A journey down one of the last wild rivers in the American west: ‘The bullseye will always be on its back’

As tensions over water resources heighten in the US, the Yampa River, a tributary of the Colorado River, stands as a rare example of an untamed waterway. This 250-mile stretch of alpine wilderness, free from major dams, offers a glimpse into a bygone era of natural river flow. Concerns are mounting among visitors and conservationists about its future amid increasing pressures and the broader water wars. The Yampa’s fate underscores the urgent need to preserve these last bastions of natural river systems in the American west.