The San Luis Valley is located in the headwaters of the Rio Grande. The water in the valley is subject to agreements such as the Rio Grande Compact between Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. The Compact details how much water is to be delivered to the state lines. The people of the San Luis Valley have been using surface water historically with the establishment of villages prior to the United States entry. In contemporary times and with technology, the population in the San Luis Valley has grown and water is being extracted in a more "efficient" way, challenging the people with a depleting aquifer, creating challenges in aquiring water for agriculture, and meeting the Compact. The crux of this issue is the relationship between surface and groundwater irrigators with regard to the availability and access to water. This radio program compiles the perspectives of a couple of ranchers and an environmentalist trying to come up with solutions to the water problem. One of the ranchers is coming from a historical connection to the use of surface water, termed acequias which are communal irrigation structures brought by the Spanish into the area in the early 1800s. The other rancher also works on the Rio Grande Water Conservation District and is trying to manage the water budget in the Valley. The environmental perspective allows reflection on the needs of nature and a healthy river system in general. The show illustrates how these diverse groups are trying to work together to come up with solutions to this complex and challenging issue: managing scarce water supplies in the West.

The San Luis Valley is located in the headwaters of the Rio Grande. The water in the valley is subject to agreements such as the Rio Grande Compact between Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. The Compact details how much water is to be delivered to the state lines. The people of the San Luis Valley have been using surface water historically with the establishment of villages prior to the United States entry. In contemporary times and with technology, the population in the San Luis Valley has grown and water is being extracted in a more "efficient" way, challenging the people with a depleting aquifer, creating challenges in aquiring water for agriculture, and meeting the Compact. The crux of this issue is the relationship between surface and groundwater irrigators with regard to the availability and access to water. This radio program compiles the perspectives of a couple of ranchers and an environmentalist trying to come up with solutions to the water problem. One of the ranchers is coming from a historical connection to the use of surface water, termed acequias which are communal irrigation structures brought by the Spanish into the area in the early 1800s. The other rancher also works on the Rio Grande Water Conservation District and is trying to manage the water budget in the Valley. The environmental perspective allows reflection on the needs of nature and a healthy river system in general. The show illustrates how these diverse groups are trying to work together to come up with solutions to this complex and challenging issue: managing scarce water supplies in the West.