At Lee's Ferry, in Northern Arizona, on the western edge of the Navajo Nation, the Colorado River basin is divided into two regions. The Upper Basin includes the states upstream of Lee's Ferry - Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico - while the Lower Basin includes all of the downstream states - California, Nevada, and Arizona. That split is thanks to a document known as the Colorado River Compact, which largely determines how and when Colorado River water flows downstream. Unfortunately, when the Colorado River Compact was signed in 1944, the seven basin states made three huge allocation errors. This episode dives into that story. Part 2 of a 6-part series.

To keep up with the pod and for photos of Devan Udall at Lee's Ferry check out @lifeblood.pod on Instagram.

Written, hosted, and produced by Evelyn Baher-Murphy

This episode of Lifeblood was made possible by support from the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, the Colorado College Journalism Institute, the Utah Rivers Council, Colorado River and Trail Expeditions, Firefly Kitchens, and Outdoor Odysseys Sea Kayaking.