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Downloaded from
YTS.BZ

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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.BZ

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Nanjit dahonche?
Hi, I'm Quannah Chasinghorse,

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and I hope you are well.

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I'm Han Gwich'in
from Eagle Village, Alaska,

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and Sicangu
and Oglála Lakota

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from the Rosebud Reservation
in South Dakota.

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I am the narrator
of this film,

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and on behalf
of the team and I,

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we really hope
you enjoy this film

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and leave feeling
inspired to protect

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the wildlife
of the American Southwest.

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-[rain pattering]
-[water lapping softly]

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[gentle music]

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[wind blowing softly]

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The Never Summer Mountains.

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Headwaters
of the mighty Colorado River.

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Fueled by snowmelt
from the Rockies,

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the river and its tributaries
grow with each confluence

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and nourish valley floors

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and cottonwood galleries
downstream.

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[bird chirping]

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Its timeless power

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has carved Cataract, Glen,

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and Marble Canyons...

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and shaped
the grandest of them all.

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[water lapping softly]

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Like the blood flowing
through our veins,

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the Colorado pumps life

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into the harsh Mojave
and Sonoran Deserts.

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For millions of years,

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soil borne by the river

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settled into
an immense delta...

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transferring its nutrients
from land to sea.

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[gulls cawing]

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[dramatic music]

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Along its nearly
1,500-mile journey,

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the Colorado connects
the Rocky Mountains

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to the Gulf of California

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and nurtures landscapes

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that are bursting
with wildlife.

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[horn-like braying]

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[rattling]

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[heavy exhalation]

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Water is the divine force

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in this unforgiving landscape.

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It is the most essential

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and precious resource

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that has supported humanity
for millennia.

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This story

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follows the Colorado
on its journey

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to sustain society
and the natural world

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through a rapidly
changing landscape.

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[dramatic music]

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[sprinklers whirring]

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[wind whooshing]

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[gentle music]

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[crescendo]

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[music fading]

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[gentle music]

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[water lapping gently]

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[birds chirping]

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This humble pond

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in Rocky Mountain
National Park

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may seem unassuming.

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But many great journeys have
modest beginnings.

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In the case
of the Colorado River,

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its ancient voyage to the sea
begins here,

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as a small stream
below a marshy meadow.

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The stream is
soon joined by others...

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and the river meanders
through fields and forests,

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down a valley
as old as the mountains.

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[distant bird call]

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[bird calls]

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But the journey for this water

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has become perilous.

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Its fate uncertain.

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For the landscapes
carved by the river

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have drastically changed

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in the last few centuries.

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A change that can be told

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through the song
of the Rockies...

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the bugle of the bull elk.

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[horn-like call]

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[rapid snorting]

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[horn-like response]

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Vast herds of elk
and other wildlife

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have roamed the Southwest
for millennia.

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They supported
wolves, grizzlies,

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mountain lions,
and jaguars,

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and were an important source
of food and clothing

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for indigenous people.

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As the Southwest
was colonized,

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much of the wildlife was
commercially hunted

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for meat, hides,
and for sport.

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The slaughter was
so extensive...

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that, within mere decades,

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the mountains fell silent.

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[silence]

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[low music]

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[thunder crashing distantly]

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[rain pattering]

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As the last bugles faded...

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a bold group
of early environmentalists

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and conservation-
minded hunters

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resolved to protect
the animals that remained.

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And to begin their recovery.

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[dramatic music]

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They led states
to regulate hunting,

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which allowed
the herds to re-grow.

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And they reintroduced elk
and other species

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across their historic range.

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The ongoing recovery efforts

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have been so successful...

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that elk numbers
in the Southwest

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have increased
from a few small herds

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in the early 1900s

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to nearly
half a million today.

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[horn-like braying]

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As elk numbers grow,

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so does...
the competition.

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Each fall, the bull elk
compete for hierarchy.

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The winners rise in status

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to become the herd bull.

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[birds chirping]

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This bull is relatively young,

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but he has
a very impressive rack,

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which has attracted
the attention

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of several dozen females.

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[upbeat music]

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He has spent weeks
gathering the harem

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in preparation
for the rite to begin.

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But some of the cows
are still nursing...

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and they are not interested.

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Rejection...

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can be difficult
for young males.

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[horn-like call]

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To vent his frustration

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and to impress the ladies
with his physical fitness,

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he scrapes
and wallows in the mud.

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His efforts...

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are ignored.

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[snorting]

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His bugles, however, are not.

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[horn-like call]

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The same bugles
he uses to gather the harem...

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have attracted
unwanted attention.

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[horn-like call]

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This bull is older,

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more experienced,

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and has been waiting
for the opportunity

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to seize a harem of his own.

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[heavy hoof thuds]

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[horn-like braying]

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[yelping]

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[heavy hoof thuds]

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It will be a test

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of age and experience

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versus youth and ambition.

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[dramatic music]

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[horns rattling]

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The younger bull
goes on the attack

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and drives
the challenger back.

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[dramatic music]

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00:12:16,867 --> 00:12:19,200
[horns rattling]

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00:12:26,433 --> 00:12:28,467
[dramatic music]

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The older bull has been
saving his energy

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for a counter-attack.

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[dramatic music]

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[music fades]

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00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:08,934
Age and experience...

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00:13:08,934 --> 00:13:12,033
has defeated youth
and ambition.

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The challenger is
the new herd bull.

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[horn-like call]

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The song of the Rockies

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is a reminder
of our ability to both destroy

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and recover
the natural world.

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[wind blowing softly]

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As autumn gives way
to winter...

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the mountains are enveloped

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under a deep blanket of snow.

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Snowpack is the heartbeat

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of the Southwest.

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It stores and releases water

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and pumps life
into rivers, cities,

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and ecosystems
downstream.

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This seemingly limitless
amount of snow

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is actually finite

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and quantifiable.

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Water in the West

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is measured by the acre-foot.

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During dry years,
the Colorado's flow

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is around
10 million acre-feet.

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In wet years,
the total can exceed

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20 million acre-feet.

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00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:11,433
Each spring,
the snowpack begins to thaw...

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00:15:11,433 --> 00:15:14,166
-and the watershed awakens.
-[ice crackling]

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00:15:16,567 --> 00:15:18,667
[water rushing]

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[water continues rushing]

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Thousands of streams
from across the Rockies

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join together in a torrent
towards the sea.

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[waves crashing]

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[waves crashing]

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00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,000
[waves crashing]

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-[water rushing]
-[bird tweeting]

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00:16:32,834 --> 00:16:34,767
The peak of the snowmelt,

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which usually occurs
in late May to early June,

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presents a challenge
to one of nature's

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00:16:41,634 --> 00:16:44,367
most ambitious engineers.

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What seems to be

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a messy jumble
of trunks and limbs

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00:16:58,467 --> 00:17:01,900
is part of a dam
measuring six feet tall

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00:17:01,900 --> 00:17:04,400
and 100 feet wide.

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The architectural
mastermind is

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00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:13,467
North America's
largest rodent...

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the beaver.

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00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,233
Beavers can weigh
more than 60 pounds,

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and their diet
consists of grasses,

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forbs, and tree bark.

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00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,166
A lot of tree bark.

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00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,233
In a traditional
beaver family,

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there is a patriarch
and a matriarch.

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00:17:47,266 --> 00:17:50,567
Their relationships are
often longer

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than the average
American marriage.

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A beaver couple's dream

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is to have
a pond of their own

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00:18:02,133 --> 00:18:06,100
with a big, spacious lodge.

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00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:10,600
A place to raise
a family in peace.

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00:18:15,634 --> 00:18:17,734
[soft music]

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00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,600
Beaver mothers give birth
in the springtime,

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00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,100
and on average,

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00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:28,700
they have four
very hungry mouths to feed.

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00:18:30,867 --> 00:18:32,734
Still living in the lodge

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00:18:32,734 --> 00:18:36,300
are her nearly-grown kids
from last year,

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00:18:36,300 --> 00:18:38,033
who help raise the newborns

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00:18:38,033 --> 00:18:40,200
and teach them
the family trades

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00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,567
of woodwork, hydrology,
and construction.

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00:18:44,567 --> 00:18:48,233
Which can be
very competitive fields.

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00:18:52,767 --> 00:18:54,734
When they're two years old,

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00:18:54,734 --> 00:18:57,533
young beavers leave
their parents' lodge

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00:18:57,533 --> 00:19:01,867
to find a partner
and build a life of their own.

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00:19:04,567 --> 00:19:07,333
They seek out
an ideal home site.

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00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:10,567
A place with flowing water

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00:19:10,567 --> 00:19:14,734
and plenty of timber and mud
for construction materials.

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00:19:20,667 --> 00:19:25,300
Once located, they begin
to chew out a living.

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00:19:29,767 --> 00:19:31,734
[upbeat music]

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00:19:38,900 --> 00:19:41,200
[upbeat music continues]

248
00:19:42,834 --> 00:19:44,934
[chomping]

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00:19:51,300 --> 00:19:53,500
[rapid chomping]

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00:19:58,934 --> 00:20:02,233
[soft cracking]

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00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,033
[cracking]

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00:20:10,033 --> 00:20:12,266
[cracking]

253
00:20:20,133 --> 00:20:21,967
[cracking]

254
00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,333
[heavy cracking]

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00:20:29,967 --> 00:20:31,667
[thud]

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00:20:38,467 --> 00:20:41,734
Through hard work,
determination,

257
00:20:41,734 --> 00:20:45,233
and several months
of pulling all-nighters,

258
00:20:45,233 --> 00:20:47,900
these young couples can
build the foundation

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00:20:47,900 --> 00:20:50,567
for their families' success

260
00:20:50,567 --> 00:20:54,100
and achieve
their great beaver dream.

