{"id":459721,"date":"2025-09-24T14:18:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T20:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/?page_id=459721"},"modified":"2026-02-15T19:07:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T02:07:32","slug":"what-is-a-river","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/what-is-a-river\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a river?: The Arkansas River and Colorado"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light\" style=\"min-height:80vh;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><video class=\"wp-block-cover__video-background intrinsic-ignore\" autoplay muted loop playsinline src=\"https:\/\/videos.files.wordpress.com\/pwcFH2Pf\/ark-headwaters-montage.mp4\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"><\/video><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#FFF\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2c2b21e51d8fa54de1c62ffdf2449708\" id=\"h-what-is-a-river\" style=\"font-size:4em\">What is a river?<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#515151;font-size:13px\">(Video and photos by Mike Sweeney\/Special to The Sun)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">W<\/mark>hat is a river?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It depends on your point of view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sun reporters have fanned out along the <strong>Arkansas River<\/strong>, from the headwaters near Leadville to the border with Kansas, to learn what the river means to people in the places it runs through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The series begins with Michael Booth&#8217;s dispatch from high in the Mosquito Range, where the Arkansas comes to life and almost died. It concluded with Jennifer Brown&#8217;s reporting from Holly, near where the mighty river slips over the Kansas border and disappears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-treat-a-river-reshaping-the-arkansas-river-into-a-colorado-success-after-a-century-of-abuse\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/07\/reshaping-the-arkansas-river-into-a-colorado-success-after-a-century-of-abuse\/\">How to treat a river: Reshaping the Arkansas River into a Colorado success after a century of abuse<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/07\/reshaping-the-arkansas-river-into-a-colorado-success-after-a-century-of-abuse\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"772\" data-attachment-id=\"457286\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_ark_headwaters_11-copy-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?fit=2000%2C1287&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1287\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;XT705&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Owners of the Climax Mine constructed this waterfall where the east fork of the Arkansas River flows through its property. The more appealing falls replaced a simple pipe where the headwaters of the Arkansas River once flowed giving the river a more alpine feel. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1755177315&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney 2025\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;10.57&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.028571428571429&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11 copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Owners of the Climax Mine constructed this waterfall where the east fork of the Arkansas River flows through its property. The more appealing falls replaced a simple pipe where the headwaters of the Arkansas River once flowed giving the river a more alpine feel. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C772&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C772&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-457286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C772&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=300%2C193&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C494&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=1536%2C988&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C659&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=780%2C502&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?resize=400%2C257&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy-1200x772.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Owners of the Climax Mine constructed this waterfall where the East Fork of the Arkansas River flows through its property. The more appealing falls replaced a simple pipe where the headwaters of the Arkansas River once flowed, giving the river a more alpine feel. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I<\/mark>t\u2019s longer than the storied Colorado River. It rises and falls through more dramatic scenery and geology changes than any river in the state. Hosts 100 miles of gold medal trout waters. Delivers bounty to farmers and consumers. Supplies a lesser-known drinking water lifeline to Colorado\u2019s biggest cities.Yet nearly every inch of the Arkansas River through Colorado has been pummeled by humans for more than a century.&nbsp;From the high headwaters all the way to the state line, <strong>Michael Booth<\/strong> has this story on how the people who care are trying to redeem a hard-working stream<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/07\/reshaping-the-arkansas-river-into-a-colorado-success-after-a-century-of-abuse\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/24993446\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/24993446\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-shifting-gifts-of-the-upper-arkansas-river-and-its-evolving-role-for-colorado-communities\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/11\/23\/gifts-of-the-upper-arkansas-colorado-communities\/\">The shifting gifts of the Upper Arkansas River and its evolving role for Colorado communities<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/11\/23\/gifts-of-the-upper-arkansas-colorado-communities\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-attachment-id=\"460563\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/pocketwave_as-19\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Anna Stonehouse, Special to the Colorado Sun&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D X Mark II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Recreation Engineering and Planning, project manager, Mike Harvey (right), and son, Miles, chat as an excavator works on Pocket Wave in Buena Vista on September 24.&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1758739301&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Stonehouse Pictures&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;16&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PocketWave_AS-19\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Recreation Engineering and Planning, project manager, Mike Harvey (right), and son, Miles, chat as an excavator works on Pocket Wave in Buena Vista on September 24. (Anna Stonehouse, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-460563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PocketWave_AS-19-1200x800.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Recreation Engineering and Planning, project manager, Mike Harvey (right), and son, Miles, chat as an excavator works on Pocket Wave in Buena Vista on September 24. (Anna Stonehouse, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">F<\/mark>rom a mine dump to floating rubber flotillas to community surf waves, the Upper Arkansas River shapes communities like Buena Vista, Salida and Ca\u00f1on City. Today, the Upper Arkansas River between Leadville and Pueblo is the source of a lot of fun. While it primarily serves as a source of urban water, that tumbling snowmelt delivers a secondary but critical benefit of countless good times.