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

Site Features

Data viz: Lake Powell levels

Last update: September 21, 2022 Percent of total capacity Source: US Bureau of Reclamation
Integrated Water Resources Plan land photo

Aspen officials release plan laying out 50 years of water projects

Aspen’s new water resource plan outlines the strategy for creating emergency storage to address threats to existing supplies.
NASA researchers in Colorado San Juans photo

Just in time for the holidays, feds offer $500,000 high-tech water contest

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is offering $500,000 for a better tool to measure how much water snowflakes contain.

Photos: Morelos Dam, October 2018

This page contains ground-based and aerial photos of Morelos Dam just south of where California, Arizona and Mexico meet. Morelos Dam was constructed in 1950 after The Mexican Water Treaty...

New era? Western cities using wetland parks, stormwater capture and mobile wastewater collection

Western cities are using new tactics to address shrinking water supplies due to drought and population growth.

Photos: San Juan River aerials, May 2021

This page features aerial photos of the San Juan River, a key tributary of the Colorado River that drains the Four Corners region and meets Lake Powell in southern...

Colorado lawmakers propose millions in funding to slash groundwater use; curb water profiteering

New legislation could help water-strapped regions of the state meet their obligations to deliver water to Kansas, New Mexico and Texas.

Special Report: As Lake Powell hits record lows, is filling a new drought pool...

Upper Basin states that created their own drought contingency plan still haven’t agreed on the biggest, most controversial element of the plan.

Investment water speculation bill clears committee

Despite opposition from agriculture interests, legislators moved forward a bill aimed at outlawing water investment speculation.

Paddling the Green River to report on Western water issues – Water Buffs Podcast...

Journalist Heather Hansman floated the Green River to explore water issues in the American West, then wrote a fascinating book about her journey.