261
00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:56,333
[gentle music]

262
00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:07,800
[distant birds chirping]

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00:21:11,300 --> 00:21:13,934
In pursuit of their ambitions,

264
00:21:13,934 --> 00:21:18,367
beavers transform
their immediate surroundings,

265
00:21:18,367 --> 00:21:20,600
and as a species,

266
00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,000
they engineer
a wetland ecosystem.

267
00:21:27,166 --> 00:21:30,433
By building dams,
beavers spread water

268
00:21:30,433 --> 00:21:32,634
across valley floors

269
00:21:32,634 --> 00:21:35,600
and create
a web of channels and ponds

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00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,734
called a beaver
meadow complex.

271
00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:48,900
Their porous dams
filter streams

272
00:21:48,900 --> 00:21:51,100
and purify water,

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00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:53,433
and their ponds
collect sediment

274
00:21:53,433 --> 00:21:55,400
and prevent erosion.

275
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,100
Like a sponge,
the wetland soaks up water

276
00:22:02,100 --> 00:22:05,300
during floods
and spring runoff

277
00:22:05,300 --> 00:22:07,200
and slowly releases it

278
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,300
through the dry summer
and fall...

279
00:22:10,300 --> 00:22:13,200
acting as both
a natural reservoir

280
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,934
and serving
as a firebreak.

281
00:22:15,934 --> 00:22:17,934
[birds cawing]

282
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,667
The impact of beavers is
so great...

283
00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:28,266
that streams
with beaver complexes

284
00:22:28,266 --> 00:22:30,667
can hold water year-round,

285
00:22:30,667 --> 00:22:34,367
compared to similar watersheds
without beavers.

286
00:22:36,333 --> 00:22:38,266
And although riparian habitats

287
00:22:38,266 --> 00:22:41,934
are only found
on 2% of the landscape,

288
00:22:41,934 --> 00:22:43,767
they contain 80%

289
00:22:43,767 --> 00:22:46,834
of the biodiversity
in the West.

290
00:22:49,967 --> 00:22:51,934
[gentle music]

291
00:22:56,300 --> 00:23:00,066
Beavers make
landscapes wetter,

292
00:23:00,066 --> 00:23:02,934
cooler, and more resilient.

293
00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,867
-[birds chirping]
-They are a keystone species

294
00:23:09,867 --> 00:23:11,567
for their habitat

295
00:23:11,567 --> 00:23:15,000
and provide an invaluable
ecosystem service

296
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,133
to everyone downstream.

297
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,400
As creeks and rivers flow down
from the mountains,

298
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,600
their water is often diverted
for human use.

299
00:23:38,033 --> 00:23:40,033
During westward expansion,

300
00:23:40,033 --> 00:23:43,533
settlers began building
irrigation systems,

301
00:23:43,533 --> 00:23:46,266
and by the late 1800s,

302
00:23:46,266 --> 00:23:48,233
large canals had been dug

303
00:23:48,233 --> 00:23:50,800
along many fertile valleys.

304
00:23:54,066 --> 00:23:55,967
As communities grew,

305
00:23:55,967 --> 00:23:59,734
so did the desire to spread
the power of water

306
00:23:59,734 --> 00:24:03,567
even further
across the landscape.

307
00:24:03,567 --> 00:24:05,834
[soft music]

308
00:24:08,233 --> 00:24:12,200
In 1902,
the United States created

309
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,567
the Bureau of Reclamation

310
00:24:14,567 --> 00:24:16,934
to reclaim western lands

311
00:24:16,934 --> 00:24:19,667
from their natural state
and transform them

312
00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:23,133
into irrigated,
agricultural lands.

313
00:24:23,133 --> 00:24:25,166
[soft music]

314
00:24:33,066 --> 00:24:34,800
The federal program

315
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,567
developed ambitious
water projects

316
00:24:37,567 --> 00:24:42,567
to take the Colorado
far from its natural course.

317
00:24:44,066 --> 00:24:46,934
[water crashing]

318
00:24:49,700 --> 00:24:53,033
To quantify
the amount of water,

319
00:24:53,033 --> 00:24:55,467
the Bureau calculated
the river's flow

320
00:24:55,467 --> 00:24:57,367
over ten years

321
00:24:57,367 --> 00:24:59,400
and found an annual average

322
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,100
of 16 and a half
million acre-feet.

323
00:25:06,467 --> 00:25:08,567
In 1922,

324
00:25:08,567 --> 00:25:11,767
the Colorado River Compact
was created

325
00:25:11,767 --> 00:25:15,233
to legally divide the water
between the states.

326
00:25:18,467 --> 00:25:21,667
The compact split
the watershed in half.

327
00:25:22,634 --> 00:25:24,767
The upper basin was allotted

328
00:25:24,767 --> 00:25:27,667
seven and a half
million acre-feet,

329
00:25:27,667 --> 00:25:30,066
as was the lower basin.

330
00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:33,767
Mexico was later granted

331
00:25:33,767 --> 00:25:36,800
one and a half
million acre-feet.

332
00:25:38,867 --> 00:25:41,333
The compact gave
no water rights

333
00:25:41,333 --> 00:25:43,567
to the sovereign
tribal nations

334
00:25:43,567 --> 00:25:46,166
or to the river itself.

335
00:25:48,567 --> 00:25:52,266
[booming]

336
00:25:52,266 --> 00:25:54,066
[booming]

337
00:26:03,533 --> 00:26:05,333
To distribute the water,

338
00:26:05,333 --> 00:26:09,000
the bureau bore tunnels
through mountain ranges,

339
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,767
pumped water
over hills,

340
00:26:11,767 --> 00:26:15,567
and diverted tributaries
to distant valleys.

341
00:26:18,567 --> 00:26:20,900
To regulate the water's flow,

342
00:26:20,900 --> 00:26:25,100
dams were constructed
over many rivers and streams.

343
00:26:29,367 --> 00:26:31,233
Dams impound water

344
00:26:31,233 --> 00:26:35,600
and create reservoirs
that store it for human use.

345
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,467
The release of water is
carefully managed

346
00:26:45,467 --> 00:26:47,367
to generate electricity,

347
00:26:47,367 --> 00:26:49,033
provide irrigation,

348
00:26:49,033 --> 00:26:52,300
and fulfill downstream
water commitments.

349
00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:56,634
The bureau's water projects

350
00:26:56,634 --> 00:26:59,300
have helped grow
the human population

351
00:26:59,300 --> 00:27:01,533
that depends on the Colorado

352
00:27:01,533 --> 00:27:04,533
from 2 million people
in the year 1900

353
00:27:04,533 --> 00:27:09,166
to over 40 million people
in 2025.

354
00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:15,467
But the dams
and altering the river

355
00:27:15,467 --> 00:27:18,367
have come with consequences.

356
00:27:19,700 --> 00:27:23,767
The released water is
unnaturally cold,

357
00:27:23,767 --> 00:27:26,867
the water quality is
diminished,

358
00:27:26,867 --> 00:27:31,300
and the altered flows disrupt
natural processes.

359
00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:36,867
The disruptions are
so extensive

360
00:27:36,867 --> 00:27:39,133
that an iconic fish
of the West

361
00:27:39,133 --> 00:27:41,934
now only survives
in a small fraction

362
00:27:41,934 --> 00:27:44,634
of its historic waters.

363
00:27:45,667 --> 00:27:48,100
But they still have
strongholds

364
00:27:48,100 --> 00:27:52,033
in a few
very special streams.

365
00:27:58,667 --> 00:28:00,500
In early summer,

366
00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:02,567
cutthroat trout
begin traveling

367
00:28:02,567 --> 00:28:04,800
to their spawning sites.

368
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,500
Each female has
several hundred eggs to lay,

369
00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:15,200
and they are determined
to reach a stretch of stream

370
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,834
that will give their offspring
the best chance of survival.

371
00:28:22,767 --> 00:28:26,033
[dramatic music]

372
00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:43,133
[dramatic music continues]

373
00:28:49,567 --> 00:28:51,834
[gentle music]

374
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,467
She has reached
a shallow stream bed

375
00:28:56,467 --> 00:28:58,800
with pea-sized gravel.

376
00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,634
The perfect place

377
00:29:04,634 --> 00:29:06,900
to dig a small depression

378
00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:09,734
as a cradle for her eggs.

379
00:29:15,900 --> 00:29:18,467
As she prepares the bed,

380
00:29:18,467 --> 00:29:20,934
the males gather behind.

381
00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,333
[gentle music]

382
00:29:45,767 --> 00:29:47,834
She protects her eggs

383
00:29:47,834 --> 00:29:51,533
by covering them
with loose gravel,

384
00:29:51,533 --> 00:29:53,867
and in a few weeks' time,

385
00:29:53,867 --> 00:29:57,200
a new generation
of cutthroat trout

386
00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:58,800
will emerge.

387
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,033
[water rushing gently]

388
00:30:12,333 --> 00:30:15,967
A hundred miles
downstream of its headwaters,

389
00:30:15,967 --> 00:30:18,233
where the Colorado drifts

390
00:30:18,233 --> 00:30:21,300
through hills
of Ponderosa and Aspen

391
00:30:21,300 --> 00:30:25,467
and flows over boulders
and cobblestones,

392
00:30:25,467 --> 00:30:30,166
an ancient event prepares
to surface each spring.

393
00:30:31,767 --> 00:30:34,000
[water rushing]

394
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,667
This is the largest
aquatic insect

395
00:30:44,667 --> 00:30:46,600
in North America.

396
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,200
The giant salmonfly.

397
00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:56,166
They spend three to five years

398
00:30:56,166 --> 00:30:59,433
feeding on vegetation
in the boulders

399
00:30:59,433 --> 00:31:02,834
and traveling
with the river's current.

