Introduction

INTRODUCTION

One might say the Colorado River is the Nile of the American West. But that is an understatement. The 1,450-mile-long river ​​is a scenic wonder that stretches from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Sea of Cortez in northwestern Mexico. It serves over 40 million people and supplies a vast amount of the West’s hydroelectric power and agricultural complex. Sadly, in recent years the Colorado has been dwindling—the last two decades have been the driest period in the history of the Colorado River. Between 2000 and 2023, the river has lost over 10 trillion gallons of water. 

The Colorado has been worsened by a relentless march of population increase, climate change, and supply overallocation, but it mostly started with agriculture, much of which taxpayers funded in a restless attempt to "settle the West." Since before the cloudy-minded attempt at control via the Colorado River Compact, fights over the declining supply have been a common sight. The Compact’s rules expire in 2026, and the negotiations will only get worse until then. The mighty Colorado, the life and soul of the American West, is one of the most tapped rivers in the world. Can this 70-million-year-old river survive? Or will it perish in the coming days?