The State of the Rockies Project is in its fourteenth year, and seeks to increase public understanding of vital issues affecting the Rocky Mountain West. All State of the Rockies events are free and open to the public, who are encouraged to join the ongoing discussion of the issues that affect our beautiful yet fragile region.

Fall 2016 Plains to Peak Bulletin

The most recent edition of the Plains to Peak Bulletin covers State of the Rockies' comparative approach to studying river governance in the West and an update on the 2016 State of the Rockies Report. The bulletin also highlights student research from summer 2016, including sections on deferred water justice for tribes in the West, and the connection between climate change and a diminishing snowpack in the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest.

Download the Fall 2016 Plains to Peak Bulletin as a PDF here.

The 2016-17 State of the Rockies Project:
Inclusive River Governance for a Changing West

A Comparative Study of the Colorado and Columbia River Systems

For the upcoming 2016-17 Rockies Project cycle we will be expanding our traditional geographic focus beyond the Intermountain West to the Columbia River Basin and the Northwest U.S. Additionally, we will be returning our gaze to the Southwest and the Colorado River--familiar territory for the State of the Rockies Project. Recognizing the important role water plays in both of these regions, we plan to address the governance of two of the West's great rivers. We will begin this new investigative focus during the summer of 2016 and continue with activities on the Colorado College campus throughout the next academic year.

View the 2016-17 State of the Rockies Project Prospectus here.

2016 State of the Rockies Report

The Scales of Western Water

We have released sections of our 2015-2016 State of the Rockies Report over the course of April and May to highlight the impressive work of each of our student State of the Rockies Fellows. From the ethics of agricultural water use to the cultural value of water in the Southwest, the sections of the 2016 State of the Rockies Report focus on different "Scales of Western Water."

The 2016 Conservation in the West Poll

A Survey of the Attitudes of Voters in Seven Western States

State of Nevada included in polling for first time in sixth annual survey

In January 2016, for the sixth year in a row, the State of the Rockies Project, in conjunction with Lori Weigel, Public Opinion Strategies and Dave Metz, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, has released the Conservation in the West Poll.

The survey, conducted in seven western states, explores bi-partisan opinions in each state and for the six-state region concerning conservation, environment, energy, the role of government, trade-offs with economies, and citizen priorities. This year the survey breaks new ground by polling in the state of Nevada for the first time in the poll's six-year history.