In August 2016, Kira Russo traveled to Colorado. This trip came shortly after the Colorado River Briefing, conducted by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and the Central Arizona Project (CAP). In Colorado, she met with water managers in Cortez and Salida. She also met with water authorities in Fort Defiance, AZ on the Navajo Nation.

In her travels, Kira observed heavy bark beetle damage near Wolf Creek Pass, and she assessed the likelihood of conservation of Colorado River water by Upper Basin states. In addition, she looked at how some Colorado municipalities are dealing with mitigation of mining residue.

Destruction from Bark Beetle--Wolf Creek Pass, CO 2016