The old saying is that April showers bring May flowers, but rain is rare in our high desert climate. The pounding rain that we enjoyed overnight has made me all optimistic about things that grow. I’ve been chomping at the bit, wanting to get my hands dirty in the garden, but keep looking at the swan on the Grand Mesa, and note that its neck is not yet broken. The planting of annuals and things like tomatoes and chilies will have to wait for another few weeks. In the meanwhile, it looks like we are about to have a bumper crop of lilacs.
Water is essential to all things living, which is why a celebration is in order when we see rain falling in our valley. It is also why it would be better if Western Colorado remained essentially intact as redistricting progresses through the legislative process. The front range needs to occasionally hear that there are living things that need water out here in the wild and wooly west—everything from grapes that are responsible for the growing wine industry in Colorado, to the sweet and juicy peaches that drip nectar down our collective chin come September, to the 150,000 (give or take a few thousand) of us living in Mesa County.
Club 20 was originally founded to make sure that Western Slope water was protected from the water grabbing Front Range. It is still on the job, monitoring legislation that impacts the surrounding national forests and the availability of usable water on the Western Slope. Likewise, the Western Colorado Congress was established to make sure that industry used best practices in development for everything from bedroom communities to oil and gas exploration to vehicle access to roadless areas in national forests. The ideas for both organizations, although often politically in opposite camps, stem from wanting to make sure that the Western Slope is heard when it comes to our water.
Putting things into perspective, it is useful in a crisis to be reminded that 10 years from now nobody will remember the agony of this moment. It is an especially useful reminder when redistricting and gerrymandering are the topics, because in 10 years, literally, the problem will be different. But right now, as fascinating as I think it would be to watch Jared Polis interact with people from Grand Junction, lumping this small city into the liberal capital of Colorado doesn’t make a lot of sense. We just don’t have all that much in common, and we still have water to protect.
Homework
Club 20
Western Colorado Congress
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Water in Western Colorado
Water is essential to all things living, which is why a celebration is in order when we see rain falling in our valley. It is also why it would be better if Western Colorado remained essentially intact as redistricting progresses through the legislative process. The front range needs to occasionally hear that there are living things that need water out here in the wild and wooly west—everything from grapes that are responsible for the growing wine industry in Colorado, to the sweet and juicy peaches that drip nectar down our collective chin come September, to the 150,000 (give or take a few thousand) of us living in Mesa County.
Club 20 was originally founded to make sure that Western Slope water was protected from the water grabbing Front Range. It is still on the job, monitoring legislation that impacts the surrounding national forests and the availability of usable water on the Western Slope. Likewise, the Western Colorado Congress was established to make sure that industry used best practices in development for everything from bedroom communities to oil and gas exploration to vehicle access to roadless areas in national forests. The ideas for both organizations, although often politically in opposite camps, stem from wanting to make sure that the Western Slope is heard when it comes to our water.
Putting things into perspective, it is useful in a crisis to be reminded that 10 years from now nobody will remember the agony of this moment. It is an especially useful reminder when redistricting and gerrymandering are the topics, because in 10 years, literally, the problem will be different. But right now, as fascinating as I think it would be to watch Jared Polis interact with people from Grand Junction, lumping this small city into the liberal capital of Colorado doesn’t make a lot of sense. We just don’t have all that much in common, and we still have water to protect.
Homework
Club 20
Western Colorado Congress
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Water in Western Colorado
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