400
00:31:02,834 --> 00:31:05,066
[dramatic music]

401
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,233
[gentle music]

402
00:31:23,333 --> 00:31:26,133
[dramatic music]

403
00:31:36,333 --> 00:31:37,934
[gentle music]

404
00:31:37,934 --> 00:31:40,600
Their constant
downstream motion

405
00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,133
presents a challenge.

406
00:31:43,133 --> 00:31:46,433
How will they travel
back upriver

407
00:31:46,433 --> 00:31:48,000
to lay their eggs

408
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,634
for their offspring
to live and grow

409
00:31:50,634 --> 00:31:53,033
in the same home waters?

410
00:31:55,934 --> 00:31:59,900
Such a feat requires...

411
00:31:59,900 --> 00:32:02,233
a metamorphosis.

412
00:32:03,467 --> 00:32:05,500
[coyote howling]

413
00:32:10,300 --> 00:32:12,500
Under the cover of darkness

414
00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:14,533
in early summer,

415
00:32:14,533 --> 00:32:16,934
the mature salmonflies

416
00:32:16,934 --> 00:32:20,433
begin to emerge.

417
00:32:26,900 --> 00:32:29,166
[soft music]

418
00:32:40,033 --> 00:32:43,033
This is their first time

419
00:32:43,033 --> 00:32:45,066
to leave the river.

420
00:32:45,066 --> 00:32:48,533
An instinct
propels them upwards

421
00:32:48,533 --> 00:32:50,800
in search of a safe place

422
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:54,000
to shed their exoskeleton.

423
00:33:10,967 --> 00:33:13,233
[soft music]

424
00:33:23,133 --> 00:33:25,433
[exoskeleton rustling]

425
00:33:46,166 --> 00:33:48,433
[rustling continues]

426
00:34:03,667 --> 00:34:05,734
[rustling continues]

427
00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:20,533
After half an hour
of struggle,

428
00:34:20,533 --> 00:34:24,433
they reveal
their new adult form.

429
00:34:28,900 --> 00:34:31,066
Four wings will give them

430
00:34:31,066 --> 00:34:33,133
the power of flight,

431
00:34:33,133 --> 00:34:35,800
and the ability
to travel upstream

432
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,734
to lay their eggs.

433
00:34:43,667 --> 00:34:47,100
By morning,
thousands of salmonflies

434
00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:49,333
cover the willows,

435
00:34:49,333 --> 00:34:51,700
each in search of a partner.

436
00:34:53,266 --> 00:34:55,500
[romantic music]

437
00:35:01,467 --> 00:35:05,166
Finding a match
comes easily for some.

438
00:35:08,967 --> 00:35:10,934
For others...

439
00:35:10,934 --> 00:35:14,233
love is beyond their reach.

440
00:35:29,567 --> 00:35:32,300
Traveling through
the terrestrial world

441
00:35:32,300 --> 00:35:36,166
is difficult
for the salmonflies.

442
00:35:36,166 --> 00:35:38,734
And the banks are rife

443
00:35:38,734 --> 00:35:40,900
with unfamiliar dangers.

444
00:35:42,266 --> 00:35:44,500
[ominous music]

445
00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:03,367
[ominous music]

446
00:36:27,533 --> 00:36:33,166
The salmonfly hatch supports
an entire ecosystem.

447
00:36:33,166 --> 00:36:36,200
But from their perspective...

448
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:40,333
they're surrounded
by terrifying monsters.

449
00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:44,934
[ominous music]

450
00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:02,567
Their best chance of survival

451
00:37:02,567 --> 00:37:05,900
is to climb back
to the safety of the willows.

452
00:37:05,900 --> 00:37:09,233
-[feet thudding]
-Or else.

453
00:37:31,300 --> 00:37:33,500
[dramatic stinger]

454
00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,300
[rustling]

455
00:38:04,233 --> 00:38:06,500
[chirping]

456
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,667
[chirping]

457
00:38:16,133 --> 00:38:18,433
[dramatic music]

458
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:22,667
[music fades]

459
00:38:23,734 --> 00:38:26,634
Although
many individuals fall,

460
00:38:26,634 --> 00:38:29,333
the salmonflies'
greatest strength

461
00:38:29,333 --> 00:38:32,333
is their sheer abundance.

462
00:38:33,934 --> 00:38:38,200
Within the willows,
they find safety in numbers

463
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,667
and overwhelm
the shoreline predators.

464
00:38:47,033 --> 00:38:48,900
After mating,

465
00:38:48,900 --> 00:38:51,900
they wait for dry
and sunny conditions

466
00:38:51,900 --> 00:38:54,066
with little wind

467
00:38:54,066 --> 00:38:56,734
to take flight.

468
00:38:57,934 --> 00:39:00,066
[majestic music]

469
00:39:05,467 --> 00:39:07,200
Rising together,

470
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:09,800
the salmonflies
create a swarm

471
00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,533
that travels up
the canyon walls

472
00:39:12,533 --> 00:39:16,333
and begins
their journey upstream.

473
00:39:17,467 --> 00:39:19,700
[majestic music]

474
00:39:33,433 --> 00:39:35,667
[gentle music]

475
00:39:42,333 --> 00:39:46,734
The swarm can fly
for several miles

476
00:39:46,734 --> 00:39:49,500
before the females return
back to the water

477
00:39:49,500 --> 00:39:51,900
to release their eggs.

478
00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:55,133
[water lapping gently]

479
00:39:56,900 --> 00:40:01,100
Their offspring will now
have a chance at life

480
00:40:01,100 --> 00:40:04,433
in the same home waters.

481
00:40:07,533 --> 00:40:11,567
It is their final act.

482
00:40:17,233 --> 00:40:19,000
The salmonfly hatch

483
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,734
is a massive transfer
of nutrients

484
00:40:21,734 --> 00:40:25,433
from the river to
the surrounding ecosystem.

485
00:40:30,567 --> 00:40:33,367
But like the cutthroat trout,

486
00:40:33,367 --> 00:40:34,867
salmonflies have disappeared

487
00:40:34,867 --> 00:40:38,200
from hundreds of miles
of western rivers

488
00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:42,066
because of dams and their
unnatural water releases.

489
00:40:44,233 --> 00:40:48,233
Managing dam releases
to mimic natural river flows

490
00:40:48,233 --> 00:40:51,066
would help bring
the hatches back,

491
00:40:51,066 --> 00:40:54,533
and the entire river community
would benefit.

492
00:40:58,700 --> 00:41:01,000
[water rushing gently]

493
00:41:06,767 --> 00:41:09,867
As the Colorado
and its many tributaries

494
00:41:09,867 --> 00:41:12,734
leave the Rocky Mountains
behind...

495
00:41:12,734 --> 00:41:14,600
they begin to carve their way

496
00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:17,200
through the Colorado Plateau.

497
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,400
Water and soil
from faraway watersheds

498
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,266
converge at each confluence,

499
00:41:27,266 --> 00:41:31,000
nourishing fertile valleys
and cottonwood forests.

500
00:41:34,667 --> 00:41:38,700
This remote
Four Corners region

501
00:41:38,700 --> 00:41:41,100
has been called home

502
00:41:41,100 --> 00:41:43,634
for thousands of years.

503
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,767
In Bears Ears
National Monument alone,

504
00:42:09,767 --> 00:42:12,567
there are
more than 100,000

505
00:42:12,567 --> 00:42:15,600
cultural
and archaeological sites.

506
00:42:21,634 --> 00:42:23,834
[gentle music]

507
00:42:31,900 --> 00:42:36,266
These canyon walls
have witnessed

508
00:42:36,266 --> 00:42:37,967
the laughter of children

509
00:42:37,967 --> 00:42:41,000
and the dreams
of their parents

510
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:45,967
for longer than
1,000 human generations.

511
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:56,033
This individual was
part of a community

512
00:42:56,033 --> 00:42:58,300
that lived
in a multi-room dwelling

513
00:42:58,300 --> 00:43:00,100
overlooking the river.

514
00:43:02,667 --> 00:43:06,734
Their handprints are
still visible in the mortar,

515
00:43:06,734 --> 00:43:11,166
holding walls that have stood
for a thousand years.

516
00:43:17,500 --> 00:43:19,634
Following
the springtime floods,

517
00:43:19,634 --> 00:43:22,166
they walked down
well-worn paths

518
00:43:22,166 --> 00:43:23,834
to the valley below

519
00:43:23,834 --> 00:43:28,734
and planted a variety
of desert-adapted crops.

520
00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:34,000
[distant bird cawing]

521
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,533
After the growing season,
they placed their harvest

522
00:43:37,533 --> 00:43:39,400
into ceramic pots,

523
00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,934
and carried them
up familiar steps

524
00:43:41,934 --> 00:43:44,734
to their homes and granaries.

525
00:43:47,734 --> 00:43:52,333
Agriculture allowed
their communities to flourish.

526
00:43:56,567 --> 00:43:58,467
They played games,

527
00:43:58,467 --> 00:44:00,367
made music,

528
00:44:00,367 --> 00:44:02,100
raised children,

529
00:44:02,100 --> 00:44:04,900
and passed down
their stories and wisdom

530
00:44:04,900 --> 00:44:07,166
to future generations.

531
00:44:15,367 --> 00:44:20,000
The largest communities
contained thousands of people,

532
00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:23,000
and their cultural networks
were so vast

533
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,433
that people traded
tools and jewelry

534
00:44:25,433 --> 00:44:28,000
from across the continent...

535
00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,734
exchanged language
and knowledge...

536
00:44:31,734 --> 00:44:33,600
and traded spices,

537
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,033
medicinal plants,
and religious objects.

538
00:44:43,567 --> 00:44:45,634
Some of these items

539
00:44:45,634 --> 00:44:49,700
would've been taken
into sacred kivas

540
00:44:49,700 --> 00:44:52,433
and used for ceremonies.

541
00:44:55,166 --> 00:44:57,567
Perhaps to pray

542
00:44:57,567 --> 00:45:00,734
for the health
of an aging parent...

