Exploring the Colorado River Basin: An interactive water management exercise

Background/Question/Methods

As the dominant hydrological force in the American Southwest, the Colorado River cuts a wide swath through vast deserts and arid plains, and also through the lives of millions of people and species. As with many managed freshwater ecosystems across the world, the complex question arises: what is the best way to balance the health of freshwater ecosystems, maintenance of ecosystem services, and the needs of a diverse cross-section of stakeholders? The Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (ncep.amnh.org), a global initiative of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History, is dedicated to improving conservation practice worldwide by improving training in conservation. As part of the open educational materials we develop, we have recently launched an interactive water management exercise focused on the Colorado River (freely available at ncep.amnh.org/colorado_simulation). This educational tool allows users to: 1) Explore the hydrological, ecological, physical, economic, and political parameters of the complex Colorado River system; 2) Examine the tradeoffs between municipal and agricultural water uses, the economics of water allocation, and the impacts on native ecosystems; 3) Investigate the potential impacts of water conservation and climate change on the river; and 5) Model conservation strategies and alternate management scenarios under the legal framework for Colorado River water rights and allocations.

Results/Conclusions

This simulation exercise allows users to experiment interactively with water allocation tradeoffs, economics of water use, and the impact of climate change on the basin, as well as visualize the impact of tradeoffs on the native ecosystems of the basin and the impact of water conservation measures. We recommend it to educators working with undergraduate and graduate students, and trainers working with conservation professionals. As users complete each unit, they will gain an understanding of the interaction between hydrology, climate change, water conservation, economics of water use, and impacts on native ecosystems, all of which illustrate the complex tradeoffs in managing this river. While this interactive simulation is modeled on realistic scenarios, due to necessary simplifications and model assumptions, it does not present accurate outcomes in every case. However, the simulation provides a useful heuristic tool for exploring many water management issues, and is highly illustrative and useful for comparative and educational purposes.