![](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019/05/co_river.jpg)
[Photo: Olivier Bacquet]
In fifty years, or less, demand will outstrip supply on the Colorado River. That’s according to a recent federal study. Experts say an ongoing drought cycle and a growing western population will lead to dramatic shortages. April Summit says you can predict a lot about the river’s future by looking at its past. Summit traces the river’s tangled history in her new book, “Contested Waters.” She talked with Colorado Matter’s Lesley McClurg.