Luna Leopold, friend of Wyoming’s rivers and wild places, died on February 23 at the age of 90. He was the son of the renowned Aldo Leopold. Dr. Leopold was a hydrologist, meteorologist, geologist and a professor. He spent part of his years at a cabin near Pinedale; it was here that his relationship with the Wyoming Outdoor Council—and with me—began.

During the early 1970s, there was a proposal to build a large dam on upper stretches of the magnificent, free-flowing Green River. The plan was to move some of the unused Green River water into the Powder River Basin for use in several proposed coal-fired power plants.

Dr. Leopold had a ranch in the Upper Green River Valley. It just so happened that he was also one of the foremost hydrologists in the country. His work as an ecologist and his studies of American rivers had provided new insights into the hydraulics of moving water. He immediately became interested in the plan to dam the Green and transport large amounts of its waters across the Continental Divide into the Platte River system and on north to the coalfields. After doing his own studies, he came out against the idea. The Wyoming Outdoor Council had also come out in opposition. The dam would have flooded many miles of critical wintering moose habitat. And it would have changed the river from a free-flowing, blue-ribbon fishing stream to a reservoir. Some of the local community supported the concept but the vast majority opposed it.

Dr. Leopold entered into the debate. He worked with the Wyoming Outdoor Council and, thanks to his personal interest and great knowledge, was instrumental in defeating the dam. It was one of our early victories.

Dr. Leopold had a 22-year career with the United States Geological Survey, retiring in 1972 as the chief hydrologist of the Water Resources Division. He then began a second career as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, from which he retired in 1986. He continued to be active up until his death and was the author of some 200 books and the recipient of more than 40 awards and prizes.

“It can be fairly said that Luna Leopold has changed the way this society approaches environmental problems and conducts environmental science in the service of people and the natural environment,” Thomas Dunne, a professor at UC Berkeley, wrote in memory of his friend and colleague.

We owe much to Luna Leopold. He’ll be missed.