543
00:45:01,767 --> 00:45:05,500
the healing of a friend...

544
00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:08,834
or for the germination
of a seed.

545
00:45:17,700 --> 00:45:19,567
They most certainly

546
00:45:19,567 --> 00:45:21,700
prayed for rain.

547
00:45:21,700 --> 00:45:23,867
[distant thunder rumbling]

548
00:45:26,100 --> 00:45:30,467
[distant thunder crashing]

549
00:45:30,467 --> 00:45:32,467
[rain patter increases]

550
00:45:52,767 --> 00:45:56,033
The connections
that indigenous cultures had

551
00:45:56,033 --> 00:45:58,734
and still have with the land

552
00:45:58,734 --> 00:46:00,834
is so intimate

553
00:46:00,834 --> 00:46:03,700
that their clan names are
often described

554
00:46:03,700 --> 00:46:05,700
by their homeland.

555
00:46:05,700 --> 00:46:08,734
[soft music]

556
00:46:08,734 --> 00:46:11,066
Yadokkya-kwe.

557
00:46:12,533 --> 00:46:15,000
The Zuni Sun Clan.

558
00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:20,900
Weeminuche.

559
00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:23,767
The Ute Mountain Ute.

560
00:46:27,500 --> 00:46:29,867
Chakwaina.

561
00:46:29,867 --> 00:46:32,333
The Black Earth Kachina Clan

562
00:46:32,333 --> 00:46:33,967
of the Hopi.

563
00:46:36,867 --> 00:46:39,066
Tachii'nii.

564
00:46:39,066 --> 00:46:42,300
The Navajo Red Running
Into Water Clan.

565
00:46:42,300 --> 00:46:44,367
[water rushing]

566
00:46:57,667 --> 00:46:59,900
[gentle music]

567
00:47:04,900 --> 00:47:08,433
Like other cultures
around the world...

568
00:47:08,433 --> 00:47:11,800
the people who lived here
passed on their wisdom,

569
00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:14,634
beliefs, and memories

570
00:47:14,634 --> 00:47:16,367
through art.

571
00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:20,000
[gentle music]

572
00:47:39,967 --> 00:47:42,200
[gentle music continues]

573
00:47:57,734 --> 00:48:00,066
[gentle music continues]

574
00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:13,767
These panels speak of times

575
00:48:13,767 --> 00:48:16,066
when game was plenty...

576
00:48:17,667 --> 00:48:21,000
of the sanctity of water...

577
00:48:22,266 --> 00:48:26,166
and the devastation
of drought.

578
00:48:29,767 --> 00:48:31,934
[music fades]

579
00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:37,033
Oral history,
combined with evidence

580
00:48:37,033 --> 00:48:38,800
from tree rings,

581
00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:40,900
tell of a severe dry period

582
00:48:40,900 --> 00:48:43,300
nearly 1,000 years ago

583
00:48:43,300 --> 00:48:46,934
that lasted for a century.

584
00:48:50,166 --> 00:48:52,066
The rivers diminished

585
00:48:52,066 --> 00:48:54,634
from a lack of snow,

586
00:48:54,634 --> 00:48:56,600
and the crops withered

587
00:48:56,600 --> 00:48:58,433
from a lack of rain.

588
00:49:01,700 --> 00:49:03,467
A vibrant culture

589
00:49:03,467 --> 00:49:06,533
much older
than the United States

590
00:49:06,533 --> 00:49:08,967
was disrupted,

591
00:49:08,967 --> 00:49:14,166
and conflict swept
across the land.

592
00:49:14,166 --> 00:49:17,066
[ominous music]

593
00:49:21,667 --> 00:49:23,767
Families hid their crops

594
00:49:23,767 --> 00:49:26,066
in secret granaries

595
00:49:26,066 --> 00:49:30,367
to conceal their food
from hungry raiders.

596
00:49:30,367 --> 00:49:33,333
And communities built
defensive towers

597
00:49:33,333 --> 00:49:37,266
to protect themselves
against desperate bands.

598
00:49:38,734 --> 00:49:41,967
People prayed for rain.

599
00:49:41,967 --> 00:49:45,000
But the scarcity
of water and food,

600
00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:47,100
along with bad omens...

601
00:49:48,300 --> 00:49:52,867
led entire communities
to leave their homes

602
00:49:52,867 --> 00:49:55,700
and move
to more hospitable areas

603
00:49:55,700 --> 00:49:58,200
of the Colorado Plateau.

604
00:50:06,500 --> 00:50:11,367
Water has always been
the most essential

605
00:50:11,367 --> 00:50:15,533
and precious resource
in the Southwest.

606
00:50:19,900 --> 00:50:24,066
Sadly, our understanding
of these cultures

607
00:50:24,066 --> 00:50:28,634
and their ancient wisdom
is incomplete,

608
00:50:28,634 --> 00:50:30,967
because a genocidal war

609
00:50:30,967 --> 00:50:34,166
was waged against
their descendants...

610
00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:39,834
and almost all
of the archaeological sites

611
00:50:39,834 --> 00:50:42,033
have been looted.

612
00:50:46,300 --> 00:50:49,967
Many panels have
been vandalized,

613
00:50:49,967 --> 00:50:53,467
and some of humanity's
oldest artwork

614
00:50:53,467 --> 00:50:56,500
has been used
for target practice

615
00:50:56,500 --> 00:51:00,133
and is riddled
with bullet holes.

616
00:51:22,433 --> 00:51:27,066
This cultural desecration
from vandalism

617
00:51:27,066 --> 00:51:32,100
is salt in the wound
to the partial drowning

618
00:51:32,100 --> 00:51:34,667
of their ancestral homes.

619
00:51:41,800 --> 00:51:43,834
[soft melancholic music]

620
00:51:47,734 --> 00:51:51,433
Buried beneath
the surface of Lake Powell

621
00:51:51,433 --> 00:51:56,066
are more than 3,000 known
archaeological sites,

622
00:51:56,066 --> 00:51:58,634
and Glen Canyon...

623
00:51:58,634 --> 00:52:02,467
a canyon whose arches,
grottos, and spires

624
00:52:02,467 --> 00:52:06,567
are so beautiful,
it is often remembered

625
00:52:06,567 --> 00:52:10,200
as America's
lost national park.

626
00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:17,300
When the reservoir is low,
its rocky cathedrals

627
00:52:17,300 --> 00:52:20,100
are partially revealed,

628
00:52:20,100 --> 00:52:22,767
providing a glimpse

629
00:52:22,767 --> 00:52:25,734
of the submerged wonders.

630
00:52:25,734 --> 00:52:27,700
[gentle music]

631
00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:38,634
[gentle music continues]

632
00:52:58,567 --> 00:53:02,700
Lake Powell was formed
by the Glen Canyon Dam

633
00:53:02,700 --> 00:53:05,467
in 1963,

634
00:53:05,467 --> 00:53:08,900
which impounded 186 miles

635
00:53:08,900 --> 00:53:10,767
of the Colorado River,

636
00:53:10,767 --> 00:53:14,367
making Powell
the second-largest reservoir

637
00:53:14,367 --> 00:53:17,767
in North America.

638
00:53:17,767 --> 00:53:19,900
The largest reservoir

639
00:53:19,900 --> 00:53:23,100
is 300 miles downstream,

640
00:53:23,100 --> 00:53:25,233
Lake Mead,

641
00:53:25,233 --> 00:53:28,400
which was created in 1936

642
00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:31,967
after the completion
of the Hoover Dam.

643
00:53:38,433 --> 00:53:40,367
In total, there are

644
00:53:40,367 --> 00:53:42,967
15 major dams
and diversions

645
00:53:42,967 --> 00:53:46,166
on the main stem
of the Colorado,

646
00:53:46,166 --> 00:53:49,767
and dozens more
along its tributaries.

647
00:53:52,400 --> 00:53:55,266
Lake Mead was constructed
to store water

648
00:53:55,266 --> 00:53:57,834
for the lower basin states

649
00:53:57,834 --> 00:53:59,634
and deliver it to farms,

650
00:53:59,634 --> 00:54:02,734
communities,
and cities downstream.

651
00:54:04,834 --> 00:54:08,667
In contrast,
Lake Powell's main purpose

652
00:54:08,667 --> 00:54:11,567
is for the upper basin
to store water

653
00:54:11,567 --> 00:54:13,734
and release it
to the lower basin

654
00:54:13,734 --> 00:54:17,500
to fulfill
their legal water obligations.

655
00:54:21,200 --> 00:54:22,734
In the hundred years

656
00:54:22,734 --> 00:54:26,734
since the Colorado River
Compact was created...

657
00:54:26,734 --> 00:54:29,800
the annual river flow
has diminished

658
00:54:29,800 --> 00:54:33,567
from 16 and a half
million acre-feet

659
00:54:33,567 --> 00:54:37,367
to only 13 million acre-feet.

660
00:54:41,900 --> 00:54:45,367
The reservoirs
expose water to the sun,

661
00:54:45,367 --> 00:54:49,000
and over 10%
of the Colorado's water

662
00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:52,300
is lost to evaporation.

663
00:54:57,133 --> 00:54:59,233
As of 2025,

664
00:54:59,233 --> 00:55:01,433
Lake Powell has been reduced

665
00:55:01,433 --> 00:55:06,100
to only 39% capacity.

666
00:55:06,100 --> 00:55:09,767
Lake Mead has fallen
even lower,

667
00:55:09,767 --> 00:55:12,700
down to only 33%.

668
00:55:16,367 --> 00:55:20,800
Water is projected
to decrease even further

669
00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:24,033
as climate change makes
the Southwest

670
00:55:24,033 --> 00:55:26,433
hotter and drier.

