in the United States. The regional climate center program is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Specific oversight is provided by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).

NEW MEXICO
The Center for Southwest Research (CSWR) supports the teaching and research missions of the University, as well as serving the citizens of New Mexico and scholars from throughout the world. Specializing in subjects relating to New Mexico, the Southwestern U.S., Mexico and Latin America, as well as rare books from around the world, our holdings are made up of the following collections:

UTAH

Marriott Library at University of Utah

Soundscape archive

Utah Water Users Association is the largest active association in Utah which represents all water user entities including irrigators, municipal users, industry, federal, state, county and local agencies and private entities. The purpose of the Association is to protect water rights administered under state law, promote the conservation and efficient use of water, provide legislative support, sponsor workshops and seminars related to water issues, provide technical advice to members regarding all water matters and represent members on national water issues through the NWRA and other national associations. The Association will be actively involved in future state and local water issues which benefit its members.

Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) is a governmental agency that provides comprehensive wholesale electric energy, on a nonprofit basis, to community-owned power systems throughout the Intermountain West.

Utah Libraries: Online Government Digital Photo Archives

Utah State History helps people with historical research, building and community preservation issues, cultural resource management, archaeology, and teaching and learning history.

Western Waters
University of Utah at Salt Lake City. This regional program has digitized key materials from participating libraries to lay the foundation for continued development of a comprehensive digital information resource about water in the western United States.

OTHER

Colorado River Research Group
The purpose of the CRRG is to provide a non-partisan, basin-wide perspective on matters pertaining to the Colorado River, helping all those with a stake in the river identify, justify and implement actions that sustainably meet society's demands for water while maintaining the distinct attributes of the Colorado River ecosystem.

Colorado River Water Users Association
Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, formed to plan, study, formulate and advise on ways to protect and safeguard the interests of all who use the Colorado River.

Lamont-Doherthy Earth Observatory
Columbia University. Drought research in North America: a climate modeling and paleoclimate perspective.

Making of America Books
MOA is a digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The book collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books with 19th century imprints.

New York Public Library
Archive for the photos and papers of Robert Brewster Stanton. The library also houses a digital collection of papers and photographs from Frederick Dellenbaugh, among others.

Prism Group
University of Oregon. PRISM is a unique knowledge-based system that uses point measurements of precipitation, temperature, and other climatic factors to produce continuous, digital grid estimates of monthly, yearly, and event-based climatic parameters.

Water Information Program of Southwest Colorado

The Water Information Program (WIP) is a public information program sponsored by the water districts, organizations and agencies in the San Juan and Dolores watersheds of Southwestern Colorado.

Western Progress
Western Progress envisions a West that honors the ideal of a more just society through opportunity, equity, freedom, independence and our shared love of place. Our mission is to advance progressive policy solutions across the eight-state Rocky Mountain Region.