暗网禁区

The University of Colorado Law School's Natural Resources Law Center is working on a new Colorado River Governance Initiative to examine the current governance structure of the Colorado River and engage policymakers on possible institutional reforms.

The current governance structure focuses primarily on managing river flows to generate electricity and satisfy water demands, especially in the river's lower basin. While efforts have been made in recent years to protect wildlife habitat and river ecosystems, especially through the Grand Canyon and in the Colorado River delta, these efforts have proved only modestly successful and difficult to sustain, said Mark Squillace, director of the Natural Resources Law Center.

The new initiative, which began last month, will analyze reform options to determine the extent to which they protect wildlife resources of the river system, protect or improve water quality, and promote improved wildlife habitat along the river corridor while at the same time providing adequate water supplies for human needs, he said.

"One of the biggest challenges in reforming the Colorado River governance structure is political," noted Squillace. "An elaborate system of treaties, compacts, laws, court decisions and policies 聳 often called "The Law of the River" 聳 currently govern river management, and each element of this "Law" has beneficiaries who are likely to oppose change.

Unfortunately, some parts of the "Law" work against protecting the overall health of the Colorado River system, and this problem is complicated by factors such as climate change and population growth that impose additional stresses on a resource already struggling to meet current demand, said Squillace.

"The initiative is designed to develop a blueprint for future management that will allow for managing the river basin's resources more holistically, and in a manner that preserves wildlife resources and habitats while ensuring the availability of adequate water supplies for humans," said Squillace.