Photos: Gross Reservoir aerials, May 2019
This photo gallery features images shot during a Lighthawk aerial photo flight over Gross Dam and Reservoir, west of Boulder.
Denver Water has proposed...
Video and photos: Captain Jack Mill drone flight, July 2019
This photo gallery contains images taken by drone for our story on acid mine drainage in Colorado, which featured the Captain Jack Mill Superfund...
Photos: Front Range aerials, May 2019
This photo gallery features images shot during a Lighthawk aerial tour of water-related sites along Colorado's Front Range.
After departing from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan...
Video story: The value of water (full length)
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 on that water are opposed to the plan.
Photos: Colorado River headwaters flight, October 2019
This photo gallery features images shot during a Lighthawk flight to the Colorado River headwaters and surrounding areas.
The flight began at Rocky Mountain...
Aerial photos and videos: Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, July 2020
This page features images and footage shot with a GoPro camera during a pilot-only Lighthawk flight above Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, along the...
Decades later, abandoned mines continue to haunt Colorado’s waterways
According to a 2017 study, there are over 23,000 abandoned mines across Colorado and 1,800 miles of streams that are impaired due to pollutants related to acid mine drainage.
Video story: California’s vanishing lake (full length)
Water conservation in California’s southern desert is causing an environmental disaster as the Salton Sea quickly shrinks.
Data viz: explore our interactive dashboards for drought, precipitation and snowpack
These maps and visualizations let you interact with vital data on our water supply.
Video story: Cooling the Yampa river (full length)
As climate change brings warmer weather, Westerners are looking for ways to protect the region’s rivers and streams. In a special report for the Water Desk, Jerd Smith of Fresh Water News explains a strategy for safeguarding Colorado’s Yampa River.









