09/06/2026
I remember years when the Dolores River came to a trickle with only pools of water in places. Using the river for irrigation of the valley is what brought people to the area back in 1885 when the trans-basin diversion tunnel and canal was built. Previous to this date in the 1870’s the San Juan Mountains were opened to mining and homesteaders. The homesteaders realized local streams couldn’t support their farms. That’s when private developers stepped in and started building diversions of the river to support the farms and ranches. Prior to the McPhee Dam project only a few lakes and ponds was used for storage. Now comes the conflict where some believe the river should have never been damned in the first place. If the river would have never been damned the towns and people who live in the area wouldn’t have the water to sustain these towns and homes. I think the dam was a good idea and it has sustained life in the area. The sprinkler systems are very insufficient because of evaporation. Beavers were removed which built natural dams which allowed more water to get into the ground and not just evaporate or run off. Water obviously was mismanaged and the models that have been used to predict amounts of rainfall and snowfall have failed. Now the same group of technocrats that most likely created many of the problems will run in to control every drop of water claiming they have the solution. They love conflict because it gives them political opportunity or more specifically “never letting a good crises go to waste.” They will use people as useful idiots in these conflicts so they can move in and take control. In my worldview looking at it through a biblical lens this all fits into Bible Prophecy. I believe there shall come a time when the seas, rivers, and springs will turn into blood during future end-times judgement.
