The Rocky Mountain Region

The Rocky Mountains contains some of the highest peaks in the United States. It extends approximately 200 miles from central New Mexico to northeastern British Columbia. Snow and rain falling on the west side of the divide will flow to the Pacific Ocean that runs along California coast. This snow that melts in the spring or summer provides water to rivers and streams that are near the Rocky Mountain region. "The Colorado, Snake, Missouri, and Arkansas rivers rise in the Rockies. Waterways that originate in the Rocky Mountains sustain massive desert communities outside the region such as Los Angeles"(Pearson). Many people around the nation are dependent on the water that flows from the Rocky Mountains. Water from the continental divides of the East side of the Rocky Mountains flows to the Atlantic Ocean which feeds the Colorado river. The Colorado River is Los Angeles primary source of water. The Colorado River is a vital link in sustaining the economy of Southern California -- water for irrigation, water for cities and hydroelectric power for both. Today it supplies about 65 percent -- and by the turn of the century, still as much as 55 percent. Southern California’s rights to Colorado River Water were thought to be solidified in the 1930s when a number of agencies signed water delivery contracts with the Secretary of the Interior. Contracts detailed the priorities, to use and store California's apportionment of river water.