The issue issue combines the ideas of environmental, economic, social and political perspectives. This issue is environmental as many flora and fora depend on the Colorado river as a life source of water, however people have been treating the river as a machine, over allocating water left, right and centre. This as such has turned into a long term negative issue due to drought that began in the 2000s, that wasn't really a drought as it has continued on for over 20 years (droughts are only temporary).