Water will be the star on Thursday, Nov. 6, when the San Juan Stargazers hold a special monthly educational meeting that we are inviting all of Pagosa Springs to attend about the water situation in Southwest Colorado and the San Juan headwaters.
The San Juan Stargazers have three who are also on the San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) board. They include Randy Cooper, a geologist; Rob Hagberg, a retired emergency room doctor; and Chuck Riehm, the “project manager” who helped with the start of the internet.
Riehm presented a talk for a different group that included a brief history of the water situation in Southwest Colorado and a projection for the next 50 years. I asked if he would share it with the Stargazers.
I have attended several water meetings, but felt I was missing some basic background which he had included. I have often found that when I have a question, other people do also. Therefore, I wanted to open our meeting to others in Pagosa.
Riehm will present an update from the 2023 Colorado River Plan and the Colorado River Basin Water Rights Report that must be completed by 2026 or the federal government will take it over.
The upper and lower basin states must be coordinated. Riehm also found a significant report of the Top 10 Deepest Snow Winters in the US West and how Wolf Creek fits in. There will be time for your questions.
The San Juan Water Conservancy District Board is moving closer to its big goal of getting an additional reservoir in Archuleta County which Riehm can tell you more about.
Our next meeting, on Thursday, Nov. 6, will start at 6 p.m. with our social hour for visiting and sharing delicious snacks.
We gather at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis St. Please use the convenient parking lot and the side door that leads into the kitchen and then fellowship hall. (We keep the front doors to the church sanctuary locked.)
At 7 p.m., we will begin our educational program, which will include more than a talk from Riehm, also having excerpts from a number of films that give a descriptive tour of the water situation in Southwest Colorado and the Upper San Juan headwaters.
This should be interesting, educational and provide an opportunity to ask questions. Astronomy people are fascinated with the entire universe, and realize that we also need to preserve and promote the precious planet that we live on and its water, which we need to survive.
On Nov. 6, we will have our 2026 Space Mysteries calendars for sale, which include fabulous photos of the most interesting space discoveries of the past year.
We have these calendars every year because of their magnificent pictures and all of the other important night sky information. It is a great holiday gift that is easy to mail. I always sent them to my grandchildren so we could talk about them on phone calls. The calendar is an absolute treasure.
If you just want a calendar, come from 6 to 7 p.m.
If you would like to join the San Juan Stargazers, you will also receive Reflector Magazine (again with hard copies), which is the publication of the National Astronomical League of which you automatically become a member.
To join both groups and get an excellent astronomy magazine, annual membership is only $25 per individual or family. You can join the club at any of our meetings or on our website. Check out our continuously changing website, sanjuanstargazers.org, with new information and spectacular photos.
We can be your special connection to our extraordinary universe.
