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D.C. Jackson, professor of history, is part of an 11 member national scientific panel which presented its findings about the future prospects of the Colorado River to numerous federal officials in Washington D.C.
The panel, organized by the National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academy of Science, has compiled a report focusing on the dwindling water resources of the Colorado River Basin, which is comprised of roughly 240,000 square miles in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico. (See the executive summary of the report, entitled “Colorado River Basin Water Management: Evaluating and Adjusting to Hydroclimatic Variability,” here.)
Sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and state and local agencies, the study was presented Feb. 20 to representatives of the Bureau, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee, the White House, and the Department of The Interior.
The report states that the numerous droughts in the river basin in recent years may be close to the norm when compared to the river’s water flow over several hundred years. Chaired by Ernest T. Smerdon, former dean of the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of Arizona, the panel included engineers, scientists, hydrologists, climatologists, and water management professionals.
The New York Times reported on the committee’s findings Feb. 22.
In part, the committee utilized tree-ring data derived from trees several hundred years old as an indicator of annual water supply variation. In wet years the tree rings are wide while in dry years the rings are thin; through careful analysis of trees sampled from various locations in the Colorado River Basin it proved possible to create a record of precipitation extending back to the 16th century.
Jackson’s role in the committee was that of a water resources historian possessing a clear understanding of engineering problems and issues involving western rivers. He offered perspective on how the laws and water allocation agreements that govern water usage in the Colorado River Basin came about and how they may affect and constrain future decisions relating to water distribution.
He says that if careful planning is not initiated in anticipation of extended drought conditions, millions of people living in the southwest could experience extreme difficulty in maintaining the water abundant lifestyle that they now take for granted.
“Based upon tree-ring analysis, the committee anticipates longer droughts than previously seen,” Jackson says. “We want people to recognize that it will likely get even drier as we move into the 21st century.”
One major concern is how to deal with a steadily rising population, which has caused water historically used for agricultural purposes to be used for residential needs. Rising population levels in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas are exacerbating the problem of limited water supplies and warmer regional temperatures.
“In the abstract, people know how important water is, but on a day-to-day basis we don’t want to think about how to confront long-term supply problems,” says Jackson. “There needs to be some tough choices made in the Southwest. They can’t develop to the point where they risk running out of water during periods of extended drought. As a nation, we need to stop looking at water as an entitlement and think of it as valuable resource to be conserved.”
Much of Jackson’s research and teaching focuses on the history of water resources, specifically dams, and their political, social, and environmental catalysts.
In 2000, he appeared in an episode of the acclaimed five-part PBS series Building Big, a miniseries on megastructures that explored the history behind some of the world’s greatest feats of engineering – bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels – and the ingenuity of the engineers, architects, and builders who designed and built them.
A member of the Lafayette faculty since 1989, Jackson was the recipient of the Thomas and Lura Forrest Jones Lecture Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching in 1996 and Student Government Superior Teaching Award in 1991. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in engineering from Swarthmore College.