42nd Annual #Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources 2026 May Be Too Late: Hard Conversations About Really Complicated Issues Conference Recording Now Available — Getches-Wilkinson Center @CUBoulderGWC #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification

Brad Udall: Here’s the latest version of my 4-Panel plot thru Water Year (Oct-Sep) of 2021 of the Colorado River big reservoirs, natural flows, precipitation, and temperature. Data (PRISM) goes back or 1906 (or 1935 for reservoirs.) This updates previous work with @GreatLakesPeck.

From email from the Getches-Wilkinson Center:

This year marked the 42nd Annual Conference on Natural Resources at Colorado Law. Over its rich history, the conference has addressed many different natural resource issues. In more recent years, the Center’s summer conference has explored the major issues in water law and policy in the West.

There is no debate – demands for water across the Colorado River Basin exceed the shrinking supply. Chronic drought, record heat, increasing winds and aridity, as well as rampant wildfires are diminishing the Basin’s overall health and resilience.The historically low levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell have invited unprecedented federal action and raise the specter of a looming energy crisis. To ensure a sustainable future, these harsh realities will require inclusive collaborations and innovative actions. The return of the GWC Summer Conference brought together a broad array of expertise and diverse perspectives from across the region to candidly discuss these complex challenges. Throughout this conference we examined potential options to advance sustainable water management, expand basin-wide conservation in every sector, and strengthen watershed resilience.

Conference Sessions:

Thursday, June 16: Where We Currently Stand in the Colorado River Basin

The Science: What Does the Climate Science Suggest for the Short- and Long-Term?

The Status, Scope and Timeline of Ongoing Negotiations for the 2026 Guidelines.

Institutional Uncertainty: 100 Years Later, What We Still Don’t Know About the Compact.

The Good (13 MAF/year), the Bad (11 MAF/year), and the Ugly (9 MAF/year). How does the Law of the River work (or not) along this continuum?

Friday, June 17: Building Pathways to a Sustainable Future for All

Crafting a Rural-Tribal-Urban Social Compact in a Warming World.

Water Resiliency Across the System.

Next Generation Voices.

42nd Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources
Thursday, June 16 and Friday, June 17, 2022
Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom

Conference Recording, Program, and CLE Accreditation

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