The Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC) will host the second event of its 2026 Fire & Water Speaker Series next week. The Rifle-based nonprofit organizes events each spring to engage community on topics around water, wildlife and humans within the Colorado River Basin.
The first event, hosted last month, introduced hydrologist and writer Robert R. Crifasi, who led a conversation on the history and politics of water in the American West. Crifasi shared stories and insights from his book, “Western Water A-Z,” and spoke to how infrastructure and laws around water affect communities today.
The second installment takes place Saturday, March 28 at the Vaudeville Revue. MCWC will screen the documentary “The American Southwest” by Tucson-based filmmaker and conservation biologist Ryan Olinger. Released in autumn 2025, the film takes audiences from the alpine headwaters of the Colorado River to desert deltas.
“The American Southwest” is narrated by Indigenous environmentalist Quannah Chasinghorse, and covers both the biodiversity of the river’s ecosystems and the environmental destruction created by the many dams which have been built along the watershed. Sequences include beavers building wetlands, condors recovering from the brink and the return of jaguars to American soil.
The third and final event of the series is scheduled for April 30 at Rifle’s Ute Theater, 5:30 to 8pm. The event, “Firewise Futures: Readiness and Resilience in the West,” will include a showing of the documentary “Elemental,” followed by an expert panel discussion on wildfire risk and preparedness. “Elemental,” released in 2023, was filmed across the Western United States, and opens with an escape from 2018’s catastrophic Camp Fire in Northern California. The fire, started by downed powerlines following high winds, burned 19,000 structures and decimated the city of Paradise.
“Elemental” highlights other devastating wildfires in Oregon, Colorado and California in the early 2020s, and includes interviews with fire-behavior researchers, climate and ecosystem scientists and Indigenous peoples’ historical fire management practices across the region. The film is narrated by Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor David Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 drama “Selma.”
“‘Elemental’ is an outstanding film that deserves the widest possible viewing,” said former Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck. “In a visually stunning manner, it distills what we’ve learned about wildland fire over the decades and provides a road map for badly needed changes that will benefit thousands of people, particularly in fire-prone communities.”
In addition to the screening and the panel, the event will feature a hands-on, family-friendly fire safety simulation offered by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The simulator is intended to help instill wildfire preparedness among attendees. The event offers admission by donation, but does request advanced RSVPs, which can be made at midcowatershed.org/events/2026/firewisefutures
This year’s MCWC Fire & Water Speaker Series has several sponsors, including the Colorado River District, the Greater Rifle Improvement Team, Holy Cross Energy, Kissner General Contractors, Inc, Chevron, Alpine Bank, Garfield & Hecht and Wright Water Engineers. Additional sponsors include Balcomb & Green, Gearheads Outfitters, Spheros Environmental, The Ute Theater, Glenwood Hot Springs, Kumar & Associates and Stifel.
MCWC brings together communities, businesses and other cross-jurisdictional stakeholders to sustain water quality and quantity for users in the 2,200-square-mile watershed along the 75 miles of the Colorado River between Glenwood Canyon and De Beque. The nonprofit gathers and shares water quality data, coordinates educational campaigns and participates in Colorado River District work, including the State of the River community meetings.
The State of the River meeting for the Middle Colorado Watershed is scheduled for Thursday, April 9 from 6 to 8:15pm at the Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs (upstairs from the library). Two weeks later, the Roaring Fork State of the River meeting will be held at the Pitkin County Library (Thursday, April 23, from 6 to 8:15pm). Both events are free with registration and include a light dinner in addition to river flow forecasts and relevant watershed project updates.
Tickets for the upcoming Fire & Water event on Saturday, March 28, 5:30 to 8:30pm, at the Vaudeville Revue in Glenwood Springs can be purchased in advance for $20 at midcowatershed.org/events/2026/the-american-southwest or at the door for $25.