&nbsp;<strong>Jason Blevins<\/strong> has more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/11\/23\/gifts-of-the-upper-arkansas-colorado-communities\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/26660268\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/26660268\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-river-users-landowners-and-lawmakers-revive-decades-long-debate-over-river-access-in-colorado\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/27\/river-access-legislation-colorado\/\">River users, landowners and lawmakers revive decades-long debate over river access in Colorado<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/27\/river-access-legislation-colorado\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" data-attachment-id=\"462656\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/img_2560-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 16 Pro&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1760197283&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;2.2200000286119&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0084745762711864&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Taylor River fence\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;For decades, landowners along the Taylor River have strung a cable across the river, preventing any public access through properties where the landowners have spent millions to restore riparian habitat. (Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-462656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_2560-1200x900.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For decades, landowners along the Taylor River have strung a wire fence across the river, preventing any public access through high-dollar properties where the landowners have spent millions to restore riparian habitat. (Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">C<\/mark>onflicts between river uses and property owners date back decades in Colorado, a state that has the murkiest access laws in the country. Courts have handed down rulings in contentious lawsuits involving access on the Arkansas River and Colorado River. For years, those conflicts have been settled on a case-by-case basis, with landowners, boaters and anglers sitting at a table and finding some sort of agreement.&nbsp;Now, writes Jason Blevins, camps are forming for a renewed fight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/27\/river-access-legislation-colorado\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/25836613\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/25836613\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-canon-city-is-using-the-arkansas-river-to-wash-off-its-prison-town-reputation-steep-obstacles-remain\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/08\/canon-city-arkansas-river-prison-town-reputation\/\">Ca\u00f1on City is using the Arkansas River to wash off its \u201cprison town\u201d reputation. Steep obstacles remain.<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/08\/canon-city-arkansas-river-prison-town-reputation\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"788\" data-attachment-id=\"452243\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_royal_gorge_whitewater_05-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?fit=2000%2C1314&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1314\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Amelia Montgomery leaps into the cooling waters of the Arkansas River at Ca\\u00f1on City\\u2019s Centennial Park July 19, 2025 during the town\\u2019s Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1752933806&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney 2025\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05 copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Amelia Montgomery leaps into the cooling waters of the Arkansas River at Ca\u00f1on City\u2019s Centennial Park July 19, 2025 during the town\u2019s Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C788&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C788&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-452243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C788&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=300%2C197&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C505&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=1536%2C1009&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C673&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=780%2C512&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?resize=400%2C263&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colo_Sun_Royal_Gorge_Whitewater_05-copy-1200x788.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Amelia Montgomery leaps into the cooling waters of the Arkansas River at Ca\u00f1on City\u2019s Centennial Park during the town\u2019s Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I<\/mark>n just more than a decade, this city of 17,000 people has worked to supercharge a new identity as an outdoors hub with river and trail improvements that have turned heads across the Front Range. But for all the energy in Ca\u00f1on City\u2019s reinvention bid, steep challenges remain, from contending with a gnarly highway separating downtown from the river, to dealing with an abandoned industrial strip that has long blocked redevelopment in a riverside corridor seen as key to making the area feel more like a river town, and less like a prison town.&nbsp;After 15 years of river and trail improvements, <strong>Lance Benzel<\/strong> reports on how the southern Colorado city is confronting the legacy of its industrial past<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/08\/canon-city-arkansas-river-prison-town-reputation\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/24997223\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/24997223\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pueblo-has-a-fraught-history-with-the-arkansas-river-but-a-new-11-million-park-could-change-that\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/21\/pueblo-arkansas-river-history-new-park\/\">Pueblo has a fraught history with the Arkansas River, but a new $11 million park could change that<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/21\/pueblo-arkansas-river-history-new-park\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"809\" data-attachment-id=\"458020\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_pueb_levee_02-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?fit=2000%2C1349&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1349\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Photo by Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;A mural on the Arkansas River levee featuring the flags of  the nations that governed Pueblo over time is reflected in the  river Sept. 9, 2025. Originally built after the 1921 flood that nearly destroyed the city, the levee has become a mecca for muralists and features over 100 panels since the levee was rebuilt in 2021. