Things are flowing at Hydro
Hydro is Greek for water. Water is the source of all life, and as a headwaters state, Colorado’s water footprint impacts millions of people in multiple states and Mexico. Water flows much like culture — blurring physical barriers, creating life wherever it reaches, reaching far beyond its origins.
When Hydro opens in January 2023, you’ll find:
- PreK-12 educational programs and exhibits
- Lab space for food and water professionals and entrepreneurs, “on-show” to the public
- Meeting space, indoor and outdoor event space, and a flexible theater with a capacity of up to 250 — all for Spur and for public and community use
- Physical connectivity to the restored South Platte River, and a backyard space demonstrating the concepts of headwaters and watersheds, specifically illustrating the South Platte River, Arkansas River, Rio Grande, and Colorado River basins
- Grey water catchment in the backyard space that will be used to flush toilets within Hydro
- A cafe featuring items with produce grown on-site
- Artist studios in the renovated McConnell building and leasable office spaces for water-focused NGOs and educational outlets
- The permanent home for the CSU Masters of Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management; the CSU Spur annual Water in the West Symposium; and the research location for CSU Spur BioBlitzes
- art installations, including works by Jason Bruges, Eric Tillinghast, Nikki Pike, and Anthony Garcia, Sr. of Globeville’s Birdseed Collective
Dirt is moving!
Our construction camera on site takes a new picture every 15 minutes.
CSU Spur partners on site at Hydro
Denver Water will house its water quality lab at Hydro. Currently, Denver Water performs more than 70,000 tests annually to monitor water quality in its watershed as well as its treatment and distribution systems. The new laboratory will have the capacity to conduct more than 200,000 tests each year to keep up with increasing regulatory requirements and will allow for more state-of-the-art equipment and more efficient workspace for technicians. Its location at CSU Spur will provide more opportunity for Denver Water to collaborate with researchers on areas of innovation, policy, and education related to water challenges in urban, rural, and watershed environments.
The CSU Salazar Center for North American Conservation will have its permanent home at Hydro. The Center supports and advances the health and connectivity of the natural systems and landscapes of North America — be they urban or rural, working or wildlands, public or private — and benefits from the active engagement and leadership of former U.S. Secretary of Interior, U.S. Senator, and Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar.
Hydro is designed by Hord Coplan Macht and SmithGroup.
© 2022 Colorado State University System.
All Rights Reserved.
BIDTAH BECKER
Associate Attorney, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
Ms. Becker has dedicated her career to the Navajo Nation and its natural resources. She is currently serving as an Associate Attorney for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. Prior to this position, she had the honor of serving as the Director of the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources from May 2013 to January 2019, as an appointee of President Begaye and Vice-President Nez, after serving eleven (11) years as an attorney for the Navajo Nation focusing on water rights and natural resources issues. Continuing her deep interest and passion for water, she serves on the Leadership Team for the Water and Tribes Initiative in the Colorado River Basin, as a Commissioner on the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, as an appointee of Governor Lujan Grisham, and on the Navajo Nation Water Rights Commission, as an appointee of Speaker Damon. Ms. Becker is equally passionate about supporting artists and serves as a Trustee for the Institute of American Indian Arts and Culture (IAIA), as an appointee of President Obama. Ms. Becker is a member of the Nation and lives on the Navajo Nation in Fort Defiance with her husband and two school age children.
