Whatever Floats your Boat

Whatever floats your boat might just power your lights and feed your family. The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia that functions as a source of food, water, power and transportation. It is the world's 12th largest river. This image of  life on the Mekong within Vietnam was submitted by Connie S.

My Your Our Water

Corn Husker

Home Depot might be able to color match paint but My Your Our Water sets the bar for color matching Trike to wardrobe. Llyod who was escaping the bitter cold Nebraska winter was eager to discuss water in any none frozen form. Lakes, rivers, and especially canals fit the water bill.

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Dumping Ground

CAUTION - this is your drinking water. This image was taken along the Cross Cut Canal.  Various discarded items can be spotted along the canal banks or floating in the current at any given moment but large amounts of  garbage, trash and junk in the canal becomes incredibly visible during  the annual canal dry up. This revelation always begs the obvious inquiry, "why would anyone throw crap in the drinking water?". This question does not simply apply to the canal system in Arizona but to any waterway world wide.  Water bodies have become the dumping grounds for solid and liquid wastes which not only permanently injures local wildlife and ecologies but severely limits human access to fresh water resources. Check the quality of your drinking water in the annual EPA report or read about fracking and our ground water supplies.

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Triking Natural

The water conversation with Tabitha was bewitching. She was a wealth of information from her courses in environmental studies yet she was an eager listener of new facts. She is a proponent of drinking tap water versus plastic bottled water, a fan of short showers, turning the tap off when brushing and helping in whatever watery ways possible. Tabitha, immediately texted the word RIVER to 77177 to help maintain the flow of the Colorado River. Thanks!

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Dive Right In!

oops...  This backyard pool is frozen over and filled with snow. Hope the thaw comes soon and that snow pack is put to good use! This image was submitted by Doug from Massachusetts.

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Damion
School rivalries don't hold water when it comes to My Your Our Water. This Triker might be Wildcat at heart but there's always room for awesome conversation with a Sun Devil. Damion, a student in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, is a top notch listener and superb inquisitor. We had a great conversation about water, the good and the bad . Thanks for your interest and enthusiasm! (notice the perfect shade of blue ball cap)

Click here to read the coverage of My Your Our Water in the State Press.

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Still Winter...

While some people are sitting outside enjoying the last few days of Baseball Spring Training, some people are sitting inside enjoying the last few days of winter white. This image from Middleton, NJ was submitted but Evan C.

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Devoted Water Seeker

This is Brad. He thrives on finding the hidden trails that twist and weave through the Arizona watersheds. On foot, on bike, or four wheel, he makes his way to the watery hide aways  that dot our state like liquid jewels. Brad made his way to the canal to see the Trike even after wrecking his truck in a winter weather storm. This man's water dedication and support is much appreciated.

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STILL Frozen

Let it go? Let it go. While My Your Our Water contributor Damien D may still be stomping through inches and inches of snow, he is still arduously documenting and sharing the frozen beauty that surrounds him.

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Mitten what Mitten?

Ellen, Tim & Susan originate from Ann Harbor, Michigan. AKA follow the thumb of the mitten down and towards the palm of the hand. Ellen transplanted for school and stayed. Who can blame here? Tim and Susan applauded the sunshine move and have relished in the new found opportunity to take extended western winter vacations.  The transition to desert life has been dry, warm and notably mittenless. 

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Water Marks the Spot

It may not be a traditional treasure map but the value of the booty under this "manhole" cover fair exceeds any chest of gold or jewels. Usually made of cast iron, the manhole cover dates back at least to the ancient Roman Era when it was made of stone and used to cover sewer grates. This image was shared by Jason R in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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Three Little Trikers

Once upon a time there were three little Trikers, Clara, Olivia and Lauren. "Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth!" said Clara. "Take a super super fast shower!" said Olivia. "Don't FLUSH!!" said Lauren. Thanks for the tips  and the paper bird girls!

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Across the Pond

My water is your water even across the pond. No stranger to rain, these images were shared by Sophie H. from London, England. The annual precipitation average for the entire United Kingdom is 133 days of rain or snow, totaling 33.7 inches.

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It's not all Corn and Caucus

This charming couple, Carmen and Wayne, pleasantly schooled us on the Iowa basics.  Iowa ranks first in national corn and soybean production- 2.l billion bushels and 525 million bushels respectively. And while agriculture is obviously necessary to sustaining life so is water. There are over 72,000 miles of streams and rivers in Iowa that are directly and indirectly effected by the farming industry. This connection has made water quality a renewed funding priority for the Iowa Department of Agriculture.

Also Ames, Iowa is home to the Iowa Water Center  which is part of a nationwide network of university based water research centers that works to finding and implementing solutions to water problems.

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Niagara Falls in Full Winter

Niagara fall is the collective name for three waterfalls, Horse Shoe falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, that straddle the border of the United States and Canada. The Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation, and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. These wintery images of the falls were shared by a lucky Irish girl Kendra G.

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Westside

Val & Larry ventured from the Westside of the Valley just to see the Trike.... ok that may be an exaggeration but we did have a fabulous encounter on the Scottsdale Waterfront. This duo was engaged and fluent in water- eastside, westside, north versus south. They dove right into the conversation and had a blast.

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Bartlett Lake

Even in the desert there are watering holes and hitching posts. These images of an afternoon bike ride to Bartlett Lake were submitted by Mark J.

