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Cloud Swallower roamed the American Southwest, devouring clusters of cumulus thunderclouds, keeping rainwater from the villagers -- until the Hero Twins defeated him and turned him into a rock.

So goes the Zuni water supply legend.

Water scarcity can breed appreciation, a concept evident in "Beyond Reasonable Drought" at the Museum of Man. The exhibit's title is slightly misleading: it's less about drought than it is about the civilizations that have survived and thrived (or faded away) in the semi-arid Colorado River basin, especially between 900 and 1300 in the Common Era, when the region was unusually dry. Tribes developed artistic and religious connections with water and with maize, the hardy crop that helped them survive.

Composed mainly of climate change information and ancient artifacts, the exhibit might not be all that exciting for the kids (with the exception of the "Super Saver" game, which tests your knowledge of domestic water use). But it’d be hard to overlook the exhibit’s modern-day relevance: the North American West is currently experiencing its worst drought of the past five centuries.

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