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"The Colorado River is the only large river in the southwest. We have a choice. We can let it run wild, flooding and eroding the landscape, then dumping into the ocean, without harnessing any benefit for man, or, we can completely control it, use it for drinking water, electricity, farming, and recreation for the citizens of the southwestern United States and Mexico."

The crowd cheered, interrupting the President's speech. Grant saw that even the two Democrats on the stand clapped, although not as enthusiastically as the Republicans next to them. He wondered how the President had swayed them to his side. What about the environmentalists? Why weren't the Democrats siding with them? The President held out his hands and waited for the applause to subside.

"So, my friends in the House and the Senate will send me a bill to rebuild the Glen Canyon Dam." He turned and motioned into the dark red rock canyon where the dam had been only a few months before. "And we will restore Lake Powell."

The crowd clapped and cheered enthusiastically again, forcing the President to wait. Grant knew why the press conference was a private event and the environmentalists were not allowed past security. There would have been booing. There would have been people rushing the stage. Under the right circumstances, Grant knew that the environmentalists would kill the president if they could, for what he had just said.

The President pointed downstream. "The bill will also contain funding to repair the California Aqueduct, Head Gate Rock Dam, the Palo Verde Irrigation Dam, and Imperial Dam. Although Hoover, Davis, and Parker Dams survived, their spillways were extensively damaged by the sustained high flows. They will also be repaired."

Clapping followed, but this time more subdued.

"As a result of this catastrophe, our neighbors in Mexico also suffered deaths and extensive property damage, including the destruction of Morales Dam. This bill will send relief money to Mexico to help them rebuild as well. Senators―" He pointed at the easel and the two senators pulled the cloth off, exposing a map of the Colorado River with the dams marked that would be rebuilt. "This map shows our plan to restore all the dams."

Grant clapped unenthusiastically. He couldn't believe it. This was a rout. The Republicans were getting everything, and the environmentalists nothing. Although Grant wanted the dams to be rebuilt, he had expected concessions. This felt wrong. How had the President convinced the Democrats?

The President waited until the audience was completely quiet. "Now, let me admit something. The Colorado River catastrophe has taught Americans something we did not know, a secret that has been hidden for almost a century. Even most of the environmentalists didn't know about the Colorado River Delta. Over the years, more environmentalists protested to save the Salton Sea than the Colorado River Delta. The delta was just beyond our borders. It was on every United States map we've seen since elementary school. But none of us really knew what had happened to the delta. At the turn of the century, the Colorado River Delta covered thousands of square miles and the sky sometimes turned dark due to the clouds of birds. Historians report that jaguars, cougars, and bobcats patrolled the shores, and the water was teaming with schools of fish and swarms of shrimp. However, all that changed. For decades now, the delta has been reduced to wind-swept sand dunes, as dry as a bone. Our ancestors dried it up before most of us were born. When they killed the delta in the early 20th century, there were no environmentalists. There were no protests. No signs. No lying down in front of bulldozers. I personally feel that killing the delta was a travesty."

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Grant saw that many mouths were gaping open. These were not the words they expected to hear from a conservative President.

"I'm aware that my political party gets a bad rap for its stance on the environment. And in truth, many times we find ourselves on the wrong end of environmental arguments. I would argue that it is because those disagreements generally pit 100 % environmental agendas against compromises. I maintain that Republicans do not want to kill the environment, they are only searching for a compromise that they feel protects the environment while simultaneously serving the nation and the communities."

The President waved his hand back and forth.

"But we are not here today to debate party politics, or how parties are perceived. We have a crisis that necessitates a solution. Many in our nation think the Colorado River should be returned to the people, where 100 % of the water is diverted to farms and cities and the delta dried up again, like it has been for the last century. We are not going to do that. Others want the river to be completely freed, where 100 % of the water would flow into the ocean. They would advocate that the farms be shut down, and the citizens of the desert cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas be relocated back to the east coast where there is more water. We are not going to do that either."

The President leaned forward and gripped the pulpit with both hands. His brows furrowed and his lips pursed.

"I believe that neither of those alternatives is the correct solution. They are both short-sighted and fanatical. What is needed here is a compromise, a way for the citizens to use water from the Colorado without killing the river. That is why I have been meeting with members of both parties in Washington."

He motioned at the other politicians on the stand.

"And that is why I also met with the new President of Mexico. I believe we all want the same thing here."

The President smiled mischievously. "Even the Democrats don't want to shut down Las Vegas and move everyone to Florida." He turned and casually pointed at the politician behind him. "Do you, Senator?"

The senator was obviously not prepared for the question. His face flushed and he stammered for a second before subtly shaking his head back and forth. Snickers could be heard from the audience, which made the senator blush even more.

"Of course not," the President continued. "So we needed a solution, a compromise that would satisfy both goals. Compromises always require sacrifice, and this situation is no exception. Sacrifices will be required from both sides."

The President gripped the podium with both hands again, and paused. His eyes swept the crowd. All were intently waiting for the finale.

"In 1922, the delegates of seven states — California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona signed the Colorado River Compact, an agreement to allocate an estimated 17.5 million acre feet of water from the Colorado River. A provision to ensure that 1.5 million acre feet per year reached Mexico was later backed up by an international treaty. Although history has shown that the original estimate of 17.5 million acre feet was too high, those two legal documents have guided water allocation on the river ever since. Both documents will be amended over the coming months."

"A small environmental group called The Sonoran Institute, one of the few groups focused on restoring the delta, has maintained over the years that if just 10 % of the Colorado River were allowed to flow into the ocean year round, the delta would be largely restored. Our compromise will include that number."

Grant nodded. He looked around and saw that many others in the crowd were smiling.

"Our treaty with Mexico will be amended to double the allocation of water from 1.5 million to 3 million acre feet per year. Mexico will agree to allow half of their allocation to flow freely into the delta. Additionally, Mexico has embraced a plan to create a new entity called the Colorado River Delta National Preserve. They have been told it will be popular with American tourists."

The President pointed to the second easel, which the two congressmen uncovered. "Here is our plan for restoring the delta." The display showed the map of the delta including blue shading where water would cover the delta.