Mina Guli is running roughly 2,000 miles along the Colorado River in about 100 days — and she is doing it to make a point about the river's future.
The ultra-marathoner and water advocate started near the headwaters of the Colorado River in the Rocky Mountains and is following its path toward the desert, where the river eventually runs dry. She aims to physically demonstrate the scale of the river and the number of communities and industries that depend on it.
"Terrible… HAHA!" Guli said when asked how she is feeling.
Guli tries to cover about 30 miles each day, but she said the distance is secondary to what she witnesses from the banks of the river. The Colorado River supports more than 40 million people, 16 million jobs and about $1.4 trillion in annual economic activity. Decades of drought, overuse, declining flows and aging infrastructure have put the river under increasing pressure.
"This is not just an environmental challenge, this is a challenge for all the people and all the companies, and the cities that depend on it," Guli said.
Near the headwaters in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, Guli said the river was at times about the width of her hand, partly due to drought and a lack of snowpack.
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"Rafting guides are worried they're not going to have a job because they're not going to be able to get the rafts down to the river," Guli said.
The run is the vehicle for a larger campaign. Along the route, Guli is meeting with farmers, Tribal Nations, businesses, water experts, community leaders and policymakers to hear both the problems facing the river and potential solutions — including ideas as straightforward as recycling water from washing machines. The campaign is also pushing for greater water efficiency, reduced system losses, infrastructure investment and other technological and nature-based solutions.
Community runs and water-focused summits are planned in cities including Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles, with the goal of engaging people who do not typically think of themselves as water advocates.
The timing of the campaign is deliberate. The seven Colorado River Basin states and the federal government are navigating a major transition in how the river will be managed as current operating rules expire in 2026. As the federal government implements a new sharing agreement for the river, Guli hopes to finalize a comprehensive mission statement by mid-September — one that incorporates solutions from voices who may not have been part of the government's plan.
"All the solutions are in front of us, and all the people we need to make those solutions are right behind us. It's time for all of us to all recognize the importance and need to start working together," Guli said.
I spoke with Guli during her stop in Arizona this week.
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