Federal plan makes steep Colorado River water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada
The Bureau of Reclamation’s final environmental impact statement leaves the door open for states to come to an agreement on how to share the water—and for legal battles.
Photos and videos: Treasure Falls, Colorado, June 2026
This page features photos and videos of Treasure Falls in the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Treasure Falls is an easily accessible waterfall located just off U.S. 160,...
Climate change made the West’s snow drought far more likely—but it’s still not the...
Q&A with hydrologist Adrienne Marshall on why this past winter’s snowpack fell so low, how global warming increased the odds and what the future may hold
Peaches pay the bills for Western Colorado farmers, but prolonged drought makes their future...
On a warm morning in Palisade, Colorado, Bruce Talbott walks through his orchards, picking and discarding peaches he knows won’t sell. With just one look, he can tell how...
Canelo Hills ladies’-tresses grow only in the Southwest’s vanishing ciénegas. Can they be rooted...
Scientists restore an endangered orchid to Arizona’s desert wetland.
The Supreme Court shrunk clean water protections in the West. Colorado and New Mexico...
In dry, western Colorado, near the town of Glade Park, a high-elevation meadow is surrounded by aspens and firs. The grass is surprisingly bright green. That’s a clue, said...
The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use
Photos by Paul Ratje. Reporting supported by the Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder.
HATCH, N.M.—After 13 years, Texas and New Mexico have finally reached a settlement in...
Forget Western water war: local managers choose partnership
Collaboration keeps water flowing
Photos: San Juan River headwaters, June 2026
This page features photos of the headwaters of the San Juan River, near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
The San Juan River is a major tributary of the Colorado River that begins in...
As data centers flood Wyoming, water pollution fouls good faith
Evanston and Wheatland are two of the latest sites to be eyed for thousands of acres of industrial parks expected to employ thousands of workers.