Life After Dead Pool: Lake Powell's Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River

Award-winning journalist Zak Podmore brings to life the magnificent terrain and complex politics of the Colorado River, its dying reservoirs —and the surprising revelation that the inevitable loss of Lake Powell could be a turning point for more a sustainable future.

Life After Dead Pool  is a fascinating account of how climate change and drought are forcing a radical reimagining of western water management. Investigative journalist Zak Podmore gives us solace, insight, and maybe even hope.
—DAVID QUAMMEN , Spillover and The Heartbeat of the Wild

After decades of drought, the American West is stretched to the breaking point. A changing climate and design flaws in the Glen Canyon Dam have pushed the once-massive Lake Powell reservoir to the brink of collapse—putting at risk millions of people who depend on the Colorado River for water, agriculture, and electricity. Now, as Glen Canyon reemerges, its surprising ecological rebirth reminds us that nature’s capacity to heal may well outpace our own imaginations.

Environmental journalist Zak Podmore explores the complex challenges ahead and reframes the inevitable loss of Lake Powell as a turning point for a more sustainable future. Through an arresting mix of science and storytelling, Life After Dead Pool debunks the notion that the West’s water challenges are unsolvable and invites us to secure a future where the Colorado River once again runs free.