The Colorado River: A Short Story

We are placed in circumstances that we can not control. College is our great wilderness or Colorado River, which people have gone across. But since every boat, person, and rapid can be different its hard to know what to expect. We have technology and science to help us figure out our path but it could easily be capsized to the new experiences that shape and change us. The Colorado River can be used as an extended metaphor to show the different experiences we have and the attempts we have to control them.

What is the irrigation to Yuma, Arizona? A big impact on such a little town actually. Yuma’s main water source is the Colorado River. But this river does not work the greatest with Yuma’s set up. This southern part of Arizona is one big flat pile of sand so to speak. And when you are a flat pile of sand things do not break down. Which leads to everything building on top of each other. When rain decides to come to Yuma the water builds. This causes the Colorado River to flood. But because of the large amount of packed sand everything floods. The flood water rages through the town and wipes everything completely out. This happened time and time again until someone thought, let’s make a change. But what was that change? Irrigation.

The elevation of the Colorado River, at the bottom of the Canyon, averages out to around 2,200 feet (670 meters). The average elevation of the south rim is around 6,800 feet (2,072 meters) with the highest spot, Grandview Point, being 7,400 feet (2,255 meters). The average elevation of the north rim is about 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) with the highest point, Point Imperial, being 8,800 feet (2,682 meters). The depth of the Canyon at the South Rim, near Grand Canyon Village, measures almost a vertical mile, about 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).

From the Rocky Mountain National Park to the mouth at the Sea of Cortez, the Colorado river supplies water for more than 35 million people in seven U.S. states: Colorado, California, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Both U.S. and American citizens depend on this river for freshwater for domestic, industrial (energy), and agricultural needs—in recent decades, the fishing industry in the area has been especially depressed as water has been used to irrigate more than 5 million acres of agricultural land in the West. Similarly, dozens of dams along the Colorado River store water and generate hydropower for millions of people. Moreover, eleven national parks lie within the watershed, and the species that once thrived in the Colorado River Delta and riparian corridor–particularly birds, fish, and plants–are severely endangered. Additionally, the lands of at least 22 Native American tribes also lie on and rely on the watershed. Outdoor recreators and conservationists are of course also affected by the poor health of the river.

Chapter one starts with the telling of the history of the Colorado River and its usage. It discusses the Colorado River Compact that was signed in 1944 that essentially divided the Colorado River’s water up into seven allotments for the seven states that the river flowed through. Upon further reading, it is discovered that when the engineers estimated the annual flow of the river, 1905 to 1922, had actually been a time of over average rainfall. This in turn doomed the lower states that shared the river to a much less flow rate that the upper states. This not only extremely limited the amount of water that the lower states received, it also reduced the amount of power that could be generated by dams along the river. Another interesting fact

Mountains of water loomed, and as the others screamedin exhilaration, my body froze. I was sure there was a way to bypass thetreacherous waters ahead. My mind raced through Kim's instructions, but I couldnot get my thoughts together. I dug my feet in as tight as I could so most of myweight was in my legs. I paddled faster, intent on obeying every one of Kim's commands.

In the book, My Paddle to the Sea Lane has provided the readers with various activities and ideas that may occur along a river. He is a gifted natural teacher and good literary companion who can capture the dynamics of a flowing river while providing a lesson to readers. This book has changed my view of the world today from nature strategies to historical events that will help one to endure in the wild.

We have been following the Platte River for five days when all of a sudden two of our wagon bows just snapped. The whole wagon train had to pull over and help us fix it. All of the kids went to an open space and played with each other to keep busy, all of them were getting along just fine. After about an hour of trying to fix the bows, nothing was working out. John Grant told us that he had extras for his wagon, but he let us use them instead. We were so thankful for him, otherwise we feared that we might have to turn around. It only took as about a half hour to get the new bows installed and since we were stopped we just decided to eat lunch. John’s wife made too much food, so she gave the leftover for our family to eat. We were are so grateful for of them and their family.

Water looks aquamarine through blue tinted goggles. The freezing February breeze made my body miss the steaming pool. Everything I learned dashed through my nervous mind. “Left foot straight and at the back of the board. Right foot bent at the front of the board.” My hands were shaking while clinging onto the sleek white board. Waiting for those words. Waiting for that sound.

