Colorado River

Southern Nevada gets nearly 90 percent of its water supply from the Colorado River. The river begins as snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains. The snowmelt travels through a series of tributaries into the river, which winds its way south for 1,400 miles and empties into the Gulf of California.

Sharing the river

The Colorado River is one of the most controlled and litigated rivers in the world. Seven western states and Mexico share the water, which serves about 25 million people.

The river is divided among Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Its use and operation is governed by a series of compacts, laws and court decisions collectively known as the Law of the River.