The Colorado River may have carved out the Grand Canyon, but for much of its course, this once-great waterway is no longer so mighty. Much of the time, the Colorado no longer even reaches the sea. The life-giving water the river brings has sustained generations of people and generations of wildlife in an arid land. But that flow has been over-allocated for the 30 million people who rely on it for drinking and irrigation, and for many of us who consume products that come from the region, in the form of vegetables, milk, and electronics.

We can’t fix the Colorado by bringing water from somewhere else. We need a more sustainable solution. Enter Change the Course, co-created by National Geographic Freshwater Fellow Sandra Postel. For each person who takes the Change the Course pledge to reduce his or her water consumption, Change the Course will restore 1,000 gallons of water to the Colorado River Basin. Corporate partners are donating funds to support restorative work along the Colorado. The team is also working with local conservation groups on the ground.


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