In November 1922, seven land-owning white men brokered a deal to allocate water from the Colorado River, which winds through the West and ends in Mexico. During the past two decades, pressure has intensified on the river as the driest 22-year stretch in the past 1,200 years has gripped the southwestern U.S.
In Photos: Pressures on the Colorado River
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FILE - A worker diverts water as a sprinkler system is installed for alfalfa at the Cox family farm, Aug. 15, 2022, near Brawley, Calif.
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FILE - A truck tire once in the water as part of a marina sits on dry ground as water levels have dropped near the Callville Bay Resort & Marina in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Aug. 30, 2022, near Boulder City, Nev.
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Garnett Querta carries a hose as he fills his water truck on the Hualapai reservation, Aug. 15, 2022, near Peach Springs, Ariz.
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FILE - A man walks between a canal carrying water from the Colorado River and a border wall separating San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico with San Luis, Ariz., on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico.