As part of their Water Wise Wednesday Series, The Eagle River Watershed Council is presenting a free screening of Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West at the Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The 55-minute documentary, narrated by Robert Redford and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Mark Decena, exposes the threats endangering the West’s once-mighty Colorado River through heartening character vignettes.
“This documentary provides a succinct overview of current threats to the Colorado River,” says Melissa Macdonald, Executive Director of the Eagle River Watershed Council. “We are just beginning a science based study of the Colorado River in Eagle County to learn what local threats and opportunities might be.”
The film was created by The Redford Center in partnership with the Save The Colorado Campaign to engage, inform and inspire Americans to conserve water and begin restoring the Colorado River so that it can once again reach the sea. The Colorado River sweeps through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, has over 20 major dams, and is drained of 5 trillion gallons of water each year. It’s no wonder it runs dry before reaching its natural end at the Gulf of California.
“If we see the Colorado River as just a river, we are overlooking a natural engine that powers both our economy and our environment,” says Robert Redford. “We want this film to raise awareness of the idea that this river is the canary in the coalmine. If business, government and citizens come together and make some changes, the mighty Colorado can continue to serve us.”
Come check it out! Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 5:30 p.m. at Walking Mountains Science Center (www.walkingmountains.org) 318 Walking Mountains Lane, Avon, CO. Mingle and wind down with a complimentary Crazy Mountain Beer and popcorn before the film begins at 6:00 p.m. We will conclude with a quick Q&A after the movie.
Interested in learning more about the Eagle River Watershed Council and how you can make a difference in your local rivers and streams? Please contact our office at 970-827-5406 or visit www.erwc.org for a complete list of our projects and volunteer opportunities. The Eagle River Watershed Council advocates for the health and conservation of the Upper Colorado and Eagle River basins, for people and wildlife through science, projects and education.
