Dan O'Connor: The Colorado miracle

She flows from north to south many hundreds of miles. She brings precious life-giving water and power to tens of millions of people who greatly depend on her.

She is the mighty Colorado river connecting the mountains to the sea and sustaining human survival in this vast and arid Southwest.

So many have marveled at her scenic beauty, traveled along her banks and sailed on her waterways.

But now, at last, her former abundant flow is slowing and we don't know what to do about it. Our dependence is great and our alternatives are very few.

The states of New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and especially California have been utilizing her for their electrical power and water for almost a hundred years. Parts of northern Mexico have even been included.

And, all combined, they have finally almost drained her dry.

We are seeing that long-term cycles of nature change as the years glide slowly by. Temperatures increase from cool to warm and then reverse again. And now, what used to be our steady rains rarely come any more. Our ever-so-dry land is baking in the sun these days. And whether we humans have much to do about causing this is a matter of speculation and contention.

In past years, nonproductive desert wasteland has been transformed into flourishing farming communities through irrigation from this river's source. Central California has been the breadbasket of the country due to this same source.

Our human population, which was minimal back about 100 years ago here in the Southwest, has expanded and multiplied many times over since, thanks to the powerful river's flow.

There was a time, back in the day, when her waters flowed unobstructed, wild and free. Conditions would change from steady stream to drought to occasionally widespread flooding.

Then, about the time of the Great Depression, when times were really tough and there was a great need for continuing production and human renewal, a miracle of sorts occurred.

A government program was cooked up to revitalize civilization, put a large number of people back to work and to harness the power of the Colorado's flow. All this would be for the benefit of mankind.

The miracle was that it actually worked.

Such a government program would not stand a chance today with our lack of personal responsibility, hard work and common sense. But it could and it did back then, and it changed our way of life for the better.

All you have to do to see this for yourself is to take a tour of the awesome Hoover Dam. There will be no question in your mind what an incredible feat was pulled off at that time with the farsighted supervision of a man named Hoover.

Many thousands of men desperate to find work were hired for this huge project. They worked with picks and shovels and the technology of the 1930's. They toiled in heat close to 120 degrees to dam up and divert the river's flow. Untold thousands of tons of concrete were poured and massive amounts of reinforced steel was laid down.

In spite of the severe hardships and conditions, all went well overall and proceeded as planned. The project was completed well ahead of schedule.

Man triumphed over nature and improved conditions for life and living and we have been benefiting from this all the way up to today.

But now nature's cycle and conditions are again changing and we humans are in need of another miracle.

The vast water resources of man-made Lake Mead and Lake Powell are rapidly dwindling. These reservoirs, which were created and filled by the Colorado, are now at about 25 percent of capacity, and sinking.

Water restrictions and cutbacks of the several states are in progress and there is fierce competition as to who should get what share.

In the big picture, you could say that the future survival of some 40 million people in the Southwest is at stake. Our next major conflict might well be Water Wars.

I heard a song on the radio this morning that reminded me of this: "All I need is a miracle."

Well, dear reader, do you believe in miracles?

Dan is at danhughoconnor@gmail.com