Published: May 20, 2019
Antique, sepia-tone photo of Colorado River

On June 6–7, 1869, John Wesley Powell’s expedition down the Colorado was prepping for passage through the Canyon of Lodore, an arduous journey that ultimately cost the expedition a ship and a third of the expedition’s provisions.

If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: Getches-Wilkinson Center summer conference
When: Thursday, June 6, and Friday, June 7, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Wolf Law, Wittemyer Courtroom

Please join the Getches-Wilkinson Center at Colorado Law exactly 150 years later to gear up for a journey through Colorado River rapids of a different kind: How best to navigate through the upcoming negotiation of the new interim guidelines.

The existing interim guidelines (IG)—which expire after 2026—have been instrumental in slowing reservoir declines, delaying curtailments and establishing a collaborative environment for subsequent innovations, but truly sustainable water management is still an unrealized goal. With the help of emerging drought contingency plan programs, is the new negotiation (IG 2.0) the last best opportunity to craft a lasting solution to the river’s broken water budget? If so, what data, concepts, frameworks, and principles are key to success? 

Learn more at the center's 40th annual summer conference, Charting a Better Course for the Colorado River: Identifying the Data and Concepts to Shape the Interim Guidelines Renegotiation June 6–7. The event is free to all CU students, faculty and staff, but you must be registered to attend. Register, find more information and get the conference agenda.