InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Water Science and Society > Student Materials > Module 8.1: Cities in Peril: Dealing with Water Scarcity – History and Current Approaches > The Colorado River Compact > Formative Assessment 4: The Colorado River Compact
InTeGrate's Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
showLearn More
hideHide
These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »
show Download
hideHide
The student materials are available for offline viewing below. Downloadable versions of the instructor materials are available from this location on the instructor materials pages. Learn more about using the different versions of InTeGrate materials »

Download a PDF of all web pages for the student materials

Download a zip file that includes all the web pages and downloadable files from the student materials

For the Instructor

These student materials complement the Water Science and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.
Initial Publication Date: March 31, 2017

Formative Assessment 4: The Colorado River Compact

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 ShownPossible Points
Provides a well-reasoned response to the question posed10
Uses correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure5
Includes one or more references to specific materials in Module or assigned reading5
Appropriate length (100-150 words)5

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »