The Colorado River drought is the first climate disaster the U.S. legally has to deal with

The Colorado River is dying. The water source for 40 million people across seven states and part of Mexico is rapidly drying out, leaving the two biggest reservoirs in the U.S. thirstier and thirstier, and offering up what may be the first climate change impact that the country literally cannot ignore.

“We really don’t have a choice to fail on this,” said Christopher Kuzdas, a senior water program manager with the Environmental Defense Fund. “We’ve got to come together and find a way to manage and govern the system differently under climate change or there’s going to be catastrophic consequences for the Southwest, and I’m not overstating that.”