Colorado River stewardship begins in often dry tributaries like Little Badger Wash

Diné writer Alastair Lee Bitsóí considers a tributary that runs through his land amid unprecedented September monsoons in New Mexico, and how stewardship for the Colorado River begins with such arroyos.

By: Alastair Lee Bitsóí

Outlets: Source New Mexico

Published: September 23, 2026

Words: 1,110

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 3 days ago

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Between the September monsoon storms, I waited for a clear stretch of weather before walking into the dry wash that runs through our farm in Naschitti, Navajo Nation, New Mexico. On my daily task to achieve 10,000 steps, I followed it toward the foothills of the Chooshgai Mountains with a question in mind: Where does the water — tó — that floods my cornfield begin?

I was only beginning to explore the wash’s …

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