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

Map: Explore drone, aerial and terrestrial imagery from The Water Desk

Use this interactive map to browse our expanding collection of free-to-use photos and videos captured by drones, planes and ground-based photographers.

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 and videos: Elephant Butte Reservoir, August 2022

This page features drone-captured and ground-based photos and videos of Elephant Butte Reservoir, along the Rio Grande near Truth or Consequences, N.M. Elephant Butte Dam, completed in 1916, was built...

The value of water

With population growth around Denver prompting fierce competition for water, investors want to import a new supply from the San Luis Valley, but many farmers and ranchers who depend...

Map: New Mexico monthly precipitation

This map shows total rain and snowfall in the New Mexico every month from 1981 to the present. The map's color scale runs from white (no precipitation), to blue (significant precipitation) to red (intense precipitation)....

Aerial videos and images: Yampa River flight, May 2021

See download info This page features aerial video footage and still images of the Yampa River and its watershed. DateMay 6, 2021LocationYampa River, Colorado (map)PilotDavid ColeEditorMitch TobinOrganizationsLightHawk and The Water Desk...

High stakes standoff

A high stakes standoff is playing out over how to save the Colorado River. And with the biggest man-made reservoir in America — Lake Mead — running dry, time...

Drone videos and photos: Colorado River near Bond, Colorado December 2019

This page features drone footage and still imagery of the Colorado River near Bond, Colorado. From Kremmling to Dotsero, the Colorado River passes through rugged country, but a road...

Photos and videos: Paonia Reservoir, December 2020

This page features drone-captured photos and videos of Paonia Reservoir on Colorado's Western Slope. Located 16 miles northeast of Paonia, the reservoir lies along Muddy Creek, upstream from...

Photos: Gila River, Arizona

This page features imagery of the Gila River in Arizona. Flowing through New Mexico and Arizona, the 649-mile Gila River is a tributary to the Colorado River, though today only...