Join us for a conversation with Professor John Schmidt on the future of the Colorado River. The river is a critical lifeline for much of the southwest, supplying water to farms, power generators, and cities as far away as Los Angeles. But it is in trouble. A warming climate has reduced river flows, Lake Mead and Lake Powell have shrunk to less than 50% capacity, and climate models suggest that the flow could drop by another 30% by 2050. Recent studies indicate that in a drier future, all the demands for the Colorado River’s water cannot be met while still protecting sensitive ecosystems and endangered species. These grim forecasts set the stage for upcoming negotiations over allocation of the Colorado’s water—and the future of the river itself.

John (Jack) Schmidt is a professor of in the Department of Watershed Sciences and the Janet Quinney Lawson Chair in Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. He has devoted more than 30 years of research to the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, focusing on the relationship of ecosystem health and the dams, reservoirs, and diversions associated with river management. He has worked to encourage collaboration between federal and state agencies, tribal interests, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions in an effort to ensure that policies for the river are based on sound science.  

The conversation will be moderated by Colin Norman, the former News Editor at Science, and Fred Dylla, Executive Director Emeritus of the American Institute of Physics and author of Scientific Journeys. This event is part of the series Science and Society - Making Sense of the World Around Us, launched by the Lewes Public Library last year and co-organized by Fred Dylla and Linda Dylla.

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