Witness to Water: One Photographer's Mission to Defend the Colorado River

by Pete McBride

A breathtaking journey down the lifeblood of the American WestFrom the crystalline headwaters of the Rocky Mountains to its shocking demise in a foamy, polluted pit in the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado River’s story is one of both epic beauty and profound loss.In this deeply personal and visually stunning narrative, acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride sets out to document the lifeblood of the American West. What begins as an assignment close to his childhood home transforms into a twenty-year odyssey that will change him forever. By packraft, on foot, and from the cockpit of his father’s small plane, McBride bears witness to the river’s grandeur—and the staggering scale of its exploitation.More than a travelogue, Witness to Water is a moving elegy and an urgent plea. It is the story of a river that no longer reaches the sea, and a powerful reminder of the fragile natural systems we too often take for granted. This book is an unforgettable portrait of a river in peril, and a testament to what we stand to lose when we ask too much of the world that sustains us. Yet within its pages also lies a current of hope—not just for the Colorado, but for the countless rivers worldwide upon which our lives depend.

Genres: Nonfiction

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2026

Reviews

[Laura Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, for the record, this may be called out as "spoiler alert," but people, nonfiction books always are, no surprise endings here. I have had the very good fortune to share space with Pete McBride at 2 different talks sponsored by our little Indy bookstore in our tiny town on the Western slope of Colorado. Pete is our voice. Pete is a friend to our community. Pete is trying like heck to make the rest of the country and world understand that water is life and slipping through our fingers. Pete and I share a love of the river and our home places, and I am grateful that he shares his lived experiences with us. This book isn't flashy. Pete shares his experiences and himself with the raw and concise detail of a journalist while maintaining the heart of an artist. Please read this book and save our mighty Colorado.

[Camilo Arado Lilleslatten · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intimate account of both a critically endangered river and the author’s amazing life—and a compelling perspective on what needs to be done to save the river and ourselves. “Fresh water belongs to the mountain peaks, the quiet streams, and the flooding rivers; it belongs to the forests and deltas; it belongs to our wild friends the elk, black bear, mountain lion, osprey, pikeminnow, wood frog, tarantula hawk, and tarantula just as much as it does to our engineered municipal and agricultural needs.”

[Jackson Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this after reading Kevin Fedarko's "A Walk in the Park." He's not quite as strong a writer as Fedarko (which McBride will admit himself) but he's still a good story teller and the stories about the pulse flow in the delta in Mexico and subsequent trips in the Yampa and Glen Canyon and flights with his father are all well told and thoughtful. Recommend, especially as invaluable first-hand documentation of worsening drought and water mismanagement in the Southwest.

[Kelli Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a freshwater biologist this book hits close to home. It’s sometimes a tough pill to swallow but very eye opening and a story that needs to be told. Without awareness and advocacy, change won’t happen. McBride does a good job tackling multiple layers and issues in a digestible way. While there has been some progress, more is always needed and that starts with knowing what’s actually going on out in the real world. We all live downstream!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Easy to read- the author tackles a lot but doesn't get caught up trying to tell every detail of a complicated story. This book and Life After Deal Pool have really helped me reshape my ideas about water growing up and living in the west.

[DianaCha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water is Life

Well written book that really captures the importance of our water resources and its impact in our life. Devastating to how much damage has been caused to our resources and how fast global warming is taking effects.

[Kristopher Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fedarko's book (from the hike that forms the central trek of this book) was the adventure, this was the context and the soul.

[Renata Kreider · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko, who shared the experience with Pete McBride. That book quickly became a gateway to countless Grand Canyon books and study. I was thrilled when McBride was coming out with this book and bought it right away. I loved hearing about his personal experiences and perspectives with the Grand Canyon, more specifically the Colorado River. I am saddened the more I read and study about the river, many rivers, and dams. I'm sad that so much damage has been done to nature for business and convenience, and to hear how our human influence has shaped and changed the Grand Canyon and many other places permanently. I'm glad to be aware of this issue now and to become more and more of a conservation advocate. I will never forget the image (in my mind) of Pete running aground into sludge as the river just.... dies....

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko last fall. And then timing worked out and I finally made my long desired trip to the southwest which included visiting Grand Canyon this spring. So as soon as I saw this book, I ordered and read it right away. I had also just finished The Emerald Mile which is a great companion book because it covers in a lot more depth some of the topics covered in this book.

McBride tells a story that needs to be told, though this book is only one means in which he is doing that. He is a photographer and has spent decades documenting the Colorado and the water crisis that has slowly been building.

The writing is not always graceful, but from what I know of the author, graceful isn’t something he’s ever been called. A lot of the book is short and to the point. But then where are sections, like the Colorado pulse flow where he pulls you in by not just telling the story of the water, but of the people the water touches too.

It’s easy in a prolonged and devastating drought to look at the big problems being created that impact people. Strain on irrigation for farming. Reduced capacity behind dams reducing or cutting off hydropower. Cities struggling to manage water so everyone has it. But where McBride excels in this book is zooming past those issues - while still covering them - to look at the impacts on a local and more human level.