Colorado Water History

A guide to finding and using historical information about water in Colorado and beyond

Find Materials in the Water Resources Archive

 

The Colorado State University Water Resources Archive consists of collections from individuals and organizations instrumental to the development of water resources in Colorado and the U.S. West.

Start your search with "Collections Suggestions" below. For more options, conduct a keyword search in the Archive's finding aids.

Collection Suggestions

Need archival materials for a specific river basin in the Water Resources Archive? Unsure where to start? Try these selected collections.

Location Collections
Arkansas
Rio Grande
Colorado Main stem
Gunnison
San Miguel/Dolores
San Juan/Animas
  • Ival V. Goslin
    • development planning studies for Animas-La Plata and Lemon Dam/Turkey
Green/White/Yampa
North Platte
South Platte Main stem
St. Vrain
Big Thompson
Cache la Poudre

The Water Resources Archive's collections include materials related to water in other states and countries. See these selected collections.

Geographic Region Collections

Missouri River Basin

Main stem

Platte River Basin:

Nebraska, Wyoming

Arkansas River Basin:

Arkansas, Kansas

Rio Grande Basin:

New Mexico, Texas

Colorado River Basin:

Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

Pacific Northwest:

Washington, Oregon, Idaho

Central California:

San Joaquin, Sacramento, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

   
Colombia/Venezuela/Brazil
Egypt/Middle East
Pakistan/Bangladesh/India
China
Australia/New Zealand

Your Archivist

Profile Photo
Patricia Rettig
Contact:
Archives & Special Collections
Morgan Library
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1019
970-491-1939
Website
Subjects: Water

What is a Finding Aid?

A finding aid serves as a guide to an archival collection. It provides an overview of the collection, as well as a description of its contents. Finding aids vary from collection to collection, but most include:

  • a collection summary
  • a history or biography of the creator
  • a description of the size, composition, and organization of the collection
  • a list of containers (boxes, folders, etc.) and their contents divided into series (groups) by material type or subject.

Tips: When keyword searching, also try synonyms and abbreviations. Archivists often retain the folder titles assigned by the collection's creator, so expect quirkiness and inconsistency within and across finding aids. Also remember that specific information may be within folders with general titles (e.g., "Correspondence" or "Meeting minutes").

Online finding aids enable you to get started on your own, but never hesitate to ask an archivist for assistance!

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URL: https://libguides.colostate.edu/waterhistory | Print Page