I know that not a lot of people are as interested in water as I am. Maybe it’s living in Arizona. Maybe it’s being born in California. These are places where water rights are a very realistic part of living life. Although, the truth is, water rights in fact should matter to everyone.
Killing the Colorado specifically focuses on how the west is impacted by the flow of water in the Colorado basin. It’s a fair look at who uses, who’s trying to use, and why they’re trying to use the water of the Colorado River basin.
Every stake holder gets a voice, which is pretty rare in this sort of documentary. Even people who are completely ridiculous get voice, such as the wild people of the Gila River Diversion. A good documentary makes a person feel something, and these people made me feel rage over their billion dollar plan to ruin a beautiful place for a relatively small amount of water, that’s still too much for the people who live there.
Yet despite this rage at those people, I found myself convinced that maybe people who I previously demonized in my mind actually had a valid point. A good documentary also changes your mind (at least if it’s open). Learning that the farmers, who I’ve blamed for their water usage, hasn’t been so bad.
So I suppose this might not technically be a theater-released film, it’s a documentary, and it’s a good one, and I definitely think it’s worth your time trying to track it down.
Oh hey, and you can actually watch the full movie right here!