WRA. Water Resources

Abstract Ted C. Sheng (b. 1924) is a retired professor from the Colorado State University Department of Earth Resources and an expert in international watershed management, especially in policy, education, and training. Sheng's career included serving as a leader of watershed management in Taiwan and as an expert consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as assisting with watershed programs in countries such as Jamaica, El Salvador, and Thailand. The collection contains a...

Abstract The Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte River Basin, Inc. (GASP) was a non-profit well-augmentation company, the first organization of its kind in Colorado. Founded in 1972, its purpose was to offset depletions to the South Platte River caused by pumping of the South Platte valley-fill aquifer. At its peak, GASP served more than 3,000 wells in northeastern Colorado. As state regulation of this activity was modified, the company ceased operations in 2003 and sold the last of its...

Abstract Gilbert G. Stamm (1911-1989) is best known for his appointment and service as commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation between 1973 and 1977. Stamm spent over thirty years educating the public on water issues and promoting reclamation projects throughout the United States. The collection contains speeches, information on Bureau of Reclamation projects, photographs and slides of projects, and printed material about Stamm and the Bureau. A portion of the collection is digitized and ...

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Michael Wireman, a retired hydrogeologist, focused on groundwater science, development, and management. He worked at Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers from 1981 to 1986 and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region VIII, from 1987 to 2014. The collection consists of reports and memoranda from when Wireman worked at Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers. Most reports are about groundwater in Colorado and others cover locations in Arizona, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Abstract Hamlet J. "Chips" Barry, III, served as the manager of Denver Water for nearly twenty years. The documentation of Barry's employment with the Micronesian Legal Services Corporation, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, law firm Calkins, Kramer, Grimshaw and Harring, and Denver Water is representative but not comprehensive. A 30-year span of his calendars gives a sense of his daily appointments and activities. Additionally, files of his speeches and writings on typical...

Abstract Rollin Q. Tenney's (1838-1932) irrigation expertise was recognized with an appointment as one of Colorado's water commissioners in 1893. The materials in the collection cover Tenney's time as water commissioner as well as his activities related to ditch companies and irrigation districts in Northern Colorado. Document types include correspondence, legislation, reports, maps, clippings, notes, financial papers and one book. A portion of the collection is digitized and ...

Abstract William Daven "W.D." Farr (1910-2007) was a water leader, cattleman, and businessman in northern Colorado. He was extensively involved in many local and national water and agricultural organizations, including the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, the Greeley Water and Sewer Board, and the American National Cattlemen's Association. Materials document little of Farr's professional life but more of his service activities and personal life. Beyond Farr and his family, the...

Abstract The Reorganized Farmers Ditch Company was created in 1983 as a mutual ditch company in the state of Colorado from unusual circumstances. The predecessor organization was the Farmers Irrigating Ditch and Reservoir Company. The main purpose of both companies has been to store and deliver water for irrigation, drawn from the Big Thompson River. Legal and financial materials dominate the collection, but comprehensive sets of meeting minutes exist, along with fairly complete sets of early stock...

Abstract Ronald K. Blatchley (b. 1929) was a water consultant in Colorado from the early 1960s into the 2000s. He worked at two firms, Tipton and Kalmbach, and W. W. Wheeler and Associates, before starting his own consulting firms Blatchley Associates, North Fork Associates, and Mountain Mutual Reservoir Company. Consisting mainly of reports from his firms, the collection includes augmentation plans, water rights evaluations, and groundwater studies. Blatchley's clients were mostly located in the...

Abstract Xeriscape Colorado, Inc. (formerly Xeriscape Task Force and Front Range Xeriscape) was a non-profit organization that promoted water-conserving landscapes and educated the public about the same. Documenting the work of Xeriscape Colorado, Inc., this collection contains agendas, minutes, notes, reports, and correspondence. Also included are publications, newspaper clippings, calendars, newsletters, brochures, a few artifacts, and miscellaneous media. A portion of the collection is digitized...

Abstract John R. Fetcher (1912-2009) was instrumental in the creation of several of Colorado's recreational areas through his involvement in the construction of large water projects. Fetcher helped found the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District and only retired shortly before his death. The collection largely relates to the construction of Steamboat Lake located in Routt County, Colorado. The collection includes reports, maps, blueprints, notes, and a brochure. Also included in the collection are...

Abstract Based in San Luis, Colorado, the Land Rights Council was formed in 1978 as a grassroots advocacy organization to protect the community's rights originally received under the Mexican land grant system. The Council has been committed not only to regaining historic rights to the mountain tract called La Sierra, but also to maintaining its ecological health. The collection primarily consists of administrative records, research files, and court case files. A portion of the collection is digitized...

Abstract Civil engineer Ray Nixon (1906-2001) served as head of several municipal water utilities in southeastern Colorado. Best known as the longtime director of Colorado Springs Department of Utilities, he played an instrumental role in large water infrastructure projects in southern Colorado such as the Homestake Reservoir and the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. The collection documents Nixon's work for the cities of Trinidad, Colorado Springs, and Security, his time on the board of the Southeastern...

Abstract Morton W. Bittinger was assistant professor and associate professor in Civil Engineering at Colorado State University from 1957 to 1967 where he was in charge of groundwater research. He made important contributions to the science of groundwater hydrology, becoming one of the first in the field to apply modern computer technology to the solution of groundwater problems. The Bittinger collection consists of articles and presentations authored or co-authored by Morton W. Bittinger and copies...

Abstract Francis ("Frank") Raymond Milenski (1913-1998) was a farmer and irrigator in Colorado's Arkansas River Valley. He served on the Colorado Water Conservation Board from 1959 to 1966 and was on the board of directors of both the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Catlin Canal Company for several decades. The collection includes documents related to Milenski's involvement in these organizations. Also included are documents pertaining to court cases, water law,...

Abstract In 2002, the Fort Collins office of the National Park Service contracted with Professor Michael Welsh of the University of Northern Colorado to conduct oral history interviews focused on land use patterns. The area of focus was the Cache la Poudre River Heritage Corridor. The collection consists of interview recordings, transcripts, and one paper on water conservation. A portion of the collection is digitized and ...

Abstract Friends of the Poudre, like its predecessor Preserve Our Poudre, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Cache la Poudre River and prevention of large dam projects in Poudre Canyon. Preserve Our Poudre (1980-1986) generated local support for designating the upper portion of the Poudre a Wild and Scenic River. Friends of the Poudre formed in 1986 to oppose the Grey Mountain Reservoir project and enhance the Poudre River's recreational, historic, and educational...

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Theodore M. Schad (1918-2005), a civil engineer and water resources policy expert, served in a number of federal and private agencies over his career. The materials in this collection are from the period when Schad served as executive director of the National Water Commission. The collection consists primarily of copies of contracts for grants issued by the National Water Commission for a variety of reports and water-related projects.

Abstract Herbert H. Vandemoer, resident of Sterling, Colorado, was a geographic appointee to the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) from 1964-1985, representing the South Platte River Basin. The CWCB was formed in 1937 as a state agency to aid in the protection and development of waters in the state. It is a division of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The collection consists of documents created largely in relation to CWCB meetings and projects. Materials include agendas, minutes,...

Abstract Daryl B. Simons (1918-2005) was an internationally recognized expert in the fields of hydraulics, hydrology, geomorphology, river mechanics, sediment transport and hydraulic modeling. His innovative teaching and research while professor of civil engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) and his supervision of hundreds of water-related projects around the world contributed to this international reputation. Materials in the collection relate to many of the organizations Simons worked for,...