About The Water Desk
The Water Desk is an independent, nonprofit journalism initiative with three priorities:
Unanswered questions: New Mexico looks to fossil fuel byproduct to ease pressure on freshwater...
Mario Atencio’s family never received a notification that 1,100 barrels of produced water—a byproduct of oil and gas extraction—had spilled on their allotment in February 2019 near Counselor, New...
Searching for solutions: In New Mexico, researchers seek to make brackish water a viable...
Heading through eastern New Mexico, dairy cattle can be seen in farms beside the highway while flashing lights illuminate the wind farms at night. Large sprinklers irrigate the crop...
Does Arizona have enough water? Phoenix-area cities are spending big to make sure it...
Brett Fleck does not have an easy job. He manages water for a city in the desert. He has to keep taps flowing while facing a complicated equation: The...
Latest multimedia content
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Resources
We've produced and collected resources to help you learn more about Western water issues.
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...