Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River

The Colorado River, the main water source of America’s desert Southwest, flows sorely vexed to the sea—almost—in this revealing investigation of hydroecology in extremis. New Yorker contributor Owen (The Conundrum) follows the Colorado from its Rocky Mountain headwaters to the point where it trickles out in the Mexican desert, well short of its historical outlet to the sea, visiting the massive infrastructures—the mighty Hoover Dam, giant pipes, pumping stations, canals, and humble sprinklers—that divert its waters for millions of uses. Along the way he encounters people whose lives entwine with the river, including lawyers wrangling endlessly over arbitrary apportionment rules—existing allotments grant various users more water than actually flows in the river—and utility planners trying to stretch the flow among a growing population, as well as ordinary farmers, boaters, and the quirky subculture of transient RV camps on its banks. Through his reportage, Owen teases out the contradictions of the complex issues surrounding the Colorado: water conservation efforts, he finds, can do more harm than good because allegedly “wasted” water often returns to replenish the river and aquifers. Rather than simply bemoan environmental degradation, Owen presents a deeper, more useful analysis of the subtle interplay between natural and human needs. [em]Agent: David McCormick, McCormick Literary. (Apr.) [/em]