TEMPLATE DESIGN © 2008

www.PosterPresentations.com

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