How Photographer Pete McBride Captures the Colorado River’s Story from Above

Text by Winston Ross
Images by Pete McBride and courtesy of Rizzoli

For Pete McBride, capturing the Colorado River’s beauty isn’t just about photography—it’s a mission to document, preserve, and advocate. This river system, stretching 1,450 miles from the Rocky Mountains to Mexico, serves as a crucial water source for over 40 million people. But the waterway, once one of North America’s grandest natural resources, faces overuse, agricultural demands, and climate change. McBride’s stunning aerial photography sheds light on the Colorado’s story, illustrating both the power and the vulnerabilities of this life-giving river.

McBride’s conservation journey began in the dry reaches of the Colorado River Delta, where water no longer flows. The experience was an awakening. “We dried it up in our lifetime,” he says. He spent days traveling the river by boat and foot, trekking 90 miles to reach the Sea of Cortez, where the Colorado’s journey once concluded. But he quickly realized that documenting the story required a different perspective: the sky.

A Colorado native and son of a local conservationist, McBride had a passion for both photography and the natural world from a young age. His father, an experienced pilot, helped him explore the river from above, revealing views that would be impossible from land or boat. They captured images of erosion, sediment buildup, and lush green riverways—contrasted by stark, dry stretches downstream. Over the years, McBride has grown to rely on aerial views to see the full scope of the river’s health and decline. 

Aerial Photography as a Conservation Tool

Aerial photography provides a unique lens through which McBride can diagnose environmental issues. Rivers from above resemble delicate, winding arteries connecting an ecosystem together. When observed at this scale, patterns emerge: unbroken stretches of water giving way to dry beds, forests cut through by development, and wetlands reduced to barren landscapes. “This is a freshwater system that’s overtapped, overallocated, and stressed,” he explains. The insights gained from above highlight not only the physical beauty of the Colorado but the urgent need for conservation.

The visual journey culminated in The Colorado River: Chasing Water (Rizzoli), a collection of McBride’s images and experiences that illuminate the river’s story, from its vibrant upper reaches to its parched delta. The book is a stunning yet sobering reminder of the Colorado River’s significance, showing what’s at stake if the river’s depletion continues unchecked. His images call viewers to action, illustrating the delicate balance between human demand and environmental resilience.

Collaborations with EcoFlight

To expand his conservation efforts, McBride often collaborates with EcoFlight, an Aspen-based nonprofit founded by Bruce Gordon. EcoFlight’s mission (read about it on page 68) is to empower conservationists, policy makers, and citizens with a bird’s-eye view of environmental challenges that often go unseen from the ground. The organization provides a platform for environmental advocates to access critical viewpoints previously dominated by corporations and big industries.

Gordon, EcoFlight’s founder, recalls his motivation to provide this aerial view for conservation: “Big industry was using airplanes to push their point of view, and conservationists were left stranded on the ground.” EcoFlight gives them that access, and Gordon commends McBride for combining his environmental advocacy with his expertise in aerial photography. “Pete has merged his love of the environment with his love of flying,” he says.

Through EcoFlight, and with Gordon, McBride’s role as both a photographer and advocate allows him to shape public perception of the river, combining artistic visuals with an urgent message of sustainability.

Challenges and Advocacy for Change

Over the past two decades, McBride has captured the impacts of agricultural water use, population growth, and climate shifts that have taxed the Colorado River. This river irrigates 4 million acres of farmland, much of which supplies the U.S. with essential crops. But McBride highlights inefficiencies in water use that contribute to water shortages. By capturing these realities, he hopes to raise awareness and influence policy.

His goal isn’t just to document the river but to inspire change. McBride emphasizes the need for updated water policies and conservation-minded leadership. Programs that allow farmers to donate unused water back to communities could alleviate some strain, as could modernized water management practices. “Agriculture needs to find better efficiencies, and we need to start figuring out what the capacity levels are of the Colorado River,” he says.

Beyond agriculture, McBride’s aerial work highlights the wider environmental ripple of a stressed river system. As the Colorado’s flow slows, so too does the vitality of the ecosystems that depend on it. Fisheries, insect populations, and natural insecticides are all affected, creating a domino effect that endangers biodiversity. “Most people don’t know this,” McBride explains, “but we’ve asked so much of this river in the last 50 years that it no longer reaches the ocean.” His advocacy work seeks to awaken a collective sense of responsibility for protecting this river.

The Power of Visual Storytelling

McBride’s journey with the Colorado River highlights the dual role of artists like him: to create and to conserve. His aerial images and photos in general are a testament to both the beauty of the natural world and the environmental pressures that threaten it. His work transcends art, blending visual storytelling with environmental science and policy advocacy. “These are not just landscapes; they’re lifelines,” he explains.

Through his photography and advocacy, McBride seeks to connect viewers with the importance of the Colorado River beyond its beauty. His work reminds us that rivers like the Colorado are essential to our economy, environment, and heritage.