Lifeblood: Glen Canyon, Lake Powell and the Future of the Colorado River

Today, more dams are being removed in the U.S. than are being built. But what does that mean for Glen Canyon Dam? To answer that question, I spoke to conservation organizations, scientists, recreaters, and state and federal water managers. This episode dives into that story. Part 6 of a 6-part series.To keep up with the pod and see photos from Lake Powell , Antelope Point Marina, and my first smallmouth bass, follow @lifeblood.pod on Instagram.For more on the Fill Lake Mead First proposal, check out https://glencanyon.org/fill-mead-first/Written, hosted, and produced by Evelyn Baher-MurphyThis episode of Lifeblood was made possible by support from the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, the Colorado College Journalism Institute, the Utah Rivers Council, Colorado River and Trail Expeditions, Firefly Kitchens, Ceiba River Outfitters, and Outdoor Odysseys Sea Kayaking.Questions? Comments? Interested in sponsoring the pod? Contact: lifeblood.pod@gmail.com

What happens when the foundation of the system that built the West starts to crack? In the early 2000s, the Colorado River Basin entered what climate scientists refer to as a megadrought, the driest period in over 1,200 years. As temperatures rose and runoff declined, our demand for water quickly outpaced a shrinking supply. Reservoirs like Lake Powell and Lake Mead began to drop — fast — revealing deep structural flaws. This episode unpacks the engineered risks, outdated policies, and looming threat of Deadpool, a point where Glen Canyon Dam may no longer be able to release any water downstream to the millions of people in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico, whose lives depend on it. Part 4 of a 6-part series.To keep up with the pod and for photos of Lone Rock and Glen Canyon Dam, follow @lifeblood.pod on Instagram.Written, hosted, and produced by Evelyn Baher-MurphyThis episode of Lifeblood was made possible by support from the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, the Colorado College Journalism Institute, the Utah Rivers Council, Colorado River and Trail Expeditions, Firefly Kitchens, Ceiba River Outfitters, and Outdoor Odysseys Sea Kayaking.Questions? Comments? Interested in sponsoring the pod? Contact: lifeblood.pod@gmail.com

At Lee's Ferry, in Northern Arizona, on the western edge of the Navajo Nation, the Colorado River basin is divided into two regions. The Upper Basin includes the states upstream of Lee's Ferry - Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico - while the Lower Basin includes all of the downstream states - California, Nevada, and Arizona. That split is thanks to a document known as the Colorado River Compact, which largely determines how and when Colorado River water flows downstream. Unfortunately, when the Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922, the seven basin states made three huge allocation errors. This episode dives into that story. Part 2 of a 6-part series.To keep up with the pod and for photos of Devan Udall at Lee's Ferry check out @lifeblood.pod on Instagram.Written, hosted, and produced by Evelyn Baher-MurphyThis episode of Lifeblood was made possible by support from the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, the Colorado College Journalism Institute, the Utah Rivers Council, Colorado River and Trail Expeditions, Firefly Kitchens, and Outdoor Odysseys Sea Kayaking.Questions? Comments? Interested in sponsoring the pod? Contact: lifeblood.pod@gmail.com

With support from the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, Utah Rivers Council, and Colorado River and Trail Expeditions, Lifeblood is a 6-part audio documentary, produced and narrated by me, Evelyn Baher-Murphy.When I first learned about the Colorado River, its rapids, its reservoirs, the millions of people who depend on it, and its uncertain future, I wanted to know more. So I set out on the road interviewing stakeholders, policy makers, and experts who care about the river, its resources, and how and where it flows. What I heard is a complicated story of flooded canyons, drowned archaeology, environmental mishaps, water policy miscalculations, megadrought, and hope for the future...hope for radical conservation.Throughout the series. I ask the questions "How did we get here?" and "How do we keep going?”Episode: 1 of Lifeblood airs on Friday, August 22nd.For additional content and updates, follow along on Instagram @lifeblood.podQuestions? Comments? Interested in sponsoring the pod? Contact: lifeblood.pod@gmail.com