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The Power and Politics of Urban Water Output: Colorado Springs Stormwater
Luci Kelemen2019-2020 State of the Rockies Fellow
Introduction
Stormwater ties together urban environments, their people and their politics. The city of Colorado Springs, CO has a unique and complex stormwater story connected to the rapid growth and development of the area.
This study utilizes archival research, interviews with local city officials and stakeholders, and relevant theory to understand the complexities of stormwater management in this city. Focusing on theories of urban political ecology and the concept of the hydro-social cycle, this study links stormwater to local political themes. While these issues once went unnoticed, recent lawsuits and intergovernmental agreements have catalyzed necessary change in the region.
The study argues that the way in which Colorado Springs developed, rapidly and with little regulation, has caused robust stormwater management issues that have been poorly managed given a lack of funding in a tax averse place.
Tim
elin
e
Context
Methodologies
Early Findings and Observations Continued Research
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my project advisors, the Director of the State of the Rockies Project, Dr. Corina McKendry and Dr. Eric Perramond for their continued support and assistance on this
project. I would also like to thank the State of the Rockies Coordinator, Cyndy Hines and lastly, the State of the Rockies Project donors who made my
research possible.
1. Archival Analysis
2. Interviews with Local Experts
i. Local government
officials
ii. Local NGO leaders
iii. Informed Stakeholders
3. Review of Relevant Theories
4. Interview Transcriptions
1. Continued Interviews
2. Creating an analysis for interview
transcriptions
3. Analyzing interviews and gathering
general themes
4. Tying general themes into relevant
bodies of literature
Ø Most interviewees told
stormwater stories based on the
timeline below
Ø The rapid development which
has been occurring in Colorado
Springs has increased
stormwater runoff as the
proportion of impervious
surface increases
Ø Central components which have
exacerbated the problem appear
to be that Colorado Springs is
tax averse and pro-development
community
Interview with Richard Mulledy. July 22, 2019. Environmental Protection Agency. "National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System." https://www.epa.gov/npdes/npdes-stormwater-program .Swyngedouw, Erik. 2009. "The Political Economy and Political Ecology of the
Hydro-Social Cycle." Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education 142 (1) (Aug):56-60.
Map taken from https://coyotegulch.blog/Picture taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_Creek_Regional_Park_and_Nature_Center
References
Hydro-social cycle: A combined cycle which combines hydraulic processes with social and political influences and shapes the water cycle as we know it today.
Stormwater runoff: Water which comes from rain or snow events and flows over impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots, rooftops) without soaking into the ground.
Stormwater fee: Most cities in the United States have some sort of stormwater fee, meant to help fund stormwater infrastructure projects and stay ahead of the problem.
Map of Fountain Creek Watershed