High Demand, Low Supply: Colorado River Water Crisis Hits Across West

"The Colorado River is like a giant bank account for seven different states. Now it's running short.

For decades, the river has fed growing cities from Denver to Los Angeles. A lot of the produce in supermarkets across the country was grown with Colorado River water. But with climate change, and severe drought, the river is reaching a crisis point, and communities at each end of it are reacting very differently.

Just outside Boulder, Colo., surrounded by an evergreen forest, is Gross Reservoir. Beverly Kurtz and Tim Guenthner live just out of eyesight from the giant man-made dam. And that's on purpose."

Grace Hood and Lauren Sommer report for NPR's All Things Considered December 30, 2016.