FRISCO — The High Country Conservation Center and the Summit Climate Action Collaborative are hosting a speaker at the Frisco Adventure Park Day Lodge on Wednesday to discuss the past, present and future of the Colorado River.

The event, from 6–7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, will feature a talk by Colorado State University senior water and climate research scientist Brad Udall, who will discuss the future of the Colorado River in regards to climate change. Food and drinks will be provided, and the event will also include a cash bar.

According to a release, the Colorado River has been in an extended drought since 2000, spurring a massive drop in two of the nation’s largest reservoirs — lakes Mead and Powell — that have lost more than 40% of their water storage. The discussion will focus on the future of the river, and how changes could impact the Coloradans who depend on it.

Udall serves as a senior water and climate research scientist at the Colorado Water Institute. He also has expensive experience in water and climate policy issues, most recently as the director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources and the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado, Boulder.