There are few environmental travesties as obvious proof of man's imminent ability to change things as that of inland water. Today, for example, the Aral Sea, between Kazakstan and Aberbaijan, was once the fourth largest inland sea in the world, and has now become a salt-inundated flat, in effect the same type of irrigation schemes which formed the Salton Sea destroyed the Aral Sea. Today one-hundred thousand seashore jobs are replaced by cancer, anemia and tuberculosis.

The Colorado River itself, after years of abuse, is now already dry before it can release into the Sea of Cortez. After paddling to the truck, I decided to take a walk through a date palm grove, and settle for a date palm shake along the road. The couple in the blue truck passed by the road. They saw me and grinned. The date shack was closed, but I met a date-picker, who offered to fill my cup with cold water. I took a sip, and then pointed to the Salton Sea, "This doesn't come out of there, does it?"

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