An initiative of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder

About The Water Desk

The Water Desk is an independent, nonprofit journalism initiative with three priorities:

Stories and reports

As flames scorch western forests, Flagstaff area offers roadmap for post-wildfire flood prevention

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In July 2022, for the second time in a month, the landscape above the Wupatki Trails neighborhood took a beating.  The first blow was the Pipeline Fire,...

Indigenous youths finish historic journey down Klamath River after dams removed

KLAMATH, Calif. — In a thick forest along the remote northern California coast earlier this month, a group of mostly young Indigenous kayakers pushed off into the clear-emerald waters...

As Gross Reservoir rises, Boulder County residents grapple with project’s legal turmoil

Pieter Strauss used to love hosting stargazing parties at his house in the Lakeshore Park neighborhood up Flagstaff Road southwest of Boulder. The hobbyist astronomer would fire up the...

Latest multimedia content

Our multimedia content is available for free reuse by journalists and others under a Creative Commons license. Questions? Please contact us at waterdesk@colorado.edu

Resources

We've produced and collected resources to help you learn more about Western water issues.

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Cases, agreements and treaties

The legal intricacies of Western water can be difficult to wade through. This timeline offers an introduction to some key cases, agreements and treaties....

Resources: Background readings

Browse our background reading resources. Colorado River Basin Helpful online resources for learning more about the Colorado River Basin. 1922 Colorado River Compact 1922 Colorado River Compact Meeting...

Glossaries

It’s hard to understand water issues unless you know the lingo. Here are some helpful water-related glossaries on the web: The U.S. Geological Survey's Dictionary...

Water books

Want to go deep and really learn about water issues? Here's a list of great nonfiction books on (Western) water issues, curated by Mitch...

Media and journalism

On this page you'll find a guide to water media and examples of great water journalism. Have a suggestion for a story or outlet...