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1757442425&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;64&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02 copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt; A mural on the Arkansas River levee featuring the flags of  the nations that governed Pueblo over time is reflected in the river Sept. 9, 2025. Originally built after the 1921 flood that nearly destroyed the city, the levee has become a mecca for muralists and features over 100 panels since the levee was rebuilt in 2021. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C809&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C809&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-458020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C809&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=300%2C202&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C518&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=1536%2C1036&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C691&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=780%2C526&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?resize=400%2C270&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Pueb_Levee_02-copy-1200x809.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural on the Arkansas River levee featuring the flags of the nations that governed Pueblo over time is reflected in the river. Originally built after the 1921 flood that nearly destroyed the city, the levee has become a mecca for muralists and features over 100 panels since the levee was rebuilt in 2021. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">P<\/mark>ueblo has a brutal history with its backyard river. For over a century the Arkansas was purely used for industry and agriculture, demonstrating the irony of a city built for access to waterways that residents will rarely use.&nbsp;But the city wants to change that. Waterworks Park, which officially opened in May, took just under seven years and $11 million to bring it from idea to the ribbon cutting. The project turned a once-dangerous swimming hole \u2014 the old dam had been the site of several drownings \u2014 into a quarter-mile-long, family-friendly park that rivals any mountain town\u2019s riverside recreation. <strong>Parker Yamasaki<\/strong> has more on Pueblo\u2019s latest bid to change its relationship to the Arkansas River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/09\/21\/pueblo-arkansas-river-history-new-park\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/25108668\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img \nsrc=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/25108668\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-rocky-ford-watermelons-ditches-and-the-arkansas-river-tie-a-community-to-its-past-and-inform-its-future\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/21\/rocky-ford-arkansas-river-watermelons-ditches\/https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/21\/rocky-ford-arkansas-river-watermelons-ditches\/\">In Rocky Ford, watermelons, ditches and the Arkansas River tie a community to its past and inform its future<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/21\/rocky-ford-arkansas-river-watermelons-ditches\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"703\" data-attachment-id=\"455232\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_ark_valley_fair_08-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?fit=2000%2C1172&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1172\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;10&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The Rocky Ford watermelon has been a celebrated icon of the Arkansas Valley Fair for 148 years. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1755364116&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney 2025\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08 copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Rocky Ford watermelon has been a celebrated icon of the Arkansas Valley Fair for 148 years. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C703&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C703&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-455232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C703&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=300%2C176&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C450&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=1536%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C600&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=780%2C457&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?resize=400%2C234&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Valley_Fair_08-copy-1200x703.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rocky Ford watermelon has been a celebrated icon of the Arkansas Valley Fair for 148 years. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">R<\/mark>ocky Ford\u2019s modern history starts with a train, some watermelon seeds and a man named George W. Swink. When he sold slabs of the juicy goodness to a couple thousand people one day in the late 1880s, it was such a joyous occasion he decided to build an entire fair around it. Nearly 150 years later, the Arkansas Valley Fair in Rocky Ford is the oldest of its kind in Colorado. But the north end of the town is what you might call a playground desert. Concerned about their children and wanting a place all residents can connect with nature, Rocky Ford leaders have sparked a plan to link the fairgrounds to a lake to a network of trails along the Arkansas River. As&nbsp;<strong>Tracy Ross<\/strong>&nbsp;reports, they&#8217;re slowly making progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/21\/rocky-ford-arkansas-river-watermelons-ditches\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/25690235\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/25690235\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-lower-arkansas-river-valley-a-1-39b-pipeline-is-the-holy-grail-of-clean-water\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/03\/lower-arkansas-river-valley-pipeline-holy-grail-of-clean-water\/\">In Lower Arkansas River Valley, a $1.39B pipeline is the Holy Grail of clean water<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/03\/lower-arkansas-river-valley-pipeline-holy-grail-of-clean-water\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"830\" data-attachment-id=\"460263\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_ark_conduit_07-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?fit=2000%2C1383&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1383\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Wiley High School softball coach Tandy Bitner fills a pair of water coolers prior to his team&#039;s game against La Junta High School Sept. 23, 2025 at the May Valley Water Main Street water station in Wiley. Groundwater in the area exceeds maximum contaminant levels for radium and end users have to treat their drinking water with a reverse osmosis system or water softening system.  Or, they can purchase treated water from May Valley Water at 25 cents a gallon.  Upon completion The Arkansas Valley Conduit  will bring Wiley, along with a number of other lower Arkansas Valley communities,  a new source of drinking water. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1758655496&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney 2025\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;35&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07 copy\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Wiley High School softball coach Tandy Bitner fills a pair of water coolers prior to his team&amp;#8217;s game against La Junta High School on Sept. 23, 2025 at the May Valley Water Main Street water station in Wiley. Groundwater in the area exceeds maximum contaminant levels for radium and end users have to treat their drinking water with a reverse osmosis system or water softening system.  