As of July 2022, drought conditions were most severe in the States of California, Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. In California. In California, 30% of the State's annual water supply comes from the snowpack in the Sierra Mountains. As of April 2022, the California Department of Water Resources measured the snowpack at only 38% of the long-term average.

Gary Kremen and Newsha Ajami provide a thoughtful and insightful perspective on the depth of the problem. We discuss the threats to the economy, the options from conservation, recycling, and desalinization, along with the potential to use technology to provide a reliable supply of water.