The Colorado River, while not the biggest or longest river in America, is one of great importance. If the Colorado River stopped flowing, there would be four years of carryover capacity in the reservoirs before the surrounding states would need to be evacuated. The water system provides more than half of Los Angeles’s, San Diego's, and Phoenix’s water. It also grows quite a lot of America’s production of fresh winter vegetables. Before the Colorado was dammed, its rapids could have overturned a small freighter. Now, it’s so used up that on its way to the sea, even in the wet seasons, only a trickle reaches the Gulf of California. In terms of flow, the Colorado isn’t a very big river, some say that it is the “predominant symbol of everything mankind has done wrong,” others say it is one the world’s greatest rivers, built with one of the world greatest dams.The river was able to help us win WW2 by producing electricity for planes and ships, it also provided food; many good things did come out the river, but many bad too. Because of this dam being built, engineers were inspired to dam the Columbia, the Volga, the Parana, the Niger, the Nile, the Zambezi, and many others. To some, this is an amazing achievement, to others, it’s a horrible burden on our environment. Today, the Colorado has degenerated into a chronicle of obtuseness, and only really resembles a river around the Grand Canyon. It was unable to satisfy all demands on it. I believe a lot of the Western United States was and is extremely dependent on the Colorado River, and unfortunately, we might have over used our resource. If we found more efficient ways of getting water and planning ahead, maybe the river would still be considered a river, rather than a sad trickle of water. If we do not learn from what we have done to certain vital resources, all rivers will end up dry, and we will end up waterless.
Ratification- the approval from the legislative branch required to validate government agreements
Apportionment- the determination of the proportional number of members each US state sends to the House of Representatives, based on population figures
Forthwith- immediately; without delay
Exemption- the process of freeing or state of being free from an obligation or liability imposed on others
Rationale- a set of reasons or a logical basis for a course of action or a particular belief
Meager- lacking in quantity or quality
Eloquence- fluent or persuasive speaking or writing
Innocuous- not harmful or offensive
Ratification- the approval from the legislative branch required to validate government agreements
Apportionment- the determination of the proportional number of members each US state sends to the House of Representatives, based on population figures
Forthwith- immediately; without delay
Exemption- the process of freeing or state of being free from an obligation or liability imposed on others
Rationale- a set of reasons or a logical basis for a course of action or a particular belief
Meager- lacking in quantity or quality
Eloquence- fluent or persuasive speaking or writing
Innocuous- not harmful or offensive