The Colorado River, which runs from the Rocky Mountains down through some very dry areas of the Southwestern US, has become widely known for drying up so severely that it no longer reaches all the way to the Gulf of California. Demand for water for crop irrigation and public water systems along the river have taken their toll, and the wealth of animal and plant life that once thrived in the Colorado River Delta are all but gone.

However, it seems that recent water conservation efforts are beginning to pay off. It was recently reported that a majority of the water districts in Southern California that are supplied by the Colorado River used less water in 2008 than in 1990, in spite of rising population in these areas. Reports also found that water usage in the river basin overall had risen by only 600,000 acre-feet - about 50% less than expected based on the sharp increase in population in the area.

Public outreach campaigns about the importance of saving water, combined with tiered rates designed to discourage heavy water usage, are being credited for the impressive improvements in conservation. Small changes at the individual level - like switching to low-flow faucets and toilets, or harvesting rainwater to water lawns and gardens - can clearly add up, and might even help save a river.