The Colorado River's Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the Western United States
opinion Essay
4952 words
The Colorado River's Help and Hindrance of Settlement in the Western United States
Geographers can tell you that the one thing that most rivers and their
adjacent flood plains in the world have in common is that they have rich
histories associated with human settlement and development. This
especially true in arid regions which are very dependent upon water. Two
excellent examples are the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers which
show use the relationship between rivers and concentrations of people.
However, the Colorado River is not such a good example along most
segments of its course. There is no continuous transportation system
that parallels the rivers course, and settlements are clustered. The
rugged terrain and entrenched river channels are the major reasons for
sparse human settlement. We ask ourselves, did the Colorado River help
or hinder settlement in the Western United States?
As settlers began to move westward, the Southwest was considered
to be a place to avoid. Few considered it a place to traverse, to spread
Christianity, and a possible source of furs or mineral wealth. Finding a
reliable or accessible water source, and timber for building was
difficult to find. There was a lack of land that could be irrigated
easily.
By the turn of the century, most present day cities and towns
were already established. Trails, roads, and railroads linked several
areas with neighboring regions. Although the Colorado River drainage
system was still not integrated. In the mid 1900’s many dams had been
built to harness and use the water. A new phase of development occurred
at the end of the second World War. There was a large emphasis on
recreation, tourism, and environmental preservation.
The terrain of the Colorado River is very unique. It consists of
Wet Upper Slopes, Irregular Transition Plains and Hills, Deep
Canyonlands, and the Dry Lower Plains.
Wet Upper Slopes: Consist of numerous streams that feed into the
Colorado River from stream cut canyons, small flat floored valleys often
occupied by alpine lakes and adjacent steep walled mountain peaks. These
areas are heavily forested and contain swiftly flowing streams, rapids,
and waterfalls. These areas have little commercial value except as
watershed, wildlife habitat, forest land, and destinations for hikers,
fishermen, and mountaineers.
Irregular Transition Plains and Hills: These areas are favorable
for traditional economic development. It consists of river valleys with
adequate flat land to support farms and ranches. Due to the rolling
hills, low plateaus, and mountain slopes, livestock grazing is common.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that few considered it a place to traverse, to spread.
- Explains how the sea of cortez carves out tons of silt along its path.
- Opines that the grand canyon plays a large role in western tourism.
- Opines that the alamo canal was no match for diverting the water.
- Opines that all the waters of the gila river in arizona would go to arizona.
- Describes the flat plain of sand and silt where the sea of cortez washes the last drops.
- Explains that a threat of water allocation is an affliction to people or communities.
- Proposes a water bank for storage if all parties agree to this.
- Opines that there will be a long and drawn out battle over this idea.
- Opines that the salton sea is now a lost sea.
- Explains that they put in power lines and 250 miles of water lines.
- Narrates how they bought land on the other side of the sea and sank more than $2 million.
- Opines that the salton sea has done, no matter how polluted it is today.
Related
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- Analyzes the impact of the american frontier in maryanne kearny, joann crandall, and edward n.
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
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- Explains that the movement west was a milestone for america. it allowed for americans to spread from one coast to another.
2017 wordsRead More - The Development of Early American Citiesanalytical essayEarly cities, from late 1600 to mid 1800, in the United States were thought of in two different ways. First, they were though of as a promise land which held opportunity for all inhabitants. They could become a place where prosperity and new and exciting things could take place. Second, on the opposite spectrum, they were thought of as an immoral breading ground which could poison people and the entire United States. People like President Jefferson and Benjamin Rush were quick to state the problems in early cities. However, there were also people, like Henry Harkwell and Francis Makemie, who were ready to state these problems but also to add suggestions in order to fix them. Those opposing early cities and their growth would argue that there were no solutions to the variety of problems that condemned the inhabitants of cities. However, it can be seen that not only were the solutions plausible but that some aided in the fixing the problems of merchants, tradesmen, and even immorality.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how early cities were thought of as a promise land and an immoral breading ground that could poison people and the entire united states.
- Explains that in the late 1600s, henry hartwell, james blair, and edward chilton saw a problem with tradesman and merchants in virginia.
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- Analyzes henry hartwell, james blair, and edward chilton's "virginia needs towns - a colonits' plea" in large and true account of the present state of virginia.
- Cites makemie, francis, "arguments for towns and 'cohabitation' in maryland and virginia," in john humfreys' "panopticon and the scrutinized self: rules of urban society."
944 wordsRead More - Issues Of Early American Settlementcomparative essayIn the early settlement of America, disease and forced labor played a significant role. In the Spanish colonies from Florida and Southward, smallpox took an enormous toll on the conquerors and the native peoples. The so-called “black legend” regarding the Spanish and Portuguese was actually somewhat true, but also somewhat misleading. The concept held that “the conquerors merely butchered or tortured the Indians (‘killing for Christ’), stole their gold, infected them with smallpox, and left little but misery behind.” (Kennedy, p. 23) All of this was actually true – but that wasn’t all the conquerors did, and is therefore the error of the “black legend”. The Spanish and Portuguese conquerors built an enormous empire that spanned two continents. It was not just bad traits that they brought with them – they brought good things too, like culture. Soon, their culture would be integrated into the native societies, including the conquerors’ language, laws, and religion.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that disease and forced labor played a significant role in the early settlement of america. the so-called "black legend" regarding the spanish and portuguese was true, but misleading.
- Explains that disease played a large roll in the south during english colonization of the eastern seaboard. indentured servitude became commonplace, since slaves were too expensive.
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In this essay, the author
- Opines that progress is awsome to achieve, but when achieved, people have to realize the process they had to do to get there.
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- Describes how farmers opposed the government after settlements were established. the populist party's rise caused a scare and panic to other government groups but it didn't last.
- Explains that natural resources were key to the development of progress as a whole of the nation.
- Explains that railroads provided national transportation and time and space were conserved. however, the working conditions on the immigrants that worked on them were harsh.
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- Explains that if you don't step on others to achieve your goals and desires in life, other people will follow. carnegie's success came with a cost.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the effects of colonization on the native americans. the europeans changed the way of life for the worst due to disease, loss of land, attempts to export religion, and laws.
- Explains that native americans never came in contact with diseases that developed in the old world because they were separated from asia, africa, and europe when ocean levels rose following the last ice age.
- Explains that many native groups, because they were nomadic, didn't see land as belonging to one person. the idea that someone could come in, claim a piece of land and ban them from it, caused many problems.
- Explains that many christian missionaries tried to force native american people to abandon traditional religious beliefs and practices. these harmful attacks destroyed temples and religious artifacts, as well as a huge part of their culture.
- Explains that the europeans wanted to deny the native americans of their cultural identity, which eventually would wipe them out.
- Opines that it was unfair of the europeans to destroy native american way of life. the columbian exchange changed native americans' lives forever.
537 wordsRead More - The American Settlements: The Free American Republicexplanatory essayThe American settlements started adding to a vote based convention amid their most punctual phases of advancement. More than 150 years after the fact, the homesteaders trusted their experience was sufficiently incredible to decline to perceive the British lord. The main decade was rough. The American Revolution and the local precariousness that took after provoked a require another kind of government with a constitution to ensure freedom. The constitution drafted in the beginning of the free American republic has persevered through longer than any in mankind's history. Incidentally, the English political framework gave the grist to the rebellion of its own American provinces. For a long time English rulers had permitted confinements to be set
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the american revolution and local precariousness provoked a need for another kind of government to ensure freedom. the magna carta set up the portion of constrained government.
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