The Colorado River is a critical source of the West’s water supply, supporting 40 million people, nearly 6 million acres of agriculture, and tribes across seven states and portions of Mexico. At 1,450 miles long the Colorado River is the sixth longest river in the United States. The river flows through seven states and covers 244,000 square miles, about 1/12th of the United States. Known for its dramatic canyons, whitewater rapids, and eleven U.S. National Parks, the Colorado River and its tributaries are a vital source of water. An extensive system of dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts divert almost its flow for agricultural irrigation and urban water supply. Its large flow and steep gradient (10,184 ft above sea level to 58 feet in the Mexicali Valley) are used to generate hydroelectric power to several western states and Nebraska. This presentation discusses the geology, geography, exploration, national parks, and the state of the river today with its natural beauty, current difficulties, and solutions.
About the Speaker
Arizona Historical Society’s beloved historian, Jim Turner, has worked with more than seventy local history museums. He co-authored the 4th-grade textbook The Arizona Story, and his pictorial history, Arizona: Celebration of the Grand Canyon State, was a 2012 Southwest Books of the Year selection. Turner moved to Tucson in 1951, earned an MA in U.S. history in 1999, and has been teaching Arizona history for 47 years. His numerous books include: The Mighty Colorado from the Glaciers to the Gulf (2016), Four Corners USA: Wonders of the American Southwest (2018), and Arizona: A History of the Grand Canyon State (2021).