Rio Grande // Sargent Pass

Stolen Flow

STP1; collected August 27, 2020; Lat 36.885631 Long -106.734344; elevation 2350 meters

STP2; collected August 27, 2020; Lat 36.53827 Long -106.44364; elevation 2350 meters

These two sand peel sculptures are from the Continental Divide at Sargent Pass where water is diverted from the western side of the divide (Colorado River/Pacific) to the Rio Grande by way of the Chama River. The stolen flow is created by the San Juan-Chama Project, which carries water from the west side of the Continental Divide to enter Willow Creek just south of this sand peel site. The San Juan-Chama project is part of a complex geopolitical orchestration to manage water use and consumption by the many entities in the west who depend on managed water to exist, i.e., states, counties, farms, cities, and neighborhoods.