Lecture Series: What We Measure, What We Miss: Water, Rationality, and the American West

In the American West, water is one of the most measured and engineered elements of the natural world. From iconic structures like Hoover Dam to the complex network of diversions that sustain Colorado’s Front Range, we tend to celebrate the systems that control water more than water itself. This talk examines how rationality—focused on quantification and efficiency—has shaped western water realities, often at the expense of deeper cultural and ethical relationships. Centering Indigenous perspectives from the Colorado Plateau and Rio Grande Basin, this talk invites a reconsideration of what “value” means in a water-scarce world. Can we imagine a future that honors both human ingenuity and the life of rivers? Professor Matthew Makley from Metropolitan State University of Denver expands on this topic during his third lecture at the Frisco Historic Park & Museum.
All the lectures are free to attend. Seating is limited and is first come, first serve. For indoor lectures, please leave your pets and food at home. Doors open at 11:45am to allow staff and our speaker time to set up.