The Colorado River basin has lost a Lake Mead’s worth of water in the last 20 years — and scientists say we’re passing a "critical point" where pumping groundwater will become too expensive.

An illustration of a magnifying glass. An illustration of a magnifying glass.

Utah is the second driest state in the U.S., with a rare closed water system in which northern Utah’s water recycles through the Great Salt Lake instead of flowing to the ocean.