Since 2000, the Colorado River - which provides water for seven US states in the region - has carried less water than at any time in recorded history.
And while the drought is worsening, the demand for water in this booming part of the country is increasing.
The states dependent on the Colorado River for their water are seeking solutions to their water shortage, with some suggesting that importing water from far-flung states - or even towing icebergs down from the Arctic - could solve the problems.
Stumble It!
Having talked to relatives living in northern California, such schemes as this would have meant civil war in that state, just as there is resentment reaching intolerable levels between northen Nevada and southern Nevada.