Killing the Colorado

Earlier on the show we heard about happens when the Southwest runs out of water through the lens of dystopian fiction form. But in real life, the Colorado River is in fact drying up. It’s not just the drought; it’s also because of the way we’re using the water. For instance, the government has doled out nearly $1 billion over the past 20 years to cotton farmers in Arizona. Cotton is an incredibly thirsty crop that requires 60% more water than a crop like wheat. How else are we responsible for the drying up of the Colorado?

Kimberly Vardeman