The American West has a major issue on their hands, an issue that directly affects tens of millions of people and a vast area of land. Indirectly, this issue could affect the entire world. The amount of fresh water is limited, and there is conflict over the allocation of this necessary resource. People need an adequate supply of freshwater with good quality, affordable prices and consistent reliability. The survival of human life is contingent on the availability of water. There is no guarantee that water will always be there, and this is becoming more and more evident as population increases and the supply decreases. Two major means for freshwater in the western United States are the Colorado River and the Ogallala Aquifer. These bodies of freshwater have had a vast history of disputes over how they should be allocated, maintained and treated. Up until now, there have been no agreements that have satisfied everyone. The allocation of fresh water resources in western America needs to be secured because if the status quo is maintained, the consequences will be enormous to humans and the environment, as well as the economy, whom are all dependent upon freshwater for survival. The Colorado River has had a long history of water allocation controversies. It is a major river that runs through seven states including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. It then continues into Mexico and empties into the Gulf of California. This river is 1,450 miles long and supplies water to over 40 million people. (Imperial Valley) The seven states the river runs through came together in 1922 and agreed upon the Colorado River Compact. This governs the allocation of water along the river by dividing the river into an upper and lower basin. The upper basin consists of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Arizona. The lower basin is the other part of