WRA. Water Resources

Abstract The Poudre River Trust was established in 1984 to guide development and activity along the Poudre River corridor. The organization has been active in promoting the river's recreational amenities, historical significance, fish and wildlife habitat, and mixed-use development along the Fort Collins riverfront. The Trust has also collaborated with a wide range of local and national agencies, government and private, to bring attention to the river's historic heritage and to establish plans for...

Abstract In 1911, the Irrigation Investigations Unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture was established in Fort Collins in conjunction with Colorado Agricultural College (now Colorado State University). Scientists within the unit, including Ralph Parshall, Carl Rohwer, Victor M. Cone, and William E. Code, conducted irrigation-related research. They studied and designed apparatuses to measure water flow through canals and diversion structures, investigated various irrigation projects, and conducted...

Abstract The Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC) was incorporated in 1891 to serve irrigators in the Cache la Poudre valley. In 1986, the city of Thornton purchased substantial stock in the company, which has subsequently provided water for both municipal and agricultural purposes. The bulk of the collection was produced during a records management project conducted on the company's behalf between 1981 and 2000, and includes oral history audiotapes, transcripts, company histories and timelines,...

Abstract The American Water Foundation, formed in 1984 as an affiliate of the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, existed for a decade as a Denver-based non-profit organization focused on transferring water resources technology to other countries. It worked to advance technology transfer through training programs, primarily by holding seminars, workshops, and study tours in the U.S. for personnel from other countries. Subjects of training programs included dam safety, canal lining, irrigation...

Abstract James R. Meiman (b. 1933) is Professor Emeritus of Earth Resources (Watershed Science) at Colorado State University. After earning his Ph.D. in Watershed Science from CSU in 1962, Dr. Meiman led CSU's snow hydrology program and later became the Dean of the Graduate School (1975-1981) and Director of the Office of International Programs (1975-1991). Meiman also collaborated with multiple federal agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, on snow hydrology studies, and he developed and worked...

Abstract The San Luis Valley Irrigation District formed in 1908 to deliver water to farmers in Southern Colorado's San Luis Valley. The collection contains some records from the Farmers Union Ditch Company and the Farmers Union Irrigation Company but mostly encompasses records pertaining to district operations. Materials include meeting minutes, financial records, engineering reports, correspondence, legal documents, annual reports, election notices, contracts, clippings, maps, and photographs. A...

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In her travels around the globe, Mildred Thomas Axtell (1916-2001) photographed various water locations, including the coasts of California, Mexico, and Buenos Aires. This collection includes slides of Denver city parks, rock formations in Arches National Monument and Zion National Park in Utah, and Mexico and Buenos Aires landscapes and cityscapes, as well as family portraits. There are 1,086 slides in the collection.

Abstract On July 31, 1976, the Big Thompson Canyon, just west of Loveland, Colorado, was the scene of a flash flood which claimed 144 lives. The collection consists of oral history tapes and transcripts along with photographs, slides, audiotapes, newspaper clippings, and other material Colorado State University history professor Dr. David McComb compiled when researching for his book Big Thompson: Profile of a Natural Disaster. A portion of the collection is...

Abstract A professor and administrator at Colorado State University for 35 years, Robert Ward focused his career on water quality monitoring. He conducted theoretical and applied research to develop information about water quality monitoring systems and management, teach the concepts, and influence application and policy. His collection documents his research and teaching, with limited files documenting his service activities and his administrative role. Material types include personnel files,...

Abstract A significant contributor to the development of improved methods in estimating irrigation water requirements, Marvin E. Jensen (1926-2022) had a diverse career in civil engineering. This collection documents Jensen's consulting and writings with special emphasis on two consulting projects in which Jensen evaluated water distribution and usage along the lower Colorado River. Materials include data, correspondence, handwritten notes, news clippings, photographs and negatives, drafts, reports,...

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As a hydro-mechanical engineer, B. T. A. Sagar (1929-2017) specialized in gates and valves for irrigation and hydropower projects around the world. The collection includes representative projects from across Dr. Sagar's career and a variety of countries in which he worked. The bulk of the collection is documentation for engineering projects where Dr. Sagar either designed, advised, or reviewed the gates and/or valves involved, along with his papers, publications, and presentations.

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Marvin D. Hoover served as a hydrological researcher in Colorado for several decades, beginning in 1953. These papers illuminate his work concerning the water supply of Colorado Springs and his later involvement as an environmental consultant on water-storage issues for Fort Collins. Document types include correspondence, reports, notes, clippings, streamflow data, and two maps.

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The Water Resources Artifacts Collection aggregates objects acquired from several different sources. The collection includes a Thacher calculator, four water level recorders, a textile, a painting, and two water bottles.

Abstract The Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving the wildlife habitat along the North Platte River in Nebraska, was established in 1978. The collection contains materials either collected or created by the Trust in relation to its operations as an environmental organization with the purpose of protecting and representing the interests of threatened and endangered wildlife. Major subjects documented include Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project...

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Vujica M. Yevjevich (1913-2006), a native of Yugoslavia, was a professor, lecturer, consultant, and researcher of hydrologic engineering. Yevjevich taught in Colorado State University's engineering department from 1960 until his retirement in 1979. The collection contains notes, essays, correspondence, graphs, maps, and technical information on his work in hydrology, mostly international in nature.

Abstract The Larimer County District Court Map Collection (1884-1953) contains maps of water-related structures used to establish water rights and settle water disputes in district courts. The maps provide information regarding water adjudication and water litigation in the first half of the twentieth century. The information on some of the more comprehensive maps offer details about the physical description, capacity and water source of large canals, ditches, reservoirs and wells. Collectively they...

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George William (Jerry) Sherk (b. 1949) has had a full career as both an attorney and a professor, specializing in natural resources and environmental law and policy at numerous government agencies, private law firms, and universities. His main interests include interstate water compacts and state water laws. The collection consists mainly of articles, reports, and legal proceedings, along with correspondence, notes, presentations, and conference materials.

Abstract Morris M. Skinner worked as a professor of civil engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) for more than four decades. He focused both his teaching and research on hydraulics. More specifically, his research focused on groundwater recharge, use of bentonite to reduce seepage, cavitation studies, hydraulic modeling, and use of infrared imagery for hydraulic and hydrologic studies, all of which are reflected in this collection. In addition to his publications and research are numerous...

Abstract Having spent over 45 years of his life as a farmer in Fort Collins, Colorado, Harvey Johnson (1895-1991) understood the value of water. He served on numerous water boards, most significantly the Water Supply and Storage Company Board, of which he became a member in 1936 and served for 54 years. He was asked to serve on the Fort Collins City Council and served two terms as mayor in the 1960s. Johnson was instrumental in preparing the city to store water for future growth. This collection...

Abstract California lawyer Arthur L. Littleworth (1923-2021) served as special master on the Kansas v. Colorado Supreme Court case from 1987 until its conclusion in 2009. The case was tried in four parts, and Littleworth wrote five reports during the course of the case. This collection documents the case in its entirety, through trial transcripts, exhibits, and pleadings, as well as correspondence, financial papers, trial notes, report drafts, final reports, and...