Water, Land, and Life: Adaptation and Regeneration in the San Luis Valley, 2025
Video
About the San Luis Valley
The San Luis Valley (SLV) in Southern Colorado is a region of striking beauty and ecological and economic complexity. A vast, high-elevation desert, the Valley has sustained agriculture for centuries, with evidence suggesting Native American practices dating back thousands of years. While the Valley represents just 1% of the state’s population, it also accounts for 39% of Colorado’s agricultural output, making productive use of a mosaic of multi-use, private, and public (state and federal) lands. At this time, mounting water scarcity presents challenges to continued agricultural production and threatens a way of life for generations of families. The region’s urgent issues are deeply entwined with its specific social, cultural, legal, and ecological systems, but they also mirror broader global trends. Our study of the SLV provides a unique, place-based perspective on some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
About the Speakers
Madeline Wilson is an Agricultural Production System Specialist with Colorado State University Extension. Her work focuses on market development for alternative crops, and the revegetation of retired croplands. In her talk, Madeline discussed conventional farming practices in the San Luis Valley, the approaching deadline to reduce groundwater withdrawals, and explored potential paths forward for the region.
Heather Dutton is the Manager of the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, focusing on water management and conservation in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. Prior to her work for the District, Heather was the Executive Director of the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project. She currently serves on the Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC), Colorado State University Water Center Advisory Board, and Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation Board.