Colorado River Helps Keep Tourism Afloat

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The inhabitants of Easter Island saw their way of life evaporate because they mismanaged their natural resources, thus providing a small, well-understood example of a story that has frequently played out on a much larger scale.

The collapses of the Mayan, Khmer, Anasazi and Roman civilizations have been linked to urban demand for water (and food). In each case, this demand led to large-scale environmental destruction with irreversible consequences. Short-term, shortsighted solutions destroyed the rural communities that supported these civilizations, leading to the collapse of cities, cultures and civilizations.

History is about to repeat itself in Southern California.

If we are not careful, demands from Los Angeles and other urban areas will deplete water from the Colorado River and destroy our heritage. If water stops flowing to the Sea of Cortez, rural communities throughout the Southwest will suffer the most.

It’s time to stop thinking of the water that runs through the Colorado River as simply a resource for power, agriculture and municipalities. The river and its water are the lifeblood of states, cities and towns throughout the Southwest. If the water stops flowing to those communities, particularly to rural communities that cater to river sports and recreational activities, the economic and cultural consequences will cripple development throughout the region.

Millions of people enjoy camping, rafting, fishing and hiking in and along the Colorado River. A 2011 report on the national parks of the Colorado River estimates that those five attracted more than 8 million visitors, a quarter of whom sought out water-based recreation. Those visits generated more than $300 million in wages.

Local perspective

Let’s put this into local perspective. According to California State Parks’ website, a typical a visit to any California park generates on average $57.63 in revenues. Just over half of that is spent more than 25 miles from the visited park. What visitors spend on gas, lodging, food and airfare supports local businesses, and the taxes they pay during their visits fill community coffers. If the water ceases to flow, businesses and communities that provide services for outdoor enthusiasts will lose revenue, jobs and income.

Why should you care? If we do not acknowledge the economic benefits we reap from the beauty of the natural wonders created and sustained by the Colorado River, we will lose them. Once they are gone, they can never be replaced. We all lose. We lose key economic resources that attract people from around the world who seek to get lost in our natural wonders. We lose communities that have, for generations, maintained our uniquely Southwest identity. We lose our history. The Colorado River, after all, was seminal to the exploration and settlement of the region.

2011 is a watershed year for the Colorado River, which after 10 years of drought is flowing strongly. But, we should be not happily watering our lawns. We should be concerned about the long-term fate of the river as our climate heats up.

Let’s not let the river dry up. Remind our leaders in California and Washington that our approach to water rights management for the Colorado River needs to take a more integrated, holistic approach that keeps communities together, people employed and our natural assets protected.

Let’s heed the lessons our ancestors left for us to hear.

Celines Toribio is an actress and entrepreneur who lives in Los Angeles.

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