ML - Aspen Peak

2013 - Issue 2 - Winter

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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THOUGHT LEADER left: The Yampa and Snake Rivers meet in southern Wyoming. below: Pete McBride in action, shooting on location for his Colorado River project. Making Waves T here is no more vital and valuable resource on our planet than water. And one of Aspen's own—photographer, writer, and environmentalist, Pete McBride—is championing a global platform to address the immediacy of our state's water crisis. An epic 1450-mile journey took him from the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park to the sandy soils of northern Mexico where the precious liquid dissolves into dust. His objective was to document the decline of an ancient river that serves the irrigation and hydro-needs of more than 30 million westerners and has become threatened by overuse and the growing demands of man. McBride collaborated with fellow traveler and writer Jonathan Waterman to produce an amazing record of the trip. Their book, The Colorado River: Flowing Through Conflict chronicles how man has tapped, depleted, and squandered the waters of the Colorado over the past century with little regard for the river's future. The stunning photos depict both majesty and decay. McBride has spent the last three years since his shocking sojourn relaying his experience with a steely intent to inform about how to conserve our resources: "[The Colorado River] flowed to the sea for six million years but stopped in the late 1990s, thanks to management, drought, and climate change. Not a drop of the Colorado has kissed the Sea of Cortez since." As a photographer and filmmaker, McBride has woven his images of the west into tableaus that tell a powerful tale of the Colorado's majesty and the demands that have been placed upon it by increasing population growth. In such films as I am Red and Chasing Water, he serves as a voice from the waters, informing America about the looming crises if steps are not taken to manage the resource. He has supplied his photographs and films to American Rivers, a nonprofit that has listed the Colorado as the country's most imperiled river and works as a lobbying organization to bring change to the nation's water laws. "Water is the issue of the next generation," McBride says, warning that if we don't acknowledge the damage to the river the future of the west may be in jeopardy. "The Colorado is really the lifeblood of the West," he elaborates. "They call it 'the American Nile.' Down near Mexico, it provides water for all the lettuce crops in the months of November and December and all of the carrots in January and February. So whether you love the river and fish it and float it, or have never been to it, you still eat [from] Colorado River water." Besides speaking out about water conservation, McBride continues traveling to learn about rivers and take photographs. This fall he journeyed to India for a first ascent of the 7,000-meter Chaukhamba IV to the headwaters of the Ganges River. It's a challenging but rewarding lifestyle that keeps the Old Snowmass resident on the road and fully engaged with the vibrations of the earth. For information about water conservation, visit nature.org and american rivers.org. View photos and films at petemcbride.com.  AP photography by pete mcbride (landscape); Tyler stableford (mcbride) As the health of the mighty colorado river hangs in the balance, explorer, author, and photographer pete mcbride devotes his new work to the issue of water conservation in the west and its impact on our future.  by kelly j. hayes 86  aspenpeak-magazine.com 86_AP_SP_ThtLeader_WIN13_SPR_14.indd 86 10/30/13 4:56 PM

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