Witness to Water
One Photographer's Mission to Defend the Colorado River
Will be published approx. on 23. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-950253-51-7 (ISBN)
Description
A breathtaking journey down the lifeblood of the American West
From the crystalline headwaters of the Rocky Mountains to its shocking demise in a foamy, polluted pit in the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado River's story is one of both epic beauty and profound loss.
In this deeply personal and visually stunning narrative, acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride sets out to document the lifeblood of the American West. What begins as an assignment close to his childhood home transforms into a twenty-year odyssey that will change him forever. By packraft, on foot, and from the cockpit of his father's small plane, McBride bears witness to the river's grandeur-and the staggering scale of its exploitation.
More than a travelogue, Witness to Water is a moving elegy and an urgent plea. It is the story of a river that no longer reaches the sea, and a powerful reminder of the fragile natural systems we too often take for granted. This book is an unforgettable portrait of a river in peril, and a testament to what we stand to lose when we ask too much of the world that sustains us. Yet within its pages also lies a current of hope-not just for the Colorado, but for the countless rivers worldwide upon which our lives depend.
From the crystalline headwaters of the Rocky Mountains to its shocking demise in a foamy, polluted pit in the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado River's story is one of both epic beauty and profound loss.
In this deeply personal and visually stunning narrative, acclaimed photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride sets out to document the lifeblood of the American West. What begins as an assignment close to his childhood home transforms into a twenty-year odyssey that will change him forever. By packraft, on foot, and from the cockpit of his father's small plane, McBride bears witness to the river's grandeur-and the staggering scale of its exploitation.
More than a travelogue, Witness to Water is a moving elegy and an urgent plea. It is the story of a river that no longer reaches the sea, and a powerful reminder of the fragile natural systems we too often take for granted. This book is an unforgettable portrait of a river in peril, and a testament to what we stand to lose when we ask too much of the world that sustains us. Yet within its pages also lies a current of hope-not just for the Colorado, but for the countless rivers worldwide upon which our lives depend.
Reviews / Votes
"This book feels like standing on a riverbank and finally paying attention. Witness to Water is stunning, honest, and quietly devastating in the best way."-Paul Nicklen, National Geographic photographer and co-founder of SeaLegacy
"Witness to Water is breathtaking and deeply moving-a powerful reminder that water is the thread that holds life, culture, and wild places together. Pete McBride's work is both beautiful and urgent, and this book is a gift."
-Cristina Mittermeier, Sony Artisan of Imagery and co-founder of SeaLegacy
"With Witness to Water, Pete McBride brings to life his three-decade odyssey from adventure photographer to conservation storyteller and freshwater advocate. He's an engaging writer about what he's seen from the ground, paddling a boat or flying a small plane. Rivers like the Colorado break your heart when they're overused and disappear into muck. What's better for people, land and wildlife, he writes, is a river that's wet."
- ?Betsy Marston, editor of Writers on the Range
"Witness to Water is a blueprint for how we can engage with big, messy environmental problems-starting at home, and rippling our understanding, and actions, out into the wider world. Read and enjoy this book; then use it as inspiration for your own story."
- ?Auden Schendler, author of Terrible Beauty: Reckoning with Climate Complicity and Rediscovering Our Soul
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
10 b&w photographs
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
288 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-950253-51-7 (9781950253517)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Pete McBride is an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, writer, and speaker known for his powerful storytelling at the intersection of adventure and environmental conservation. Raised in Colorado, McBride has spent over two decades documenting remote corners of the globe, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the depths of the Grand Canyon.
A National Geographic Explorer, Adventurer of the Year, and Sony Artisan of Imagery, McBride has worked in more than 75 countries, combining his skills in photojournalism and filmmaking to spotlight pressing environmental issues, particularly those involving water scarcity, wilderness protection, and climate change.
His 750-mile trek through the length of the Grand Canyon became the basis for the Emmy-nominated documentary Into the Canyon and his celebrated book The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim, which won a National Outdoor Book Award.
His later books, Seeing Silence and Chasing Water, also won national book awards, and his photography and writing have appeared in National Geographic, Outside, Smithsonian, and the New York Times, among others. He is a frequent speaker at global conferences and conservation events.
A National Geographic Explorer, Adventurer of the Year, and Sony Artisan of Imagery, McBride has worked in more than 75 countries, combining his skills in photojournalism and filmmaking to spotlight pressing environmental issues, particularly those involving water scarcity, wilderness protection, and climate change.
His 750-mile trek through the length of the Grand Canyon became the basis for the Emmy-nominated documentary Into the Canyon and his celebrated book The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim, which won a National Outdoor Book Award.
His later books, Seeing Silence and Chasing Water, also won national book awards, and his photography and writing have appeared in National Geographic, Outside, Smithsonian, and the New York Times, among others. He is a frequent speaker at global conferences and conservation events.