Water Quest

6. The Rocky Mountains Today

Guiding Question

How have water use practiced changed over time?

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Mountain towns like Breckenridge were once camps for Ute people who hunted here. Then miners and ranchers settled in and changed the landscape. Now, a growing ski industry and the flood of people visiting and living in our high country have transformed the mountains again. More people and a changing climate have led to a crucial moment in Colorado history: it’s up to us to determine our future.


Our Mountains

The Rocky Mountains run north-to-south through the middle of Colorado. The state is home to 58 "fourteeners": mountain peaks that are more than 14,000 feet in elevation.