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Voyagers Park

Minnesota, the home to 10,000 lakes is also home to Jackie and Warren. This vivacious couple heralds from Crane Lake, Minnesota. They were so enthusiastic to engage in conversation about water, the desert, conservation and their breathtaking watery residence. Crane Lake is home to Voyageurs National Park -a mosaic of land and water. "It's a place of transition, between land and aquatic ecosystems, between southern boreal and northern hardwood forests, and between wild and developed areas." Look OUT ! I'm putting on my helmet, grabbing a life jacket and triking your way !!

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Ice Fishing to Triathlon

These images were shared by Erin S- nope, not me, another water loving Erin S.

"The first was taken in December on my family's hunting land in Michigan. We have a pond there that freezes over every winter. We shovel it off for ice skating and ice fishing. In the picture I am explaining to my little cousin how the fish are still under the ice, and we just have to be patient for them to get hungry."

"The second image was taken at triathlon training camp. Triathlon is a sport that I've fallen in love with, and that has changed my life. I wasn't a swimmer when I first started so getting in the water was really scary for me - especially the times when it was cold and dark outside. I've learned so much about conquering fears, and not letting negative thoughts get the best of me. My experiences being in the water with triathlon has brought a lot of challenges, but also so much healing to my life."

These two photographs depict my personal experience with water. We know it to be the center of all life, but I know I relate to it on a deep level. Water has taught me patience, trust, confidence, and perseverance from fishing from the time I was very young, to swimming in my college years. Water has allowed me to live in a physical way, but has allowed me to live in a much fuller way in the lessons it has brought me, too. 

"If there is magic on this planet it is contained in water." Loran Eisley

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INSTALL DAY

As part of this on going project of connectivity and intersection, a 45 ft illuminated floating aluminum sign was fabricated with the assistance of Christy Signs.  My Your Our was installed in the Arizona Canal at the Scottsdale Waterfront by SRP's finest Dan and Ed.  If you are in Old Town, make a point to visit the sign and send us your photo!                                          

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 Hawaii to Cali

These inviting images were submitted by Jerome C of his home in O'ahu. The first image of Laie Point is part of the Hawaiian legend of the lizard and the second image is the far east end of the island at Makapu'u Point.

"I was born in Hawaii but grew up along the southern coast of California. Water is very important to us here in the valley- we are going through a terrible drought, our communities are going dry..."

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Yosemite Falls Mist

These images of Nevada Falls in Yosemite National Park were shared by Gabriel M. Both images were taken during the summer peak of the 2014 drought. 

"Light breaks through the mist , creating a small rainbow. In years past the waterfall has surged and thundered, now there is only mist in the air and wet stains on the rock face creating a sizable reminder of the water that is not there".

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Dog Park to the Zoo

This crew was making their way home from the dog park when they spotted the Trike and made a B-line to the canal bank. Camera shy Phoebe, Georgia, Jim and Sophia interrupted their morning adventures to chat about all things Trike and Water. It was a treat to have such a purposeful encounter with such a charming trio plus one.

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How Pleasant

Maricopa County has one of largest regional parks systems in the nation with over 120,000 acres of open space parks that include hundreds of miles of trails, campgrounds, nature centers and the Desert Outdoor Environmental Learning Center at Lake Pleasant.

This image of kayaking on  Lake Pleasant was submitted by Mike W.

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West Coast Orcas

It was a windy day Triking on the Arizona Canal. As we headed east it was smooth sailing with the wind at our back  but the return trip took an extra bit of pedal power. It was during this slow westward ho that we encountered Mary out for a morning walk. Our water conversation began with canal chat and desert living but shifted to summer sea escapes. Mary shared an incredible encounter with orcas. The large mammals swim close to shore and rub their bellies on the pebbly beach in front of her summer home off the western Canadian Coast.  (Believe it or not there is footage on youtube west coast orcas).  We parted ways and resumed triking into the wind with visions of belly rubs and beaches.

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Snow to Sea Level

The diverse water landscape never fails to amaze. These two images were submitted by Taylor J. a California Resident. The Snow is Huntington and the Sea is Hearst Pier.

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A True Blue Biker
This is Mark. We had the opportunity to Trike and bike together as part of an organized canal public art tour during Canal Convergence. Mark had dressed the part, blue and white and he was wise to the waterways.  A true fan of water, conservation and Teddy Roosevelt scored him the rare My Your Our Water triker hat.  Hi 5!

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Drought

Sometimes a drought doesn't feel much like a drought when commuting in a downpour.  Unfortunately, the drought in California has reached historic extremes. The lack of precipitation can easily be tracked on websites such as drought monitor. This image was submitted by Naomi G. Fingers crossed she was the passenger.

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Lake Erie

The Great Lakes are a Series of five interconnected freshwater lakes located the northeastern North America on the Canada-United States border. Theses five lakes,Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario form the largest group of freshwater lakes on the Earth's surface. Combined the Great Lakes contain 21 % of the world's fresh water by volume.

Lake Erie is the warmest of all of the Great Lakes, but it also freezes over more than the other lakes because of it's size. It is the fourth largest when measured in surface area, with 9,910 square miles and the smallest by water volume.

This image was shared by Denise G from Cleveland , Ohio.

"I could walk to Canada"

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Seeing Water in Opposites

These two very distinct images were shared by Shelby K. The first is the lake at Heartland camp the second is the view outside her house in Dinuba, CA.

 "This is the view outside my house. It is the calm before the store and the thirsty crop in need of water."

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Parade Route

The Trike was attempting to make it's way to the canal when a familiar phrase was shouted, 

"HEY, we gotta know what THIS is all about."  Anita and Mike may have been sitting on a curb waiting for the parade to start but they  jumped up to talk water: canals, canal paths, water treatment facility plants and superfund sites. Hope there were plenty of clowns and marching bands!

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