About "Disappearing Rio Grande"
To report on and understand the haphazard irrigation system the Rio Grande has become and the changes it is going through, Colin decided the best approach would be to travel the length of the Rio Grande by foot and small boat.
He knew it would give him a unique perspective on a river that few understand. It did require many long days of moving slowly and camping on muddy riverbanks, but Colin likes that sort of thing.
The benefit was it provided access to people who wanted to share their stories and experiences with the Rio Grande. Via Facebook and chance encounters, Colin made instant friends who opened their homes. They provided help from loaning their trucks to their cell phone contact lists to help tell the story of the Rio Grande.
The trip would not have been possible without their help, along with the dedicated assistance of David Lozano, Jason Jones and Daniel Dibona, who drove thousands of miles to get people and boats in place.
Colin McDonald – Reporter
Colin McDonald was born in Port Townsend, Washington. He graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., with a degree in environmental journalism and has worked as a newspaper reporter covering environmental issues for the last 10 years. He has paddled the length of the Texas Coast, biked across the United States and hiked across the Big Bend of the Rio Grande to better understand those environments. He has led investigations into corrupt water utilities, violations of the Clean Water Act and bogus research on the impact of wind farms. In 2013, he was awarded a Ted Scripps Fellowship at the University of Colorado at Boulder to prepare for this expedition.
Erich Schlegel – Photojournalist (Colorado, New Mexico and West Texas)
Erich Schlegel was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and lived throughout Latin America before moving to Texas in 1973. A business graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Erich has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Albania, Zaire and Sri Lanka, along with 10 Olympic games and four Super Bowls. He favors assignments in Latin America, having worked in Cuba, Mexico and across Central America. Erich has won awards from World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year, the Society of Newspaper Design, the Associated Press Managing Editors and others.
Jessica Lutz – Photojournalist (Big Bend and Lower Canyons)
Native Texan Jessica Lutz was drawn back to the vast horizons and desolate spaces of West Texas after 13 years in New York. Lutz's earlier abstract photographic work, inspired by nature, was shown at the United Nations and in numerous NYC shows. Now nesting in Marfa, she documents life in the Chihuahuan Desert on both sides of the border. Her work can be seen in The New York Times, Black & White Magazine, Texas Monthly, among other publications.
Mike Kane – Photojournalist (Pecos River to Laredo)
Mike Kane is a documentary, portrait and commercial photographer based in Seattle. His path to taking pictures began with that small-town, Midwest restlessness that sets in during high school and never really lets go. In 2009 Mike became a freelance photographer after working for Hearst Newspapers in Seattle, San Francisco and San Antonio. His work has been recognized by the Nieman Foundation at Harvard, the Duke Center for Documentary Studies and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
Jessi Loerch – Project Editor
Jessi Loerch is a journalist in Everett, Washington and will edit the blog posts Colin and Erich send in from the river. She has edited Colin's work, on and off, for more than a decade, since their time together in the Environmental Journalism program at Western Washington University. She is, depending upon the day, a copy editor, web producer or reporter. She has a special interest in environmental issues and outdoor recreation. She'll take any excuse to get out of the office.
