This event was recorded on February 5, 2026 at Hallam Lake, produced by ACES, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.
About the Presentation
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 millions of people at risk 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. In this presentation, environmental journalist Zak Podmore discusses his book Life After Dead Pool, which explores the complex challenges ahead and reframes the inevitable loss of Lake Powell as a turning point for a more sustainable future, debunking the notion that the West’s water challenges are unsolvable, and inviting us to secure a future where the Colorado River once again runs free.
About the Speaker
Zak Podmore is an award-winning author and journalist who has spent more than a decade writing about water and conservation issues in the western United States. He is the author of Confluence: Navigating the Personal & Political on Rivers of the New West and his work has appeared in Outside, USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, and elsewhere. He lives in Bluff, Utah.