A breathtaking journey down the lifeblood of the American West

From the crystalline headwaters of the Rocky Mountains to its shocking demise in a foamy, polluted pit in the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado River’s story is one of both epic beauty and profound loss.

In this deeply personal and visually stunning narrative, acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride sets out to document the lifeblood of the American West. What begins as an assignment close to his childhood home transforms into a twenty-year odyssey that will change him forever. By packraft, on foot, and from the cockpit of his father’s small plane, McBride bears witness to the river’s grandeur—and the staggering scale of its exploitation.

More than a travelogue, Witness to Water is a moving elegy and an urgent plea. It is the story of a river that no longer reaches the sea, and a powerful reminder of the fragile natural systems we too often take for granted. This book is an unforgettable portrait of a river in peril, and a testament to what we stand to lose when we ask too much of the world that sustains us. Yet within its pages also lies a current of hope—not just for the Colorado, but for the countless rivers worldwide upon which our lives depend.