Donors
Adam Edwards Adam Poff Alex Pelham-Webb Alicia Wagner Calzada Allison Stocker Alston & Holly Beinhorn Amy McElroy Andrew Weissman Andy Andy Aley Angel Valentin Angela Ann Pannet Brown Annalisa Peace Anne M. Thomas Anne Shields Annie Johnson Anonymous Ashley Landis Backer Name Barbara Bjeletich Barbara Hosler Bear & Rux Becky and Paul Bekah Stolhandske McNeel Benjamin Weaver Bethany McDonald Bill Harris Bill Lende Bill Neiman Bill Woods Billy Calzada Blackburn & Carter Bob Harris Bob White Bobby Koenigsberg Brendan Burch Brennan Angel Brian Cahsnoff Brian Calvert Brian Comeaux and Rebecca Bruce Bridgett Piernik Brock Curry Caitlin Gillian Carmen Perez Carson, Cody, and Kaleb Charlie Angell Chris Carothers Chris Dull Chris Dzombak Chris Stolte Christine Anderson Clark Van Derwood Craig Kapitan Crystal Cynthia M Perry Daniel Scott Dave A. Luce David Belknap Debbie McDonald Diane Bressler Donna Catterick doublechocochip Drew Britten Drew Cauthorn Edwin F. Einstein Eileen Loerch Elena Dunlap Stephens Ellie & Nat Eric Brink Eric Nalder Erin and Roni Smith Erin Parker Erin Radcliffe Eva Ruth Gaston Jones Gavin C Geary Schindel Geir Gene Dawson Jr George L. Fouke Ph.D. Glenda C Wolin Grandma Fran Harned Greg Wheeler Guy Le Roux Guy Reynolds Harry Wallace Hayes Family Heather Po Hugh A. Fitzsimons III J. Michael Short Jake Batsell James Cannizzo James Gerber Jason Alcorn Jason Yount Jean Boyle Jeannette Burris Jenna Tomlin Jennifer Whitney Jerry McClure Jerry Ohlman Jill Doyle Jim Hatcher JoAnn and Terry Tomlin Joaquin Baca Joe Ranzau John and Florence Newman Foundation John Brainard John Brownlee John Kennedy John Thurmond Jonathan Jonathan Barton Jonathan Calleri Josef Tucker Josephine Wright Jules M. Vanfau Juliet Karen Cook Kate Blystone Kate Merriweather Kathleen Morrow Kathy Altaras Kathy Sloane Katie Mandel Kelly Kelly Lyons Kelly McDonald Ken Thornton Kevin Cullen Kevin Glasheen Kevin McDonald Khoisan Kim Beck Kim Canseco kitt hodsden Kristina Schlegel Lars Stanley Laura Linda T Lissa Martinez Lizzie Chen Lloyd Goodman Lolly Scheckter Lori Lori Raborn Gibson Lorne Chan Lucinda Wierenga Lynne Dobson M Dawson Marc Toppel Marcy Welk Margaret Lukefahr Coggeshall Maria Dumas Marianne Campbell Mark Aiken Mark Perlstein Mary O'Brien Mary Pigott Matt Morris Maude S. Rea Meghan Sullivan Mei-Chun Jau Melissa Marie Martinez Melody C. Miller Meridith Kohut Michael Burke/San Antonio Clean Technology Forum Michael Kodas Michael Lloyd Michael McCarlie Michael Miller Michael Vandeveer Michael Waggoner Michelle Mondo Mike Dausin Mike Gershon Molly Byrnes Monica Lorey Myron Hess Nadia Naomi Rachel Natalie Nausheen Mohamedali Kasmani Ned Dougherty NickGuido Nikki Jeske Norma JMB NZ Chong Oscar Cedano Osprey Packs Pam Reed Patricia Vance Patricia Weaver Patty Geisinger Pau Ongay Paul and Peggy Paul Derden Peter McIntosh Peter Tutelaers Rebecca D Davis Rebecca Davis Richard Pearson Robert Koenigsberg Robert Metcalf Roger Boyle Ross McDonald Ryan Bressler Sally Lloyd Sally Williams Samantha Som Sandra K. Senter Sara Reilly sara stewart Sarah Judkins Sarah Lemmon Scott Ericksen Scott Martin Sean O'Brien Sean Parchem Sean Wake Seth Patterson Sharon Nichols Sharon Sander Sharyn Schreiber Pinney Shawn Boyett Sheila Reiter smcpc Spencer Selvidge Stan Gibson Steve Bivans Sue Shipman Susan Standley Susann Sullivan Suzy Valentine Teizeen Mohamedali Teresa McDonald The Arsenal Group The Nature Conservancy Tigran Mujukian Tim Taylor Tin Pogledi Tom Yulsman Tomas Radcliffe Tracy D Tracy Idell Hamilton Tx Crochetlover Tysen Perszyk Virginia Leonard Weir Labatt and Robert Gulley Will Thalheimer William Green Xanthocephalus Yoshikuni Taki
To report on and understand the haphazard irrigation system the Rio Grande has become and the changes it is going through, Colin decided the best approach would be to travel the length of the Rio Grande by foot and small boat.
He knew it would give him a unique perspective on a river that few understand. It did require many long days of moving slowly and camping on muddy riverbanks, but Colin likes that sort of thing.
The benefit was it provided access to people who wanted to share their stories and experiences with the Rio Grande. Via Facebook and chance encounters, Colin made instant friends who opened their homes. They provided help from loaning their trucks to their cell phone contact lists to help tell the story of the Rio Grande.
The trip would not have been possible without their help, along with the dedicated assistance of David Lozano, Jason Jones and Daniel Dibona, who drove thousands of miles to get people and boats in place.
Contributors