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Growing up in the dry heat of Phoenix, Arizona, my family instilled in me how important and precious water is—especially in the desert. Every fall, we took a road trip to my grandparents’ house in Nevada. I remember my brother and I eagerly asking, “are we almost to the dam!?” even when we were most certainly not close to Hoover Dam. And every year, as we pressed our faces to the car windows in kid-awe of the giant and looming concrete structures that formed Lake Mead, we noticed the white bathtub ring getting larger and larger each year as the water lowered. 

Since 2000, I saw firsthand and throughout my childhood the impact of a shrinking Colorado River at Lake Mead. The experience stuck with me. I wanted to contribute to protecting our water resources, so after college, I entered the nonprofit sector. As the Arizona Policy Manager for Լ����Ƶ Southwest, the regional office of Arizona and New Mexico of the Լ����Ƶ, I analyze and engage with water management issues to protect rivers, streams, groundwater, and their associated habitats—for people and for birds. 

The Colorado River and its tributaries are ribbons of life in the arid West, providing water to more than 35 million people, irrigating millions of acres of farms and ranches, a resource for the 30 Tribes in the basin, and sustaining habitat for more than 70 percent of all wildlife in the region, including hundreds of species of birds. Extended drought, warming temperatures, and overuse have significantly reduced the Colorado River. We are at a critical juncture in the Colorado River’s history and without action, our future is at risk.  

The good news is that solutions exist.  

Over the past quarter-century, the Colorado River Basin’s policy and decision-makers have prided themselves on developing collaborative solutions for the water users and environmental resources dependent on this important river and its tributaries. And today, there is a growing movement of young leaders stepping up to work together to save this river—standing on the shoulders of giants with new energy, new ideas, and a deep commitment. 

In my home state of Arizona, we are preparing by investing in water resilience and improving water management to boost our water outlook. A indicates that Arizonans overwhelmingly support dedicated funding for water resilience and conservation projects and are concerned about Colorado River and groundwater supplies being available into the future. 

We have seen some success already. One example is through the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona’s Water Conservation Grant Fund. I’m honored to serve on the Committee that provides recommendations and expertise to determine which water conservation projects warrant funding. To date, the Water Conservation Grant Fund has awarded $214 million to achieve long-term water savings of up to six million acre feet in agricultural, industrial, and municipal sectors across the entire state. Water resilience projects were also awarded under the grant, including to the Sky Island Alliance which will install 150 erosion control structures to slow water down and enhance groundwater recharge near the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. Additional conservation, increased efficiencies, and resilience projects are all needed to save water and improve the health of our watersheds.   

I invite others to join me in protecting the river. Sign up for to receive timely action alerts and water news. You can use your voice to weigh in on water management decisions that will shape the future of western rivers (like the Colorado River) and the people, birds, and wildlife that depend on them. We must continue to develop innovative water management tools, policies, and programs that recognize the unique conditions and differing needs of water use sectors, the Upper and Lower Colorado River Basins, Tribes, and the environment.  

There is much work to be done—including settling Tribal water rights settlements—to ensure the Colorado River and all who depend on it can plan for the future. But we can build upon the legacy of collaboration that the Colorado River Basin has thrived on, while including more voices than in the past. Together, we can ensure that the Colorado River continues to sustain life, habitat, food, fiber, culture, and community for generations to come.