Formative Assessment 4: The Colorado River Compact

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Instructions

In 100-150 words, you are expected to express a succinct, informed response to the question, based on the module content and assigned readings. In most cases there will be no specific correct answer, but your stated position must be supported.

Question

In the event that decades long drought in the American Southwest continues, many of the current approaches employed in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and other population centers might be viewed more as stopgap measures in that they simply prolong the inevitable. The Big Thirst alludes to some potentially more “permanent” solutions with the underlying tenet that if the price and desire are right, there is water out there (sound familiar?).

What do you think about the idea of acquiring water from large faraway sources (e.g., the Great Lakes), as an approach to support population centers and fuel growth in the southwest? Is it a good idea or not, and why?

Submitting Your Essay

Bring your typed and printed answers to class.

Scoring and Rubric

Each answer will earn a maximum of 25 points, as described in the rubric below.

Rubric
Work Shown Possible Points
Provides a well-reasoned response to the question posed 10
Uses correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure 5
Includes one or more references to specific materials in Module or assigned reading 5
Appropriate length (100-150 words) 5