WWA-01. What's Beneath the Surface Tension? A case study of changing populations and watershed management in Montezuma County, CO

Abstract
This research is an an ethnographic case study analysis of conflict and stalemate in watershed management on the Dolores River, a tributary of the Colorado River originating from the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado. The purpose of this research is to investigate how intersecting scales of governance, changing populations, and increasing aridity affect relationships and water priorities in the Dolores River community. I grew up in this region and am invested in learning about the water systems that support my community so that I may be a well-informed participant in intergenerational efforts to sustain local water resources. I categorize my research as follows: 1) History of changing populations in the Dolores River region; 2) Research on a contemporary water management conflict in the region; 3) Analysis of Dolores River policies, stakeholder relationships, and Indigenous inclusion and/or participation in watershed management. The analysis will help me understand the social, political, and environmental history and implications of Indigenous and non-Indigenous water rights to a resource with increasingly unpredictable availability.