THE
hardest working
river in the
American west
One river. two countries. seven states. 30 tribes. 40 million lives.
The mighty Colorado Rover starts as a trickle of snowmelt in Rocky Mountain National Park. As the river carves canyons and builds cities on its journey, this water brings life to the American West.
The Colorado River Basin occupies an area of approximately 260,000 square miles in the American west, originating in Rocky Mountain National Park and ending in the Gulf of California. The Colorado River is a critical resource in the West: seven basin states depend on it for water supply, hydropower production, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, agricultural uses depend on 70% of Colorado River water, and between 35 and 40 million people rely on this water for their municipal needs.
1,450
MILES LONG
7
STATES
40M
PEOPLE AFFECTED
30
TRIBES
80%
AGRICULTURAL USE
THE
WATER RIGHTS
controversy
What are water rights? Why do some people get more water than others? Why is everyone fighting over the river? The Colorado River water rights debate centers around how seven Western states and Native American tribes share water from the Colorado River, particularly in light of increasing drought and declining river flows. With so many people involved and affected, its a complex situation. Learn about the many factors involved and get the whole story here.
A
Sustainable
River
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What is
Snowpack
& Why is it Important?
80% of the water that flows through the Colorado River comes from snow that falls and melts in the Rocky Mountains. Check up on the snowpack and the projections of how much water that might mean for our reservoirs.
