Editor's note: The Colorado River Compact was signed 100 years ago on Nov. 24, 1922, divvying up the water in the Colorado River among seven states. As an ongoing mega-drought has reduced the amount of water in the river, discussions are underway on what to do next.

Denver Water and other utilities across the Colorado River Basin recently pledged to help their customers reduce water use.

The Colorado River is the most important source of water across the American Southwest.

The river, which supplies water to 40 million people from Wyoming to Mexico, begins its journey in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.

The river is critical for the environment and used for farming, hydropower and recreation along its 1,450-mile length. But drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin since 2000 have prompted action by the seven states that rely on the river to ensure a reliable water supply.

Denver Water gets half of its water supply from tributaries that flow into the Colorado River, so the river is a critical part of our ability to serve 1.5 million people.

This video series provides a brief glimpse at the river and recent steps aimed at protecting this important resource.