(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Colorado River flows into Lake Powell near Hite Marina on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. The reservoir is only 40% full and continued surging demand combined with the ravages of a drying climate signal a water crisis in the not-too-distant future. Wall Street investors see the an opportunity to capitalize on a whole new commodities trading market.
Zak is the southeast Utah reporter for The Tribune. He has been writing from Bluff, Utah, since 2015 and is the author of Confluence: Navigating the Personal & Political On Rivers of the New West. His second book, which will cover the decline of Lake Powell, is forthcoming from Torrey House Press in 2024.