The rivers that roll past our cities, towns, homes, and highways are reflections of all things that happen upstream and uphill. In this lecture, we will learn to see rivers as a sum of their parts, learning the roles, forms and functions of water, sediment, and vegetation. Blue, the role of water, mobilizing and shaping; Brown, the role of sediment, filling, re-routing and building; and Green, growing, holding and slowing all things mobile. From this context, we will launch into discussions of river health, riparian resilience in the face of climate change, and what we can do to protect habitats critical to fish and wildlife and our riverside communities. We’ll see river cameos of the hard-working Dolores, the now-famous Animas, and the unfettered wildness of the Yampa.
Speaker Biography
Growing up with a creek in her back yard, Dr. Chris Rasmussen has long been a fan of ‘all things river’. She has made a career out of studying rivers from the perspective of the disciplines of botany/zoology (BS), range management (MS), and fluvial geomorphology (PhD), with extensive experience in GIS, fisheries and endangered species conservation. As the owner of EcoMainstream Contracting in Durango, Colorado, she has worked with a variety of agencies, conservation organizations and researchers around the West, classifying and diagnosing river issues and working with community groups toward cooperative solutions. Her current endeavors are to bring people and rivers together with greater understanding and benefit to both. |
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