| Sumario: | “And what a world of grandeur is spread before us! Below is the canyon through which the Colorado runs. We are ready to start our way down the great unknown.. and the great river shrinks into insignificance as it dashes its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above...” The words of John Wesley Powell describe the awesome power and beauty of the Colorado River as it enters into what is now the Grand Canyon. Today we know what lies behind every turn and, contrary to Powell, we know that this is not the gateway to hell, but to paradise. Supplied by seven tributaries, the Colorado was once a powerful river. But in a dry desert the battle for water is fierce, every drop is used over and over again. Canals, pumps, dams, and hydropower plants built along the river make it one of the most exploited rivers in the world. Canyonlands, that Powell describe with incredible reverence, have now been drowned in a reservoir, ironically named after him. Venetian type cities, desert golf courses, and a population far exceeding the limits of the water supply deplete the river. But the biggest culprit is, by far, desert agriculture. By the time it reaches the Delta in Mexico the once mighty river has been reduced to a mere trickle. The lush green Delta has been transformed into salty mudflats, and the Sea of Cortez, that once bubbled with life, is now nearly barren and eerily calm.
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