The Colorado River represents 1,450 miles of lifeblood for much of the American West, the foundation of many industries throughout the Upper and Lower Basins, and the historic and present home to the millions who are reliant on the river’s flow.
On July 25th, we celebrate Colorado River Day, a day to memorialize the signing House Joint Resolution 460, put forward by Colorado Congressman Edward Taylor, a Glenwood Springs resident, which enacted formal name change of the “Grand River” as it was deemed in the early 1800s (as were many other rivers along the western slopes of the Rockies) to the “Colorado River,” as we know it today. Prior to 1921, the Spanish-named “Colorado River” only applied to the section of the river below the confluence of the Green and the Grand Rivers in Canyonlands National Park, nomenclature that was altered with HR460. A year later, The States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, resolved to enter into a compact under the Act of the Congress of the United States of America approved August 19, 1921: The Colorado River Compact. We’ll elaborate on this dividing, seminal, and guiding document in future columns – it deserves the deep dive.
Moabites and residents of the Moab Valley have been drawn to the river in the heat of the summer for generations. Photographs in the Moab Museum’s Collection via Fran and Terby Barnes reflect the river’s draw on a community. View the full Archive at Southern Utah University or at Grand County Public Library.
The Moab Museum is dedicated to sharing stories of the natural and human history of the Moab area. To explore more of Moab’s stories and artifacts, find out about upcoming programs, and become a Member, visit www.moabmuseum.org.
This article was first published in the Moab Sun News weekly Moab History column, written by Moab Museum staff.
