Watershedding

In the swirl. 🌀

Between a reporting deadline and two river trips, I have just enough procrastinative energy to share some photos and field notes from the early 2026 swirl.

Paria River runoff at confluence with Colorado River below Lee Ferry. In February.

Aaron and I spent February in the landscapes adjacent to the lower Colorado River, from Lee Ferry to the Salton Sea. Each area is part of the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor designated by President Joe Biden. While much can be said of the way humans have altered that river stretch, we observed intact desert habitats and vital springs that are affected by water (mis) management in these arid lands.

Lee Ferry: The official arbitrary divide between the upper and lower Colorado River basins. The ducks can't decide if they are in the upper or lower Colorado River basin.

The strained Colorado River in Marble Canyon.

Only the Colorado River, far below the cliffs, cut through the silence.

Baaj Nwaavjo means “where Indigenous peoples roam” in Havasupai, and I’tah Kukveni means “our ancestral footprints” in Hopi. The national monument protects 529,242 acres north of Grand Canyon. This week, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a 2024 lawsuit attempting to overturn the monument.

Early Joshua Tree and Yucca Blooms

A lively desert habitat for wildlife, plants, and humans. Designated in 2023, this national monument protects its namesake “Spirit Mountain” (Avi Kwa Ame). It is the most sacred places on Earth for the Mojave, Chemehuevi, and some Southern Paiute people. The landscape is culturally important to the Cocopah, Halchidhoma, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Kumeyaay, Maricopa, Pai Pai, Quechan, Yavapai, and Zuni Tribes.

Dreaming in the heart of the Mojave.

We love a water hauling hike to go look at (but not drink from) a precious desert spring.

Designated in 2024, Chuckwalla National Monument protects the Colorado Desert landscape in eastern California. It falls within the county I grew up in, and reminds me that these are ALL home monuments. Most importantly, they protect significant Indigenous cultural landscapes. Chuckwalla is home to the Iviatim (Cahuilla), Nüwü (Chemehuevi), Pipa Aha Macav (Mojave), Kwatsáan (Quechan), and Maara’yam and Marringayam (Serrano) peoples.

The prettiest red-tailed hawk nest. We watched this mom select blossoming creosote and other wildflowers for her bouquet.

If you can appreciate the Salon Sea on a day with 50 mile per hour gusts... There is a strange magic here and I am holding back photos for when I have more time to write.

These dizzying journeys offer more than insight and inspiration. They prepare my mind to contemplate the Colorado River watershed at a critical juncture. (I will have a story about that soon!)

A sincere thank you to all Wild Words paid subscribers. Watershedding field research for my next book, Riverside (Torrey House Press, 2027), is made possible because of YOU!

I look forward to sharing where the river carries me next. Until then, consider how serious the drought is and save some water for the Colorado.

🤎

Morgan

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Colorado River Watershed News Flash

Threats to Chaco Culture National Historical Park

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to revoke a 20-year ban on new oil and gas leases in a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Chaco was a population hub for Indigenous peoples in the Four Corners region from 850 and 1250. 26 Tribal Nations are associated with this living cultural landscape that is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Map of San Juan Basin in New Mexico

Acceleration of drilling will exacerbate the harmful side effects that plague this area of the San Juan Basin and watershed. From a Conservation Lands Foundation Press Release:

With nearly 90% of the region already leased before protections were put in place, intensive drilling has caused significant harm to the health of local and Indigenous communities, air quality, and cultural integrity in the landscape surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Oil and gas wells, roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure have destroyed significant cultural sites and transformed others into industrial wastelands. To allow more drilling in this area would completely disregard the calls from Tribes, including the 20 sovereign Pueblos that collectively participate in the All Pueblo Council of Governors, the National Congress of American Indians, the Mescalero Apache Tribe, elected officials, and other communities who share a deep connection to Chaco Canyon.

Without this critical safeguard in place, the landscape is at great risk of being further degraded. The Greater Chaco region has already suffered from significant damage to air, water, and public health due to oil and gas extraction, and unrestrained oil and gas development will jeopardize the longevity of invaluable traditions and cultures.

The public comment period has been slashed to an egregious 7-days. You can comment directly to the BLM or through New Mexico Wild.