671
00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:34,367
These dams,

672
00:55:34,367 --> 00:55:37,834
and the Colorado's
water management system

673
00:55:37,834 --> 00:55:41,967
were designed with values
that are over a century old,

674
00:55:41,967 --> 00:55:47,066
for an amount of water
that no longer exists.

675
00:55:56,567 --> 00:55:58,767
[water rushing]

676
00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:07,967
Hope for revival can be found

677
00:56:07,967 --> 00:56:10,200
beneath vermillion cliffs

678
00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:13,000
along the Navajo Nation.

679
00:56:17,100 --> 00:56:19,834
These canyons are home

680
00:56:19,834 --> 00:56:22,233
to one of the planet's
most rare

681
00:56:22,233 --> 00:56:24,433
and endangered birds.

682
00:56:28,500 --> 00:56:31,400
The California condor.

683
00:56:33,567 --> 00:56:36,667
Fewer than 100 condors exist

684
00:56:36,667 --> 00:56:38,934
in Arizona and Utah.

685
00:56:40,967 --> 00:56:45,000
They are descendants
of a captive breeding program

686
00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:49,100
that saved the species
from extinction.

687
00:56:56,133 --> 00:56:58,166
[gentle music]

688
00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:10,700
Condors often soar
over 100 miles a day

689
00:57:10,700 --> 00:57:14,734
and fulfill the important role
of scavengers.

690
00:57:18,700 --> 00:57:21,033
Their greatest threat

691
00:57:21,033 --> 00:57:23,900
is consuming
lead bullet fragments

692
00:57:23,900 --> 00:57:27,333
left in the carcasses
of hunted animals

693
00:57:27,333 --> 00:57:31,567
and dying
from lead poisoning.

694
00:57:31,567 --> 00:57:33,800
[majestic music]

695
00:57:45,867 --> 00:57:49,834
This couple has
defied the odds

696
00:57:49,834 --> 00:57:53,000
and laid hope for the future.

697
00:57:59,400 --> 00:58:03,333
Their precious hatchling
will become known

698
00:58:03,333 --> 00:58:06,567
as Condor 1150.

699
00:58:07,834 --> 00:58:10,533
The number
since the species was

700
00:58:10,533 --> 00:58:13,100
nearly lost to extinction.

701
00:58:15,867 --> 00:58:19,033
His parents will spend
the next several months

702
00:58:19,033 --> 00:58:23,000
keeping him
fed, safe, and warm

703
00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:26,700
until he is old enough
to fly on his own.

704
00:58:34,333 --> 00:58:36,600
[soft music]

705
00:58:46,066 --> 00:58:48,133
[upbeat music]

706
00:58:51,333 --> 00:58:55,533
Condor 1150 is now
five months old

707
00:58:55,533 --> 00:58:57,900
and almost fully grown.

708
00:59:01,133 --> 00:59:04,767
He spends his days
exercising his wings

709
00:59:04,767 --> 00:59:08,066
and exploring the ledges
around the nest.

710
00:59:10,500 --> 00:59:12,567
Like all youngsters,

711
00:59:12,567 --> 00:59:16,000
he's fascinated
with the world around him.

712
00:59:26,600 --> 00:59:28,834
[music softens]

713
00:59:37,266 --> 00:59:39,567
[thud]

714
00:59:39,567 --> 00:59:42,100
[rocks clacking]

715
00:59:42,100 --> 00:59:44,367
Gravity.

716
00:59:44,367 --> 00:59:46,667
He'll have to overcome that.

717
00:59:57,100 --> 01:00:01,634
But, for now, Mom has
brought home the groceries.

718
01:00:07,333 --> 01:00:09,500
[upbeat music]

719
01:00:09,500 --> 01:00:14,667
His favorite:
leftover roadkill.

720
01:00:21,200 --> 01:00:23,967
His parents have chosen
a nest location

721
01:00:23,967 --> 01:00:28,300
that is 500 feet
above a vertical cliff face.

722
01:00:32,033 --> 01:00:35,900
As he grows,
his parents must bring back

723
01:00:35,900 --> 01:00:38,333
more and more food,

724
01:00:38,333 --> 01:00:42,133
which requires them to be gone
for days at a time...

725
01:00:44,200 --> 01:00:46,300
leaving him alone

726
01:00:46,300 --> 01:00:49,000
and unsupervised.

727
01:01:03,967 --> 01:01:07,667
His only chance to leave
the confines of the nest

728
01:01:07,667 --> 01:01:11,000
and be with his parents
is to fly.

729
01:01:12,767 --> 01:01:17,133
For that, he'll need
to keep exercising his wings

730
01:01:17,133 --> 01:01:18,867
and practicing.

731
01:02:00,567 --> 01:02:02,800
[ominous music]

732
01:02:10,166 --> 01:02:12,266
[dramatic music]

733
01:02:34,734 --> 01:02:36,900
[music fades]

734
01:02:53,033 --> 01:02:56,266
1150 survived the fall.

735
01:02:57,900 --> 01:03:00,767
But he doesn't have
the strength or skills

736
01:03:00,767 --> 01:03:03,367
to fly back to the nest.

737
01:03:21,133 --> 01:03:24,000
His only hope of returning

738
01:03:24,000 --> 01:03:27,166
is to attempt a first ascent.

739
01:03:32,700 --> 01:03:36,934
He begins to climb home.

740
01:04:04,667 --> 01:04:06,934
[gentle music]

741
01:04:22,467 --> 01:04:25,567
1150 succeeds in climbing

742
01:04:25,567 --> 01:04:27,834
the first hundred feet

743
01:04:27,834 --> 01:04:31,433
and discovers a chimney crack.

744
01:04:41,600 --> 01:04:43,934
He's able to find enough holds

745
01:04:43,934 --> 01:04:47,033
to climb up
the vertical distance

746
01:04:47,033 --> 01:04:49,834
and make his way
to the same elevation

747
01:04:49,834 --> 01:04:52,000
as the nest.

748
01:04:53,467 --> 01:04:58,066
All that remains is
the horizontal traverse.

749
01:05:26,467 --> 01:05:28,500
[ominous music]

750
01:05:35,767 --> 01:05:38,000
[dramatic music]

751
01:05:45,667 --> 01:05:48,934
A much-needed lucky break.

752
01:05:50,500 --> 01:05:52,233
But he still faces

753
01:05:52,233 --> 01:05:54,600
the crux of the climb.

754
01:05:56,166 --> 01:06:00,233
The gap separating him
from the nest.

755
01:06:01,834 --> 01:06:05,500
The gap
he originally fell from.

756
01:06:09,934 --> 01:06:12,166
[gentle music]

757
01:06:24,967 --> 01:06:28,166
[dramatic music]

758
01:06:35,200 --> 01:06:37,700
Like the condors before him,

759
01:06:37,700 --> 01:06:40,734
1150 overcame the odds

760
01:06:40,734 --> 01:06:42,700
and returned home.

761
01:06:52,567 --> 01:06:54,367
A few weeks later,

762
01:06:54,367 --> 01:06:57,600
with more confidence
in his abilities,

763
01:06:57,600 --> 01:07:01,500
1150 spread his wings.

764
01:07:04,867 --> 01:07:08,100
[stirring music]

765
01:07:11,000 --> 01:07:12,834
With luck,

766
01:07:12,834 --> 01:07:16,066
he will soar
for the next 50 years

767
01:07:16,066 --> 01:07:17,467
and help increase

768
01:07:17,467 --> 01:07:20,500
the endangered
condor population...

769
01:07:22,600 --> 01:07:24,467
where they will soar

770
01:07:24,467 --> 01:07:29,300
over one of Earth's
most iconic landscapes.

771
01:07:33,133 --> 01:07:35,800
The Grand Canyon.

772
01:07:52,800 --> 01:07:54,834
[majestic music]

773
01:08:08,400 --> 01:08:11,333
The landscapes
of the Southwest

774
01:08:11,333 --> 01:08:13,834
have inspired
some of the greatest

775
01:08:13,834 --> 01:08:18,100
conversation efforts
in the history of the world.

776
01:08:21,200 --> 01:08:24,100
They led to the creation

777
01:08:24,100 --> 01:08:26,900
of national parks
and monuments

778
01:08:27,467 --> 01:08:39,300
and to the world's
first designated wilderness.

779
01:08:39,300 --> 01:08:43,600
In total,
60% of the Southwest

780
01:08:43,600 --> 01:08:45,567
is public land.

781
01:08:47,133 --> 01:08:51,266
They are a beacon of hope
for wildlife

782
01:08:51,266 --> 01:08:53,800
and an opportunity

783
01:08:53,800 --> 01:08:55,734
for every American

784
01:08:55,734 --> 01:08:59,133
to experience wild places

785
01:08:59,133 --> 01:09:01,400
and have a stake
in the stewardship

786
01:09:01,400 --> 01:09:03,567
of our environment.

787
01:09:10,133 --> 01:09:12,567
[stirring music]

788
01:09:15,266 --> 01:09:19,000
For 277 miles,

789
01:09:19,000 --> 01:09:21,200
the mighty Colorado

790
01:09:21,200 --> 01:09:25,200
chisels its way
through ancient rock.

791
01:09:32,033 --> 01:09:34,467
The power of water

792
01:09:34,467 --> 01:09:37,634
carves the canyon
ever deeper.

793
01:09:38,900 --> 01:09:41,500
[waves crashing]

794
01:09:55,166 --> 01:09:57,433
[gentle music]

795
01:09:59,634 --> 01:10:01,767
Weather and time

796
01:10:01,767 --> 01:10:04,667
have sculpted
a geologic masterpiece

797
01:10:04,667 --> 01:10:07,834
that reveals layers
of Earth's history

798
01:10:07,834 --> 01:10:10,467
like chapters in a book.

799
01:10:12,634 --> 01:10:17,100
The topmost layer is
Kaibab Limestone,

800
01:10:17,100 --> 01:10:21,133
formed 270 million years ago,

801
01:10:21,133 --> 01:10:24,400
when dinosaurs still
roamed the planet.

