The U.S. southwest is in a water crisis; it's a front line of climate change. This show takes you to places that rely on the Colorado River, to explore what we can do to ensure life in the region as it dries out. In this first episode, we get high up in the Rocky Mountains to see where our water comes from, and see ground zero for our water problems — the Hoover Dam — where we meet someone who predicted this crisis years before it happened. It's all to answer the question: Just how screwed are we? Part 1 of 10.

The southwestern United States has been in a drought for more than 20 years. It's created a serious problem for the Colorado River, and tens of millions of people who use water from it. Parched is a podcast about people who rely on the river that shaped the West – and have ideas to save it. Michael Elizabeth Sakas, a water reporter for Colorado Public Radio, takes you on a journey to explore some of the best and boldest ideas to bolster our water supplies.