Part of the nation’s physical landscape is changing. Nature writer and commentator Craig Childs has been watching the dramatic transformation of a mighty river that is running dry.
Small porpoises once swam in the brackish estuaries of the Colorado River delta. Jaguars stalked the river channels and marshes. It’s not like that any more, though. The Colorado River no longer reaches the sea in Northern Mexico. It hasn’t since 1983.
I sometimes travel through that dry Mexican country on foot. You walk across sandswept bars of clamshells from the estuaries that used to be there. You have to carry all your water on your back. When you’ve got a week’s worth, 80 pounds, you learn to measure every sip, shaking your bottle to feel how much is left before you drink again.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