802
01:10:27,166 --> 01:10:29,934
It sits atop the Toroweap,

803
01:10:29,934 --> 01:10:33,266
Coconino, and Hermit layers

804
01:10:33,266 --> 01:10:36,133
and above
the Esplanade Sandstone,

805
01:10:36,133 --> 01:10:39,266
when the first reptiles
appeared.

806
01:10:41,333 --> 01:10:43,700
The Redwall Formation below

807
01:10:43,700 --> 01:10:46,400
contains some
of the earliest insects

808
01:10:46,400 --> 01:10:48,800
and terrestrial plants.

809
01:10:50,867 --> 01:10:55,333
At the very bottom is
the Visnhu Schist,

810
01:10:55,333 --> 01:10:58,734
formed one and a half
billion years ago,

811
01:10:58,734 --> 01:11:02,033
when the first cells
containing a nucleus

812
01:11:02,033 --> 01:11:04,467
appeared in the fossil record.

813
01:11:09,367 --> 01:11:13,033
The plants and animals
alive today

814
01:11:13,033 --> 01:11:15,533
are nature's survivors.

815
01:11:17,133 --> 01:11:18,667
the descendants of those

816
01:11:18,667 --> 01:11:21,133
who endured mass extinctions

817
01:11:21,133 --> 01:11:23,967
and climatic changes.

818
01:11:25,300 --> 01:11:27,734
A precious existence

819
01:11:27,734 --> 01:11:30,900
in our current layer of time.

820
01:11:43,567 --> 01:11:46,734
Downstream
of the Grand Canyon,

821
01:11:46,734 --> 01:11:51,567
the Colorado flows
into the Mojave Desert.

822
01:11:51,567 --> 01:11:53,634
A scorching landscape

823
01:11:53,634 --> 01:11:57,700
in the rain shadow
of the Sierra Nevadas.

824
01:12:00,166 --> 01:12:01,900
Some parts of the desert

825
01:12:01,900 --> 01:12:06,000
receive mere inches
of annual rain.

826
01:12:09,533 --> 01:12:12,600
Earth's hottest
surface temperature,

827
01:12:12,600 --> 01:12:16,400
134 degrees Fahrenheit,

828
01:12:16,400 --> 01:12:20,567
was recorded
in the Mojave's Death Valley.

829
01:12:25,133 --> 01:12:27,200
The namesake of this desert

830
01:12:27,200 --> 01:12:30,734
produces two types of venom:

831
01:12:30,734 --> 01:12:34,467
a hemotoxin
that destroys tissue

832
01:12:34,467 --> 01:12:36,767
and a neurotoxin

833
01:12:36,767 --> 01:12:39,367
that attacks
the nervous system.

834
01:12:41,033 --> 01:12:43,033
[eerie music]

835
01:12:48,900 --> 01:12:50,934
[tail rattling]

836
01:13:04,500 --> 01:13:07,700
The Mojave rattlesnake.

837
01:13:23,567 --> 01:13:27,867
This female has
released pheromones

838
01:13:27,867 --> 01:13:29,834
to summon males.

839
01:13:31,567 --> 01:13:35,467
She wants snakelets.

840
01:13:42,266 --> 01:13:45,533
A potential suitor approaches.

841
01:13:46,533 --> 01:13:48,700
But is he worthy?

842
01:13:53,667 --> 01:13:55,900
[eerie music continues]

843
01:14:01,200 --> 01:14:06,600
She responds to his advance
by slapping him repeatedly.

844
01:14:09,533 --> 01:14:11,867
He seems committed,

845
01:14:11,867 --> 01:14:14,667
but he'll need
to prove himself.

846
01:14:23,600 --> 01:14:26,500
[eerie music continues]

847
01:14:33,467 --> 01:14:36,066
His fitness and determination

848
01:14:36,066 --> 01:14:38,467
meet her standards,

849
01:14:38,467 --> 01:14:40,934
and she coils around him.

850
01:15:07,233 --> 01:15:09,533
She seizes what she needs

851
01:15:09,533 --> 01:15:12,500
and clasps onto him

852
01:15:12,500 --> 01:15:17,100
and drags him
by his reproductive organs.

853
01:15:31,133 --> 01:15:33,166
[eerie music continues]

854
01:15:40,066 --> 01:15:44,400
She will keep him locked
for the next 12 hours

855
01:15:44,400 --> 01:15:48,033
until his usefulness
has expired.

856
01:15:53,767 --> 01:15:56,033
[music fades slowly]

857
01:16:05,800 --> 01:16:08,367
A few months later,

858
01:16:08,367 --> 01:16:11,567
she descends into a burrow.

859
01:16:20,033 --> 01:16:22,100
[eerie music]

860
01:16:25,400 --> 01:16:27,667
[body gurgling]

861
01:16:34,533 --> 01:16:36,734
[body gurgling]

862
01:17:03,467 --> 01:17:05,734
This mother sacrificed

863
01:17:05,734 --> 01:17:08,233
40% of her body weight

864
01:17:08,233 --> 01:17:10,166
and most of her water

865
01:17:10,166 --> 01:17:14,834
to deliver life
to her 13 offspring.

866
01:17:18,767 --> 01:17:21,033
Such extreme measures

867
01:17:21,033 --> 01:17:24,634
are needed for
the harsh conditions above.

868
01:17:24,634 --> 01:17:27,500
[dramatic music]

869
01:17:27,500 --> 01:17:29,734
[music fades]

870
01:17:34,066 --> 01:17:36,800
The Mojave's
plants and animals

871
01:17:36,800 --> 01:17:39,767
have evolved
over millions of years

872
01:17:39,767 --> 01:17:41,934
to survive and thrive

873
01:17:41,934 --> 01:17:43,934
in one of the most arid

874
01:17:43,934 --> 01:17:46,066
and unforgiving landscapes

875
01:17:46,066 --> 01:17:47,867
on Earth.

876
01:17:52,233 --> 01:17:54,367
In contrast,

877
01:17:54,367 --> 01:17:56,533
our water management system

878
01:17:56,533 --> 01:17:58,500
is in the early stages

879
01:17:58,500 --> 01:18:01,734
of adapting
to a desert environment.

880
01:18:06,800 --> 01:18:08,734
Below Lake Mead,

881
01:18:08,734 --> 01:18:11,266
the Colorado loses
its identity

882
01:18:11,266 --> 01:18:13,266
as a wild river

883
01:18:13,266 --> 01:18:14,967
and becomes a conduit

884
01:18:14,967 --> 01:18:17,367
for the Colorado River
Compact.

885
01:18:20,600 --> 01:18:23,433
4% of the lower basin's water

886
01:18:23,433 --> 01:18:25,900
is allocated to Nevada.

887
01:18:26,967 --> 01:18:30,867
Arizona receives 37%,

888
01:18:30,867 --> 01:18:34,367
and California takes 59%.

889
01:18:42,266 --> 01:18:44,266
[soft music]

890
01:18:58,634 --> 01:19:00,734
At the Imperial Dam,

891
01:19:00,734 --> 01:19:02,934
the Colorado is diverted

892
01:19:02,934 --> 01:19:06,634
into the largest canal
in the world...

893
01:19:06,634 --> 01:19:10,100
the All-American Canal,

894
01:19:10,100 --> 01:19:12,867
which transports
nearly one quarter

895
01:19:12,867 --> 01:19:15,300
of the entire
river basin's water

896
01:19:15,300 --> 01:19:19,367
to Southern California's
Imperial Valley.

897
01:19:23,166 --> 01:19:26,667
In total,
the Colorado irrigates

898
01:19:26,667 --> 01:19:30,000
over 5 million acres
of farmland.

899
01:19:32,066 --> 01:19:33,934
The abundant sunshine

900
01:19:33,934 --> 01:19:35,467
and lack
of extreme weather events

901
01:19:35,467 --> 01:19:39,467
makes these desert farms
a stable breadbasket.

902
01:19:42,033 --> 01:19:44,100
They are so productive

903
01:19:44,100 --> 01:19:47,266
that nearly 90%
of the United States'

904
01:19:47,266 --> 01:19:51,033
wintertime vegetables are
grown in the lower basin.

905
01:19:54,133 --> 01:19:57,066
Flood irrigation is
the most common

906
01:19:57,066 --> 01:20:00,533
and least efficient form
of irrigation.

907
01:20:02,967 --> 01:20:05,300
Sprinklers are more efficient

908
01:20:05,300 --> 01:20:08,867
and drip irrigation is
the most efficient.

909
01:20:13,934 --> 01:20:18,066
The amount of irrigation
depends on the crop.

910
01:20:18,066 --> 01:20:20,333
Water-intensive crops,

911
01:20:20,333 --> 01:20:23,100
such as alfalfa,
almonds, and cotton,

912
01:20:23,100 --> 01:20:25,700
require significantly
more water

913
01:20:25,700 --> 01:20:27,767
than drought-tolerant crops,

914
01:20:27,767 --> 01:20:31,433
like squash, Kernza,
and leafy greens.

915
01:20:33,900 --> 01:20:37,634
Each field is
a miniature representation

916
01:20:37,634 --> 01:20:39,734
of market forces,

917
01:20:39,734 --> 01:20:41,800
policies and subsidies,

918
01:20:41,800 --> 01:20:44,233
and the consumer's choice.

919
01:20:46,000 --> 01:20:50,467
25% of the Colorado's water
used by humans

920
01:20:50,467 --> 01:20:55,200
is municipal, commercial,
and industrial.

921
01:20:55,200 --> 01:20:59,433
28% is used to irrigate crops
for human consumption,

922
01:20:59,433 --> 01:21:03,300
such as corn, carrots,
and tomatoes.

