theolorado ver, andhe tributaries that make up her basin, shaped the spirit of her settlers. rio colorado," the river colored red from the land she flows through, made this dry land not only livable, but irresistible to settle. even still, her famed early explorer, john wesley powell, warned that combining arid land with civilization would eventually lead to a crisis. the relentless march towards progress led to the 1922 colorado river compact and other agreements among 7 american and 2 mexican states to divvy up the water. it transformed one of the world's wildest rivers, capable of creating grand canyons, and inland seas, into the most dammed, dibbed, and diverted river basin in the world. machines supporting the needs of 30 million people. agriculture, industry, urban growth, mining, energy production, claw for their share. so much so, that the mighty colorado river of today rarely, if ever, reaches her delta in the gulf of california. with populations in the region expected to reach 50 million by 2050, temperatures rising, and precipitation patterns becoming more erratic,