This January, BWS sponsored the Conservation in the West lunch at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver. An industry trade show, the “Snow Show” brings 15,000 outdoor professionals to Denver. Snow show attendees agreed that healthy rivers and water supplies provide the basis not just for the activities and traditions that we love, but for the well-being of our economy.

Results from the 2019 State of the Rockies poll were presented to lunch attendees showing that, by and large, Westerners recognize the Colorado River’s importance and strongly support water conservation efforts. The poll charts Western attitudes on a range of conservation-related issues and found that two-thirds of Western voters say water supplies in the West are becoming more unpredictable.

Across the West, 84% of respondents feel low levels of water in rivers is a serious problem for their state and 81% think protecting and restoring the health of rivers, lakes and streams should be an extremely important priority for Western States.

These figures help us understand the way voters perceive the risks to our rivers and western water supply. In the West, healthy rivers are a part of our lives and our livelihood: the Colorado River alone supports 16 million American jobs and generates $1.4 trillion in economic benefits, including a $26 billion recreational economy.