923
01:21:04,467 --> 01:21:09,166
47% is used to grow
alfalfa and hay

924
01:21:09,166 --> 01:21:13,533
to feed livestock
for meat and dairy products.

925
01:21:13,533 --> 01:21:15,867
[distant moo-ing]

926
01:21:21,700 --> 01:21:23,700
The most commonly-grown crop

927
01:21:23,700 --> 01:21:27,100
in the Imperial Valley
is alfalfa.

928
01:21:30,133 --> 01:21:33,000
Around a third of its alfalfa,

929
01:21:33,000 --> 01:21:36,033
grown with
Colorado River water,

930
01:21:36,033 --> 01:21:37,934
is exported overseas

931
01:21:37,934 --> 01:21:41,166
to feed livestock
in foreign countries.

932
01:21:46,600 --> 01:21:48,533
The largest opportunity

933
01:21:48,533 --> 01:21:51,567
to save water
in the Colorado River system

934
01:21:51,567 --> 01:21:56,367
is to transition to more
water-efficient agriculture.

935
01:22:05,033 --> 01:22:07,233
[distant chirps, tweets]

936
01:22:29,433 --> 01:22:32,367
Inspiration
for water efficiency

937
01:22:32,367 --> 01:22:35,266
can be found
in the Sonoran Desert

938
01:22:35,266 --> 01:22:38,367
of Arizona
and Northern Mexico.

939
01:22:41,533 --> 01:22:43,934
The saguaro cactus

940
01:22:43,934 --> 01:22:46,500
is legendary
for saving water

941
01:22:46,500 --> 01:22:49,700
and distributing it
to their community.

942
01:22:50,934 --> 01:22:54,233
[gentle guitar plucking]

943
01:23:01,634 --> 01:23:03,433
[thunder crashing]

944
01:23:04,967 --> 01:23:07,200
[rain pattering]

945
01:23:08,333 --> 01:23:13,433
Saguaros funnel water
down to their base

946
01:23:13,433 --> 01:23:16,200
and soak it up
through shallow roots

947
01:23:16,200 --> 01:23:20,333
that extend
as wide as the cactus is tall.

948
01:23:23,166 --> 01:23:27,133
They store their water
in their trunks and arms,

949
01:23:27,133 --> 01:23:30,533
which expand
during wet times

950
01:23:30,533 --> 01:23:34,100
and can hold
over 1,000 gallons.

951
01:23:35,066 --> 01:23:38,767
When it's dry, they contract.

952
01:23:41,333 --> 01:23:44,800
Saguaros protect
the precious liquid inside

953
01:23:44,800 --> 01:23:47,266
like their lives depend on it.

954
01:23:48,600 --> 01:23:53,300
Their thick, waxy skin shields
their water from the sun

955
01:23:53,300 --> 01:23:57,300
and nearly eliminates
evaporation,

956
01:23:57,300 --> 01:24:00,800
while their rows
of needle-sharp spines

957
01:24:00,800 --> 01:24:03,333
defend it from any predators.

958
01:24:05,467 --> 01:24:07,900
Their water-saving strategies

959
01:24:07,900 --> 01:24:10,000
are so efficient

960
01:24:10,000 --> 01:24:13,600
that saguaros can live
over two centuries

961
01:24:13,600 --> 01:24:17,033
and can survive years
without rain.

962
01:24:17,033 --> 01:24:20,467
[upbeat music]

963
01:24:20,467 --> 01:24:22,066
[music ends]

964
01:24:34,834 --> 01:24:37,066
During
the scorching conditions

965
01:24:37,066 --> 01:24:38,734
of early summer,

966
01:24:38,734 --> 01:24:41,133
they prepare an annual gift

967
01:24:41,133 --> 01:24:43,600
for their desert community.

968
01:24:47,767 --> 01:24:49,800
[soft music]

969
01:24:55,800 --> 01:24:57,834
[gentle music]

970
01:25:05,967 --> 01:25:08,600
For only one night and day,

971
01:25:08,600 --> 01:25:13,200
the flowers bloom
and reveal their nectar.

972
01:25:24,433 --> 01:25:27,700
The sweet aroma drifts
through the desert air

973
01:25:27,700 --> 01:25:31,734
and attracts
a variety of pollinators.

974
01:25:34,734 --> 01:25:38,400
[birds chirping, hooting]

975
01:25:46,333 --> 01:25:50,166
In exchange for the nectar's
sugar and moisture,

976
01:25:50,166 --> 01:25:52,467
birds, bats, and bees

977
01:25:52,467 --> 01:25:55,166
transfer the flower's pollen

978
01:25:55,166 --> 01:25:57,367
to other saguaros.

979
01:25:59,900 --> 01:26:01,734
A few weeks later,

980
01:26:01,734 --> 01:26:03,100
the flowers mature

981
01:26:03,100 --> 01:26:05,767
into a succulent, red fruit.

982
01:26:09,867 --> 01:26:12,266
It is a life-saving gift

983
01:26:12,266 --> 01:26:14,133
of food and water

984
01:26:14,133 --> 01:26:17,867
during the hottest
and driest time of year.

985
01:26:42,767 --> 01:26:44,667
In return,

986
01:26:44,667 --> 01:26:47,500
the saguaro seeds
are distributed

987
01:26:47,500 --> 01:26:51,600
right in time
for the summer monsoons.

988
01:26:53,000 --> 01:26:56,233
[wind whooshing]

989
01:27:03,200 --> 01:27:05,834
[wind whooshing]

990
01:27:05,834 --> 01:27:09,033
Above the Sonoran Desert,

991
01:27:09,033 --> 01:27:10,967
mountain ranges

992
01:27:10,967 --> 01:27:12,667
rise into the clouds

993
01:27:12,667 --> 01:27:16,700
and create sky islands
of dense forest.

994
01:27:19,000 --> 01:27:23,033
[thunder rumbling]

995
01:27:23,033 --> 01:27:26,467
Known to roam these mountains

996
01:27:26,467 --> 01:27:29,233
is an animal so beautiful,

997
01:27:29,233 --> 01:27:30,967
powerful,

998
01:27:30,967 --> 01:27:32,800
and sacred...

999
01:27:34,133 --> 01:27:37,100
that, to many cultures...

1000
01:27:37,100 --> 01:27:40,266
it is nothing short...

1001
01:27:40,266 --> 01:27:41,700
of a god.

1002
01:27:41,700 --> 01:27:43,767
[dramatic music]

1003
01:27:53,300 --> 01:27:55,533
[thunder rumbling]

1004
01:28:29,767 --> 01:28:32,433
Behold...

1005
01:28:32,433 --> 01:28:36,200
the apex cat of the Americas.

1006
01:28:36,200 --> 01:28:38,066
[snarl]

1007
01:28:42,000 --> 01:28:44,300
The jaguar.

1008
01:28:54,100 --> 01:28:57,400
South of
the U.S.-Mexico border,

1009
01:28:57,400 --> 01:29:00,533
conservation organizations
have established

1010
01:29:00,533 --> 01:29:02,266
wildlife reserves

1011
01:29:02,266 --> 01:29:03,700
and work with local ranches

1012
01:29:03,700 --> 01:29:07,600
to protect jaguars
and their habitat.

1013
01:29:10,066 --> 01:29:12,600
Their numbers are increasing,

1014
01:29:12,600 --> 01:29:16,900
and jaguars are now roaming
into the United States,

1015
01:29:16,900 --> 01:29:19,200
where they were
historically found

1016
01:29:19,200 --> 01:29:22,767
as far north
as the Grand Canyon.

1017
01:29:26,200 --> 01:29:29,500
[gentle music]

1018
01:29:29,500 --> 01:29:32,834
This female is known as...

1019
01:29:32,834 --> 01:29:35,233
Libellula,

1020
01:29:35,233 --> 01:29:36,967
the dragonfly.

1021
01:29:38,100 --> 01:29:41,600
She is the matriarch
of the Northern Jaguar Reserve

1022
01:29:41,600 --> 01:29:43,967
in Sonora, Mexico.

1023
01:29:50,800 --> 01:29:53,300
She is marking her territory

1024
01:29:53,300 --> 01:29:55,934
and leaving scent
to communicate

1025
01:29:55,934 --> 01:29:58,367
with other jaguars.

1026
01:30:06,400 --> 01:30:09,066
Libellula is 12 years old

1027
01:30:09,066 --> 01:30:11,133
and has successfully raised

1028
01:30:11,133 --> 01:30:13,100
several cubs on the reserve.

1029
01:30:14,233 --> 01:30:17,834
Her most recent cub is
fully grown,

1030
01:30:17,834 --> 01:30:21,567
and she is now
seeking a partner.

1031
01:30:32,000 --> 01:30:35,567
[jaguar roaring]

1032
01:30:37,734 --> 01:30:41,834
Her roars travel
through the mountains

1033
01:30:41,834 --> 01:30:44,800
and have been heard
by the dominant male...

1034
01:30:44,800 --> 01:30:47,700
-[jaguar roaring]
-...who heeds her call.

1035
01:30:59,467 --> 01:31:01,333
He follows the trail

1036
01:31:01,333 --> 01:31:04,634
that Libellula has
left behind

1037
01:31:04,634 --> 01:31:09,033
and covers her marks
with his own.

1038
01:31:09,033 --> 01:31:11,100
[dramatic music]

1039
01:31:20,400 --> 01:31:24,300
He is communicating
to any other males

1040
01:31:24,300 --> 01:31:27,767
that this is his territory,

1041
01:31:27,767 --> 01:31:31,166
and he is in pursuit.

1042
01:31:35,433 --> 01:31:37,667
[dramatic music continues]

1043
01:31:54,333 --> 01:31:56,700
[music fades]

1044
01:32:00,634 --> 01:32:02,900
[gentle music]

1045
01:32:10,533 --> 01:32:14,667
Libellula's calls have
been answered.