Or, they can purchase treated water from May Valley Water at 25 cents a gallon.  Upon completion The Arkansas Valley Conduit  will bring Wiley, along with a number of other lower Arkansas Valley communities,  a new source of drinking water. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tandy Bitner fills a pair of water coolers on Sept. 23, 2025 at the May Valley Water Main Street water station in Wiley. Groundwater in the area exceeds maximum contaminant levels for radium and end users have to treat their drinking water with a reverse osmosis system or water softening system. Or, they can purchase treated water from May Valley Water.  (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C830&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C830&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-460263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C830&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=300%2C207&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C531&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=1536%2C1062&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C708&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=780%2C539&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?resize=400%2C277&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Conduit_07-copy-1200x830.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tandy Bitner fills a pair of water coolers at the May Valley Water Main Street water station in Wiley. Groundwater in the area exceeds maximum contaminant levels for radium and end users have to treat their drinking water with a reverse osmosis system or water softening system. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">W<\/mark>ith construction of the long-awaited Arkansas Valley Conduit finally under way,&nbsp; the May Valley Water Association is in line to get clean water from Pueblo Reservoir, more than 100 miles to the west. Then contamination notices from the state health department will stop and the cloud that lies over these small towns in the Lower Arkansas River Basin due to their historically bad water will begin to lift. <strong>Jerd Smith<\/strong> of Fresh Water News has this story on the long-awaited conduit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/03\/lower-arkansas-river-valley-pipeline-holy-grail-of-clean-water\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/25441662\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/25441662\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-arkansas-river-s-big-timbers-region-reflects-a-complex-history-of-western-expansion-indigenous-displacement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/11\/02\/arkansas-river-lamar-big-timbers-colorado-history\/\">The Arkansas River\u2019s Big Timbers region reflects a complex history of Western expansion, Indigenous displacement<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/11\/02\/arkansas-river-lamar-big-timbers-colorado-history\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"814\" data-attachment-id=\"463103\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_big_timbers_03_copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?fit=2000%2C1357&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1357\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;13&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Jacob Rogers is the curator Big Timbers Museum in Lamar. He grew up there on his family\\u2019s farm that\\u2019s bisected by the Arkansas River and was once part of the area in Prowers County known as Big Timbers. While cottonwood trees and native grasses still grow there, they lack the stature and numbers from that at the turn of the 20th century. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1760989074&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney 2025\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;35&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;500&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Jacob Rogers is the curator Big Timbers Museum in Lamar. He grew up there on his family\u2019s farm that\u2019s bisected by the Arkansas River and was once part of the area in Prowers County known as Big Timbers. While cottonwood trees and native grasses still grow there, they lack the stature and numbers from that at the turn of the 20th century. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C814&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C814&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-463103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=1200%2C814&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=300%2C204&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=768%2C521&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=1536%2C1042&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=1024%2C695&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=780%2C529&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?resize=400%2C271&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Colo_Sun_Big_Timbers_03_copy-1200x814.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jake Rogers is the curator Big Timbers Museum in Lamar. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">F<\/mark>or Jake Rogers, the 28-year-old curator of the Big Timbers Museum in Lamar, the Arkansas River\u2019s meandering ribbon ties together its more recent significance \u2014 as an engine for agriculture and, gradually, recreation \u2014 with a complicated history of westward expansion and native displacement from the water\u2019s once heavily timbered banks that extended more than 60 miles west toward La Junta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/11\/02\/arkansas-river-lamar-big-timbers-colorado-history\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/25964913\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/25964913\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-archeologists-find-that-people-sent-to-amache-during-wwii-sought-respite-in-the-arkansas-river\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/06\/amache-incarceration-wwii-arkansas-river-gardens\/\">Archeologists find that people sent to Amache during WWII sought respite in the Arkansas River<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"757\" data-attachment-id=\"445729\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_amache_gardens_02\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?fit=2000%2C1262&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1262\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON Z 9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Dr. Bonnie Clark, right, of the University of Denver, gives a tour of one of the former gardens at the Amache National Historic Site in southeastern Colorado May, 16, 2025. She\\u2019s shown here standing in what was once a pond lined with stones culled from the Arkansas River. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1747406718&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney 2025\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;16.5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Bonnie Clark, right, of the University of Denver, gives a tour of one of the former gardens at the Amache National Historic Site in southeastern Colorado May, 16, 2025. She\u2019s shown here standing in what was once a pond lined with stones culled from the Arkansas River. