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

Photos: Granite Reef Diversion Dam aerials, June 2023

This page features aerial photos of Arizona's Granite Reef Diversion Dam, along the Salt River near Mesa. Completed in 1908, the dam is only 29 feet high but 1,000 feet long. It was...

Photos: Stewart Mountain Dam and Saguaro Lake, June 2023

This page features aerial photos of Arizona's Stewart Mountain Dam and Saguaro Lake along the Salt River northeast of Phoenix. Stewart Mountain Dam was built from 1928 to 1930 by the Salt...

Photos and videos: Rio Chama rafting, May 2023

This page features photos and videos from a wilderness rafting trip on the Rio Chama in northern New Mexico. The Rio Chama is a major tributary of the Rio Grande...

Renegade rancher

40 million people rely on the Colorado River system for water and power. But after 20 years of drought, the river basin is running low. For the Water Desk,...

Photos: Roosevelt Dam and Roosevelt Lake aerials May 2021

This page features aerial photos of Theodore Roosevelt Lake and Theodore Roosevelt Dam, along the Salt River east of Phoenix. Roosevelt Dam, which rises 357 feet, was the first structure completed as a part of...

Photos: Dolores River and McPhee Reservoir, May 2023

This page features aerial photos of the Dolores River and McPhee Reservoir in southwest Colorado. The Dolores River begins in the San Juan Mountains and meets the Colorado River in...

Saving a river

In the arid Southwest, where water scarcity often divides competing interests, an innovative approach could become the model for future cooperation. Brad Hicks shows you how a river is being...

Photos and videos: Arkansas River, Colorado, March 2021

This page features ground-based and drone-captured photos and videos of the Arkansas River in central Colorado. The Arkansas River begins near Leadville, Colorado and travels nearly 1,500 miles until it...

Photos and videos: Twin Lakes, Colorado, March 2021

This page features drone-captured photos and videos of Twin Lakes in central Colorado. The Twin Lakes are alpine lakes near the headwaters of the Arkansas River that were carved by...

Photos: Roaring Fork River, Colorado, December 2020

This page features photos of the Roaring Fork River on Colorado's Western Slope. The Roaring Fork River runs for 70 miles and is a tributary of the Colorado River. The...