The fate of the imperiled Colorado River and attempts to mitigate disaster

The fate of the imperiled Colorado River and attempts to mitigate disaster

Here & Now
38 min
May 12, 2023
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About the episode

A water shortage on the Colorado River has put tremendous strain on the states that rely on it as a main water source. The fate of California's Salton Sea is tied to the future of the river, and a catastrophic drought has only worsened conditions. As the river's water supply dwindles lower and lower, farmers in different states fight over the allocation of resources. Farmers who rely on the water to grow crops are needing to cut way down on water consumption, but some states are still receiving significantly more water than others. Tensions are especially high between farmers in Arizona and California. But there have been some efforts to reduce the water needed to maintain agricultural industries, and vertical farming is one of them. It won't replace traditional field agriculture, experts say, but it's a step toward growing crops with fewer resources. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports on the devastation of the Colorado River and its rocky future.