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

Tribal water talks

With growing water shortages on the Colorado River, tribal communities are demanding a bigger role in river management and access to water they legally own but have never actually...

Photos: Heron Lake, New Mexico, August 2022

This page features ground-based photos of Heron Lake, a reservoir that stores water for the San Juan-Chama Project in northern New Mexico. Located along Willow Creek, near its confluence with...

Photos and videos: Westwater, Utah, September 2022

This page features drone-captured photos and video of Westwater, a small Navajo community next to Blanding, Utah, that recently got electricity and is still waiting for running water. Water...

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...

Photos and videos: Rio Grande Gorge, August 2022

This page features ground-based and drone-captured images and videos of the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos, N.M. The Rio Grande Gorge is a striking canyon up to 800 feet deep...

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...

Photos: Senator Wash and Squaw Lake, February 2021

This page features photos of Senator Wash Reservoir and Squaw Lake along the Lower Colorado River. Located just above Imperial Dam on the California/Arizona border, both Senator Wash and Squaw...

Photos: Xeriscaping in Phoenix

This page features photos of xeriscaping in Phoenix, Arizona. Xeriscaping is the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation. Homeowners can opt for yards filled...

Photos and videos: Dolores River, September 2020

This page features drone-captured images and videos of the Dolores River in southwest Colorado. The Dolores River begins in the San Juan Mountains and travels about 230 miles to meet...

Photos: Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation

This page features aerial and ground-based photos of the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation near Parker, Arizona. Created by the federal government in 1865, the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT)...