Parched

Across the U.S.-Mexico border, the Colorado River once flowed freely into the ocean. When the freshwater and saltwater met, it created an explosion of life in the desert. But most of that lushness dried up when people used up the river. We meet people who have worked for decades to restore parts of the delta's lost wetlands. They created a historic agreement between the two countries that designates some river water for the environment. That means that sometimes, this dry delta flows with water again, and occasionally, the river meets the ocean. The final installment in our 10-part series.

For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visit cpr.org/parched.

Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Written by Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz

Production and Mixing: Emily Williams

Additional Production: Erin Jones and Rachel Estabrook

In-Country Interpreter: Jesús Galaz

Tape Translator: Carlos Aguilar

Voiceovers: Jean Inaba and Jessie Jacobs

Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music.

Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón

Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner

Additional Editorial Support: Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Rachel Estabrook, Chuck Murphy, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas, Rebekah Romberg

Thanks also to Kevin Beaty, Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Shawn Lucero, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson.

Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

Crops like alfalfa that feed cows are the biggest user of the Colorado River, to satisfy our cravings for nachos and burgers. Cutting back on farms' water use is the biggest way we can live in a drier West. One Indigenous farm manager is trying to do it — to grow food with much less water. His story reveals how to get other farms to be more efficient, too, in part by changing what and how they grow. Part 9 of a 10-part series.

For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visit cpr.org/parched.

Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Written by Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz

Production and Mixing: Emily Williams

Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music.

Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón

Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner

Additional Editorial Support: Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Rachel Estabrook, Chuck Murphy, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas

Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson.

Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

If we turned off every tap in every city in the southwest, we still wouldn't solve the Colorado River crisis. That's because 80 percent of the water goes to agriculture — to the lettuce and melons in your produce section, the half-and-half you put in your coffee every morning. Those farmers have some of the preeminent rights to the river. So what if the government paid them to keep their water in the river instead? Part 8 of a 10-part series.

For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visit cpr.org/parched.

Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Written by Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz

Production and Mixing: Emily Williams

Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music.

Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón

Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner

Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Rachel Estabrook, Luis Antonio Perez, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas

Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson.

Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

What we pay for water doesn't reflect how scarce it is with climate change. Could cities get people to use less water by charging more for it? Decades ago, Tucson did this, and it worked. But the political consequences may have scared off other cities. Now, in an increasingly dire situation along the Colorado River, what if a bunch of cities priced water differently, to change our behavior? Part 7 of a 10-part series.

For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visited cpr.org/parched.

Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Written by Rachel Estabrook

Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz

Production and Mixing: Rebekah Romberg

Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music.

Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón

Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner

Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas

Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson.

Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

Americans flush toilets with water that's good enough to drink. We could cut how much water cities need if we reused that water, or flushed without sapping our fresh mountain supplies. From at-home solutions to citywide scale, wastewater reuse and recycling are gaining momentum, and could be on the verge of a breakthrough.  Part 6 of a 10-part series.

For more CPR News coverage of the Colorado River, visited cpr.org/parched.

Host: Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Written by Rachel Estabrook

Editors: Erin Jones, Joe Wertz

Production and Mixing: Rebekah Romberg

Theme song by Kibwe Cooper. Additional music via Universal Production Music.

Artwork: Maria Juliana Pinzón

Executive Producers: Kevin Dale, Brad Turner

Additional Editorial Support: Alison Borden, Kibwe Cooper, Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Taylar Dawn Stagner, Andrew Villegas

Thanks also to Sarah Bures, Hart Van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Kim Nguyen, Clara Shelton, Arielle Wilson.

Parched is a production of the Climate Solutions team of CPR News and Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.