Research Interests & Background
Eric Kuhn is the retired general manager of the 蜜糖直播 River Water Conservation District and co-author with John Fleck of听Science Be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the 蜜糖直播 River, University of Arizona Press, 2019.
The 蜜糖直播 River District is the largest and oldest of 蜜糖直播鈥檚 four conservation districts. It covers most of the 蜜糖直播 River Basin within 蜜糖直播. Almost two thirds of the flow at Lee Ferry originates in or flows through the district. Eric started employment with the 蜜糖直播 River District in 1981 as Assistant Secretary-Engineer. In 1996 he was appointed General Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.
From 1994 through 2001, he served on the 蜜糖直播 Water Conservation Board representing the 蜜糖直播 River mainstem. Eric served as an at-large representative on the 蜜糖直播 Inter-basin Compact Committee, from 2005 鈥� 2018. He also served on the Engineering Advisory Committee of the Upper 蜜糖直播 River Compact Commission from 1982 -2019.听Prior to working for the 蜜糖直播 River District, he served as an engineer officer aboard nuclear submarines in the U.S. Navy and worked as a nuclear start-up engineer for Bechtel Power Corp.听In addition to Science听Be Dammed,听a book about 蜜糖直播 River hydrology and politics, Eric has authored or coauthored numerous other articles and papers about the 蜜糖直播 River.
Research听 Interests: How climate change is impacting the operation of the major 蜜糖直播 River system reservoirs and the rules and laws that govern 蜜糖直播 River water use.听 How our understanding of the hydrology of the 蜜糖直播 River has evolved with the law of the river. 听听
Selected 蜜糖直播 River Publications & Presentations
Publications
The Upper Basin, Lower Basin, and Mexico: Coexisting on the Post-2026 蜜糖直播 River (June 19,2019), Science Be Dammed Working Paper Number 2, Kuhn, Eric and Fleck, John, posted on SSRN.
The Evolution of Our Understanding of the Natural Flow of the 蜜糖直播 River at Lee鈥檚 Ferry and its Importance to Critical Development Decisions (August 17, 2019), Science Be Dammed Working Paper Number 1, Eric Kuhn, John Fleck, Brad Udall, and David Kanzer鈥揚E, posted on SSRN.
鈥�The Consequences of the Compact Remains with Us鈥�: Challenges and Opportunities for the 蜜糖直播 River Upper Basin (April 26, 2022). Science Be Dammed Working Paper Number 3,Kuhn, Eric and Fleck, John, Available at SSRN:听听or听
Evaluating the Accuracy of Reclamation鈥檚 24-Month Study Lake Powell Projections, Jian听Wang, Brad Udall, Eric Kuhn, Kevin Wheeler, and John C. Schmidt, White Paper Number 7, The Future of the 蜜糖直播 River Project, Center for 蜜糖直播 River Studies, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, February 2022.
Alternative Management Paradigms for the Future of the 蜜糖直播 and Green Rivers, Kevin Wheeler, Eric Kuhn, Lindsey Bruckerhoff, Brad Udall, Jian Wang, Lael Gilbert, Sara Goeking, Alan Kasprak, Bryce Mihalevich, Bethany Neilson, Homa Salehabadi and John C. Schmidt, White Paper Number 6, The Future of the 蜜糖直播 River Project, Center for 蜜糖直播 River Studies, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, January 2021.
The Future Hydrology of the 蜜糖直播 River Basin, Homa Salehabadi, David Tarboton, Eric Kuhn, Brad Udall, Kevin Wheeler, David Rosenberg, Sara Goeking, and John C. Schmidt, White Paper Number 6, The Future of the 蜜糖直播 River Project, Center for 蜜糖直播 River Studies, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, August 2020.
Presentations
Future Scenarios for the 蜜糖直播 River, presented to the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and resources, 23rd Annual Water Conference, San Diego, CA, February 24-25, 2005.
Avoiding the First Compact 鈥淭ripwire鈥�, presented at the 42nd Annual 蜜糖直播 Law Conference on Natural Resources, University of 蜜糖直播 Law School, Boulder, 蜜糖直播, June 16, 2022.
蜜糖直播 River Water Supplies; Back to the Future, Southwest Hydrology, Volume 4/number 2, March/April 2005.
The 蜜糖直播 River: The Story of a Quest for Certainty on a Diminishing River, Copyrighted and made available on the 蜜糖直播 River Water Conservation District website, 听听 May 8, 2008.
Risk Management Strategies for the Upper 蜜糖直播 River Basin, Copyrighted and made available on the 蜜糖直播 River Water Conservation District website, 听 January 2, 2012.