Part 1. A river through time
Conquering the wild colorado : the river before 1945
Farming the desert : agricultural water demands
Saving the river : the environmental movement
Sharing the shortage : a river in control
Part 2. Currents of today
The metropolis and the desert : growing cities in the west
Owning the river : Indian water rights and settlements
Crossing the border : us-mexico relations and the river
The water market : banking and selling the colorado river
Conclusion.