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Season 4Oct 11, 2023

Introducing “How We Survive: The Worth of Water”

This season, we dive into the water crisis in the American West and the solutions that could help all of us survive.

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In the West, we’ve developed neighborhoods in the most parched landscapes. Now we have to find ways to keep these communities afloat with less water.
In the West, we’ve developed neighborhoods in the most parched landscapes. Now we have to find ways to keep these communities afloat with less water.
Alexander Heilner

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The Colorado River feeds us and powers our lives, irrigating millions of acres of farmland and generating billions of kilowatt-hours in hydroelectric power. Forty million people get drinking water from the Colorado River. Cities from Denver to Los Angeles couldn’t exist without it. It supports 30 Tribal Nations. 

But we’re using more water than the river has to give. The Colorado River has already lost trillions of gallons to rising temperatures over the last two decades. Meanwhile, rampant growth and water-intensive farming have depleted groundwater supplies. This means Western states must fundamentally rethink how water is divided up and used. In the latest season of “How We Survive,” we unpack the water crisis in the American West and investigate the solutions that could help us survive.

The Team

Introducing “How We Survive: The Worth of Water”