Headwaters

You've likely seen this map, created by Imgur, of watersheds in the United States...

Wyoming lies at the headwaters for four major basins: the Mississippi (via the Missouri), the Columbia (via the Snake), the Colorado (via the Green), and the Great Salt Lake...

 

The Yellowstone, the longest un-dammed river in the nation, also begins in Wyoming...

In late summer, glacial melt accounts for around 80% of instream flow along the Continental Divide and roughly 44% by the time these drainages leave the mountains. In the handful of years I have been exploring the Wind River Range, its glaciers and permanent snow fields have been disappearing before my eyes. The ramifications of this loss are huge.

To be at the birthplace of water for so many and so much? For citizens living in this state, it means a weighty privilege and responsibility.