The Colorado River that flows through Moab begins as a trickle of snowmelt high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. From there it starts a 1,440-mile journey through mountain canyons and three major deserts on its way to the Sea of Cortez. The river and the use of its water have shaped the history of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico, which all depend on the Colorado River and its tributaries for water. The Colorado River Compact has allocated the water in the Colorado River since 1922. Under the compact, Colorado receives 52%, Wyoming 14% and Utah 23% of the upper basin water. The remaining amount flows to the lower basin where California is allocated 59%, Arizona 37% with New Mexico and Nevada receiving the remaining amount. More than half of the Colorado River’s water comes from Colorado, another third comes from the mountains of Wyoming and Utah. Little comes by runoff from the other states strung along its banks. In seven states, the Colorado River has transformed 3.4 million acres of desert land into cities, farms and recreational playgrounds. From Colorado to California, the water flows through 33 reservoirs, 990 miles of pipes, 230 miles of tunnels, 188 pumping plants, 345 diversion dams, 50 power plants and 14,590 miles of canals. All this from a trickle of melting snow.