Colorado River Project

Established in 1997, the Foundation’s program dedicated to the lifeline of the Southwest is known as the Colorado River Project. It is focused on educating people about challenges facing the Upper and Lower Colorado River Basins and assisting the many stakeholders in the two basins in reaching common ground. Financial support for the project is provided through a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper and Lower Colorado Regions along with contributions from agencies, companies and individuals.

The Colorado River Project includes:

• The annual Lower Colorado River Tour
• Biennial Water Leaders program, launched in 2022
• News coverage of the Colorado River Basin in Western Water.
  • (You can find older articles in River Report Archives).
• Educational materials devoted to covering the Basin:
  • The Colorado River Basin map
  • The Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River
  • The Layperson’s Guide to the Colorado River Delta
• The biennial Colorado River Symposium, an invitation-only event held in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • The first Symposium was held in 1997 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact. Subsequent symposia were held in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
  • Our 2021 Symposium was canceled due to COVID-19 but we held a virtual forum on Colorado River issues.
  • Printed proceedings are available from each of these events.