The sto­ry of run­ning Lava Falls is the sto­ry of the Colorado River in the American West today. Right now, we are in those rel­a­tive­ly calm waters above the rapids, enjoy­ing the beau­ti­ful canyon scenery. But, now we begin to hear the omi­nous roar. In the American West we face chal­lenges man­ag­ing the Colorado River.