About The Water Desk
The Water Desk is an independent, nonprofit journalism initiative with three priorities:
The Colorado River Is Dying. Can Its Aquatic Dinosaurs Be Saved?
The razorback sucker has survived in the river for more than 3 million years. Climate change could end that.
Feds: Colorado River’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir able only to deliver two more emergency water...
As drought and climate change sap the Colorado River, even the water in the Upper Basin’s high-elevation reservoirs isn’t enough to protect the larger system.
Desalinating seawater sounds easy, but there are cheaper and more sustainable ways to meet...
Even in coastal cities, ocean desalination may not be the best or even among the best options to address water shortfalls.
Water Desk supports journalists covering New Mexico and Rio Grande
The Water Desk is excited to announce new grants to support water journalism connected to New Mexico and the Rio Grande Basin.
Water Desk to support New Mexico and Rio Grande water journalism
The Water Desk is launching a new program to support water-related journalism in New Mexico and the Rio Grande Basin.
Special Series: Crisis on the Colorado
The Water Desk is pleased to republish this outstanding five-part series by Jim Robbins and Ted Wood for Yale Environment 360.
Crisis on the Colorado Part I: The West’s Great River Hits Its Limits– Will...
As the Southwest faces rapid growth and unrelenting drought, the Colorado River is in crisis, with too many demands on its diminishing flow. Now those who depend on the river must confront the hard reality that their supply of Colorado water may be cut off.
Crisis on the Colorado Part II: On a Water-Starved River, Drought Is the New...
With the Southwest locked in a 19-year drought and climate change making the region increasingly drier, water managers and users along the Colorado River are facing a troubling question: Are we in a new, more arid era when there will never be enough water?
Crisis on the Colorado Part III: Running Dry– New Strategies for Conserving Water
Communities along the Colorado River are facing a new era of drought and water shortages that is threatening their future. With an official water emergency declaration now possible, farmers, ranchers, and towns are searching for ways to use less water and survive.
Latest multimedia content
This content is free to use and repost by media organizations and others under a Creative Commons license.
Browse our offerings in:
Resources
We’ve collected a series of resources that help explain the complex and sometimes contentious world of 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, a Twitter list for Western water and examples of great water journalism.
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