1046
01:32:16,000 --> 01:32:19,367
If their courtship is
successful,

1047
01:32:19,367 --> 01:32:21,600
she will spend
the next two years

1048
01:32:21,600 --> 01:32:23,367
raising her cubs

1049
01:32:23,367 --> 01:32:24,934
before they disperse

1050
01:32:24,934 --> 01:32:28,166
to find a territory
of their own.

1051
01:32:30,533 --> 01:32:34,567
If her cubs travel north
along the Sky Islands,

1052
01:32:34,567 --> 01:32:37,133
they could potentially
cross the border

1053
01:32:37,133 --> 01:32:39,033
into the United States

1054
01:32:39,033 --> 01:32:44,033
and help bring the jaguar
back to American soil...

1055
01:32:46,767 --> 01:32:51,266
if that door of opportunity
stays open.

1056
01:32:51,266 --> 01:32:53,900
[beeping]

1057
01:32:53,900 --> 01:32:55,867
[booming]

1058
01:33:02,266 --> 01:33:04,333
[booming]

1059
01:33:05,634 --> 01:33:07,867
[booming]

1060
01:33:10,533 --> 01:33:12,867
[rapid booming]

1061
01:33:26,200 --> 01:33:29,700
[equipment whirring]

1062
01:33:51,767 --> 01:33:54,667
Over the last 50 years,

1063
01:33:54,667 --> 01:33:57,400
a border wall has
been constructed

1064
01:33:57,400 --> 01:34:00,500
on three
out of every four miles

1065
01:34:00,500 --> 01:34:02,734
of the U.S.-Mexico border

1066
01:34:02,734 --> 01:34:06,767
in Arizona, New Mexico,
and California.

1067
01:34:10,100 --> 01:34:13,000
If the border wall is
completed,

1068
01:34:13,000 --> 01:34:15,834
the north to south flow
of wildlife

1069
01:34:15,834 --> 01:34:17,934
would be halted

1070
01:34:17,934 --> 01:34:20,400
at a continental scale.

1071
01:34:23,900 --> 01:34:26,900
The disruption
of natural processes

1072
01:34:26,900 --> 01:34:29,367
has become a defining feature

1073
01:34:29,367 --> 01:34:31,734
of our modern society.

1074
01:34:46,567 --> 01:34:49,300
From its headwaters
to the border,

1075
01:34:49,300 --> 01:34:54,233
the Colorado is diverted,
divided, and dammed.

1076
01:34:59,433 --> 01:35:02,433
Its water is impounded,

1077
01:35:02,433 --> 01:35:05,734
evaporated,
and subjugated.

1078
01:35:21,300 --> 01:35:26,066
The most essential ingredient
for life on Earth

1079
01:35:26,066 --> 01:35:28,734
is turned into a commodity

1080
01:35:28,734 --> 01:35:31,900
that is sold, consumed,
and exported

1081
01:35:31,900 --> 01:35:33,734
so extensively...

1082
01:35:34,900 --> 01:35:37,433
that by the time
the river flows

1083
01:35:37,433 --> 01:35:39,634
past the border wall,

1084
01:35:39,634 --> 01:35:42,967
the Colorado is
so exhausted,

1085
01:35:42,967 --> 01:35:45,767
all that remains is
the amount of water

1086
01:35:45,767 --> 01:35:47,800
that is owed to Mexico

1087
01:35:47,800 --> 01:35:50,266
under the river's compact.

1088
01:36:00,700 --> 01:36:03,000
After crossing the border,

1089
01:36:03,000 --> 01:36:05,300
the river is dammed
and diverted

1090
01:36:05,300 --> 01:36:06,967
for its final time.

1091
01:36:08,967 --> 01:36:12,200
Only a small trickle seeps

1092
01:36:12,200 --> 01:36:15,200
into the river's
natural channel.

1093
01:36:19,367 --> 01:36:22,367
[gentle music]

1094
01:36:41,467 --> 01:36:44,467
At this location...

1095
01:36:44,467 --> 01:36:47,066
the mighty Colorado,

1096
01:36:47,066 --> 01:36:48,967
which carved
the Grand Canyon

1097
01:36:48,967 --> 01:36:51,433
and has journeyed
to the sea

1098
01:36:51,433 --> 01:36:53,934
for 6 million years...

1099
01:36:55,066 --> 01:36:59,000
ceases to flow completely.

1100
01:37:09,900 --> 01:37:13,100
Less than one lifetime ago,

1101
01:37:13,100 --> 01:37:15,567
the river spread across

1102
01:37:15,567 --> 01:37:18,066
a 2-million-acre delta,

1103
01:37:18,066 --> 01:37:21,233
nourishing forests
and wetlands

1104
01:37:21,233 --> 01:37:23,800
that teemed
with water fowl,

1105
01:37:23,800 --> 01:37:26,300
fish, and jaguars.

1106
01:37:31,300 --> 01:37:33,066
This...

1107
01:37:33,066 --> 01:37:35,200
is the delta now.

1108
01:37:36,700 --> 01:37:39,667
An entirely man-made

1109
01:37:39,667 --> 01:37:41,500
wasteland.

1110
01:38:11,133 --> 01:38:13,867
This ecological collapse

1111
01:38:13,867 --> 01:38:16,634
is spreading
as the Southwest

1112
01:38:16,634 --> 01:38:19,367
becomes hotter and drier.

1113
01:38:25,000 --> 01:38:26,934
And is a symptom

1114
01:38:26,934 --> 01:38:29,200
of policies and values

1115
01:38:29,200 --> 01:38:32,300
that ignore
the health of the Earth.

1116
01:38:40,000 --> 01:38:42,066
The same strenuous efforts

1117
01:38:42,066 --> 01:38:44,900
to conquer the river...

1118
01:38:44,900 --> 01:38:48,367
are now needed to recover it.

1119
01:38:58,634 --> 01:39:02,000
On the east side of the delta,

1120
01:39:02,000 --> 01:39:05,266
a small amount
of agricultural runoff

1121
01:39:05,266 --> 01:39:09,400
seeps into
the historic wetland

1122
01:39:09,400 --> 01:39:11,233
and has created

1123
01:39:11,233 --> 01:39:15,000
the Cienega
de Santa Clara.

1124
01:39:19,834 --> 01:39:21,934
This...

1125
01:39:21,934 --> 01:39:24,133
is a small taste

1126
01:39:24,133 --> 01:39:27,734
of what the delta
once looked like

1127
01:39:27,734 --> 01:39:30,467
and could look like again,

1128
01:39:30,467 --> 01:39:33,266
if a portion
of the Colorado River

1129
01:39:33,266 --> 01:39:37,066
is allowed to fulfill
its ancient journey

1130
01:39:37,066 --> 01:39:40,100
and flow to the sea.

1131
01:39:42,433 --> 01:39:44,533
[gentle music]

1132
01:39:48,700 --> 01:39:50,700
[birds chirping]

1133
01:39:55,066 --> 01:39:57,333
[birds cawing]

1134
01:40:14,100 --> 01:40:17,333
[stirring music]

1135
01:40:33,033 --> 01:40:36,367
Restoring the river
can be achieved

1136
01:40:36,367 --> 01:40:40,400
by saving water
at every opportunity...

1137
01:40:41,333 --> 01:40:43,300
and by giving the river

1138
01:40:43,300 --> 01:40:47,266
the legal right to flow.

1139
01:40:51,600 --> 01:40:53,667
[soft music]

1140
01:41:00,133 --> 01:41:03,667
There isn't a shortage
of water in the Southwest.

1141
01:41:05,667 --> 01:41:07,767
There is an opportunity

1142
01:41:07,767 --> 01:41:11,567
to better steward
this magnificent landscape

1143
01:41:11,567 --> 01:41:15,367
and its most
essential resource.

1144
01:41:17,800 --> 01:41:19,834
[waves crashing]

1145
01:41:26,033 --> 01:41:28,333
The Colorado

1146
01:41:28,333 --> 01:41:30,634
is the artery that connects

1147
01:41:30,634 --> 01:41:33,233
landscapes and life.

1148
01:41:34,233 --> 01:41:36,166
And the river's health

1149
01:41:36,166 --> 01:41:39,533
is a reflection of our own.

1150
01:41:47,667 --> 01:41:50,567
[dramatic music]

1151
01:41:53,000 --> 01:41:55,867
If we listen...

1152
01:41:55,867 --> 01:41:57,967
ancient knowledge
can teach us

1153
01:41:57,967 --> 01:42:00,600
the sanctity of water

1154
01:42:00,600 --> 01:42:04,433
and the perils
of a changing climate.

1155
01:42:15,467 --> 01:42:19,166
Like the layers
revealed by the river,

1156
01:42:19,166 --> 01:42:23,333
we are writing our own chapter
into the rock.

1157
01:42:26,634 --> 01:42:29,133
But unlike
the billions of animals

1158
01:42:29,133 --> 01:42:32,400
in the fossil record below us,

1159
01:42:32,400 --> 01:42:37,400
our species,
at this point in time...

1160
01:42:37,400 --> 01:42:42,200
is the first to have
the knowledge and power

1161
01:42:42,200 --> 01:42:43,967
to influence the thickness

1162
01:42:43,967 --> 01:42:46,634
of our layer
in Earth's history...

1163
01:42:48,734 --> 01:42:51,700
and what life will exist

1164
01:42:51,700 --> 01:42:53,867
in the layers above.

1165
01:42:58,100 --> 01:43:01,333
[gentle music]

1166
01:43:28,066 --> 01:43:31,367
[gentle music continues]

1167
01:43:58,066 --> 01:44:01,400
[gentle music continues]

1168
01:44:58,133 --> 01:45:01,433
[gentle music continues]

1169
01:45:58,200 --> 01:46:01,500
[gentle music continues]

1170
01:46:28,233 --> 01:46:31,500
[music fades]