NRS Film Release: A River Out of Time

Just in time for the new year, NRS has released its newest film, “A River Out of Time,” highlighting a 1,000-mile journey to reevaluate John Wesley Powell’s legacy and the future of the Colorado River System.

The Green and Colorado river systems form the backbone of the American West. Once spanning a 1,450-mile journey from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, today none of the sediment-rich water reaches the Pacific Ocean. Instead, its water lies stymied in reservoirs and siphoned off to feed and nurture 40 million people from Salt Lake to Los Angeles.

One hundred and fifty years after John Wesley Powell’s historic descent of the Green and Colorado rivers, an unlikely crew of scientists, artists, educators, and river lovers repeated his journey on a trip that was simultaneously a celebration of modern river life and a critical look at how we interpret the Colorado River’s history and use its waters.

“As the demand we place on the water of the Colorado continues to exceed its supply, we are forced to face uncomfortable truths about decisions made in our past,” says filmmaker Ben Kraushaar. “And we are reminded that the way we think about water—and all those dependent upon it—needs to shift if we want things to change for our future.”