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?fit=1200%2C757&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=1200%2C757&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-445729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=1200%2C757&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=300%2C189&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=768%2C485&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=1536%2C969&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=1024%2C646&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=780%2C492&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?resize=400%2C252&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Colo_Sun_Amache_Gardens_02-1200x757.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Bonnie Clark, right, of the University of Denver, gives a tour of one of the former gardens at the Amache National Historic Site in southeastern Colorado. She\u2019s shown here standing in what was once a pond lined with stones culled from the Arkansas River. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">T<\/mark>he Granada Relocation Center \u2014 better known as Amache \u2014 was purposely chosen for its remote location, one of 10 relocation centers hastily built in 1942 and sited in the country\u2019s dust bowls and deserts to contain people of Japanese descent. But unlike much of the dusty Plains, Amache had the Arkansas.&nbsp;Since 2008, Dr. Bonnie Clark, archeology professor at the University of Denver and founder of the Amache Archeology Project, has worked with students, Amache survivors and descendants, Granada locals, amateur archeologists and volunteers to meticulously uncover an expansive network of gardens cultivated by incarcerees during their wartime imprisonment.&nbsp;<strong>Parker Yamasaki<\/strong> has this story on Amache and the Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/10\/06\/amache-incarceration-wwii-arkansas-river-gardens\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/25458053\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/25458053\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" style=\"max-width:100%;border-top: 5px solid #21749a;\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-after-360-miles-of-whitewater-and-irrigation-the-arkansas-river-leaves-colorado-as-a-trickle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/12\/07\/when-the-arkansas-trickles-out-of-colorado-its-a-different-river\/\">After 360 miles of whitewater and irrigation, the Arkansas River leaves Colorado as a trickle<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"707\" data-attachment-id=\"466366\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colo_sun_holly_ark_river_03\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?fit=2000%2C1179&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1179\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Photo by Mike Sweeney&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;XT705&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;After a 360-mile journey that began near Leadville, the Arkansas River flows toward the Colorado-Kansas border near Holly Sept. 24, 2025.  (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1758724035&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9Mike Sweeney\/All Rights Reserved&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;10.57&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.028571428571429&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;After a 360-mile, winding journey that began near Leadville, the Arkansas River flows toward the Colorado-Kansas border near Holly Sept. 24, 2025.  (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?fit=1200%2C707&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=1200%2C707&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-466366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=1200%2C707&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=300%2C177&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=768%2C453&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=1536%2C905&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=1024%2C604&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=780%2C460&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?resize=400%2C236&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Colo_Sun_Holly_Ark_River_03-1200x707.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">After a 360-mile, winding journey that began near Leadville, the Arkansas River flows toward the Colorado-Kansas border near Holly Sept. 24, 2025.  (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I<\/mark>n the last Colorado town before the Kansas state line, the Arkansas is brown and slow, in some spots like a string of big mud puddles connected by sand bars. Ten miles into Kansas, it disappears, depleted this time of year by thirsty cities and farms along its 360-mile journey through Colorado. By the time the Arkansas leaves Colorado, it is a different river. But it\u2019s still vital to the people in this dry part of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alt wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#21749a\" class=\"has-inline-color\">\u25b6<\/mark> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2025\/12\/07\/when-the-arkansas-trickles-out-of-colorado-its-a-different-river\/\">Read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:67%\">\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/26659368\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/26659368\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sun reporters have fanned out along the Arkansas River, from the headwaters near Leadville to the border with Kansas, to learn what the river means to people in the places it runs through. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"single-feature.php","meta":{"credibility_indicators":{"original_reporting":false,"on_the_ground":false,"sources_cited":false,"subject_specialist":false},"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":true,"newspack_show_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[16942],"class_list":["post-459721","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.9 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is a river?: The Arkansas River and Colorado - The Colorado Sun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sun reporters have fanned out along the Arkansas River, from the headwaters near Leadville to the border with Kansas, to learn what the river means to people in the places it runs through.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/what-is-a-river\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is a river?: The Arkansas River and Colorado\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sun reporters have fanned out along the Arkansas River, from the headwaters near Leadville to the border with Kansas, to learn what the river means to people in the places it runs through.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/what-is-a-river\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Colorado Sun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheColoradoSun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-16T02:07:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colo_Sun_Ark_Headwaters_11-copy-1200x772.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@coloradosun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"The Colorado Sun\" \/>\n<script 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