Hey, this is Outside In, I'm Nave Hedgy.

If you've ever taken a shower in Los Angeles, or drank a cold glass of water to nurse a hangover in Las Vegas,

you can thank the Colorado River.

It supplies water to millions of people in the desert southwest.

It also hydrates the farms that grow most of the nation's winter

vegetables, so if you like eating salads in December, tip your cap to the big CO. But lately, that river has been in trouble. It's been drying up because of climate change and overuse,

putting the nation at risk of losing a lot.

But honestly, this is an issue that is not easy to cover. A lot of the stories I've heard,

they get to wonky, too watery. They don't focus enough on the people behind the story.

That's why I was so excited to listen to a new series about the river from the podcast

Imperfect Paradise.

It's hosted by Antonia Serajido and it starts with

environmental reporter Emily Garin critiquing her own reporting on the

river from a few years ago when she was doing something very cliche.

So I'm standing at Lake Mead, the bath to bring is super obvious.

And that's, that the ring is what shows how far the lake has shrunk since it was full.

Oh my God, this is so embarrassing for me to listen to now.

Okay, well this is obviously Emily Garin who's now joined me and Emily what are you doing in that audio we just heard?

Well I'm trying to get the take right so I keep doing it over and over and like walking back and forth on top of the dam and oh my

God it's just so cliche Antonio like every journalist who's ever reported on the Colorado

River has done a stand-up on Hoover Dam and talked

about the bathtub ring. I'm standing on the top of the Hoover Dam right now.

...