I remember the day I sliced my head open, as if it were yesterday. It was the summer of freshman year, a particularly gusty Sunday morning, but nothing was going to stop me from hauling my old, undersized, pink, ‘liquid force’ wakeboard down to the boat to snag some extra ‘board’ time. After almost a decade, the boat driver, my dad, and two others boarded the boat. I could finally enjoy the peacefulness of solitude, as I rode alone to the blaring sound of “Chicken Fried” and the savory aroma of barbeque that permeated my sense of smell. While I was riding, it appeared the water was churning as fast as a hand mixer in cake batter. Although I was getting tossed around like a bouncy ball in the hands of a five-year-old, I was not going to give

Last spring, I had the opportunity to visit the Colorado River, one of the most beautiful rivers of the country. It was a sunny afternoon and I rented a row boat from Bullhead city to cruise the river because, I did not want the noise of a motorboat to distract me from enjoying the immense beauty of nature. The first thing that I noticed when I started rowing was the slow, steady, and languid flow of the water. This continual flow is charming enough to amaze any person. It just keeps rolling on and it flows murmuring by to join the vast expanse of the ocean. The soft sound of the waves was a treat to hear. I touched the water with my hand and the temperature was perfect. There were various kinds of watercrafts (from inner tubes to large motor boats) of different colors in the river. But thankfully, it was not too crowded. Moreover, there were different types of businesses (from boat rental to seafood restaurants) along the shoreline. When my boat was near the shore, I could even smell the yummy Crab Cakes and Paella. These smells along with the smell of

When a woman finds her balance under forty pounds of water, I see her eyes roll to the corners in concentration. Her head makes the small movements of the hands of someone driving a car: constant correction. The biggest challenge is to turn all the way around from the pump to go home again. It is a small portion of the ocean, and it swirls and lurches on her head with long

The amazing scenery and beautiful combination of senses makes me shiver. As I stand there, I feel the weight of my fishing vest as it gently clings to my torso. I watch the trout calmly swim along the riverbed from boulder to boulder to escape the current. I focus deeply as I begin my back cast before releasing the fly from the gentle bend of my rod. I watch as it floats gently across the surface hoping that a trout surfaces for my fly. Here I experience peace with life, nature, and myself. I think of my deepest thoughts and solve my hardest problems. As the fly reaches the end of the pool, I cast it back to the beginning. I feel completely free: unburdened, free of stress, purely satisfied. No words can truly measure this feeling of perfect calmness and serenity. I'm at home. I'm in my nature. I cast again. The river takes my problems and concerns downstream and out of sight. This is means so much to me. It's priceless. I find the meaning to things I deeply questioned and challenge. I find acceptance and I rid myself of denial. The river helps me escape from my deepest of struggles, from the passing of friends and family to struggles with sports and school. Everything seems to be taken downstream with the current to never be seen

The smooth wood is hot, but when I am standing on it and staring at the breathtaking panorama of the lake and wildlife I do not feel a thing. I race to the end, my heart pounding and my feet slapping the dock in a less than graceful manner. The warm summer breeze fuels the calm storm already brewing in my soul. I take a deep breath, look at the emerald trees across the lake and then plunge into the cool water. I sink further and further down. Every inch I sink deeper the water becomes colder and more refreshing. Then, with my last bit of air I push back up and gasp for a breath of the sweltry air. My head bobs above the water and I watch my siblings and friends leap into the water. A smile spreads across my face. This is my happy

I throw on all of my gear on my back and shuffle to the end of the boat to jump off into the deep ocean below. I hold my mask and regulator tight onto my face as I take the plunge. The underwater world takes on a new persona as its inhabitants are magnified through my goggles. Bubbles float up past my head as I slowly and deeply breathe through my regulator while keeping my body neutrally buoyant to prevent myself from touching the marine life below. My fins cut through the water as they attempt to propel me against the strong ocean current over large kelp forests. Fish of all shapes and sizes swim up to investigate who I am and what I am doing in their underwater world.