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

Site Features

Long criticized for inaction at the Salton Sea, California says it’s all-in on effort...

Dust suppression and habitat restoration are key elements in a plan to aid the Salton Sea, whose ills have been a sore point in Colorado River management.

Forest Service flooded with comments opposing Whitney Reservoir, drilling

The vast majority of comments received by the agency opposed the proposed dam and reservoir in Western Colorado.

Photos: Navajo Generating Station, Arizona, December 2019

This page features photos of Navajo Generating Station, a large coal-fired power plant near Page, Arizona that was decommissioned in 2019. The power plant was built, in part, to...

Photos: Lees Ferry and Navajo Bridge, Arizona, December 2019

This page features photos of the Colorado River and Paria River at Lees Ferry, as well as nearby Navajo Bridge and Marble Canyon in Northern Arizona. Lees Ferry marks the...

Hundreds of comments submitted over Holy Cross Wilderness water export proposal

Forty years after the Holy Cross Wilderness Area was created, an effort to explore tapping its water has generated more than 500 public comments.

Colorado regulators’ effort to fast-track Clean Water Act replacement legislation fails

Colorado water quality regulators’ attempt to fast-track new rules shielding streams left unprotected by changes to the Clean Water Act was abandoned earlier this month after it failed to win support from lawmakers.

Colorado’s oldest water rights get extra protection from state engineer

Some water experts say preserving these pre-compact water rights, even though they aren’t being used, could give Colorado stronger footing in potential negotiations with Lower Basin states by propping up Colorado’s consumptive-use tally on paper.

Western Colorado water purchases stir up worries about the future of farming

Part of a series by Aspen Journalism, KUNC, KJZZ and The Nevada Independent exploring how investors are banking on the West’s water scarcity.

As budget crisis envelops Colorado government, funding for water programs shrinks

State lawmakers sought to cut $3.3 billion from water programs to compensate for one of the largest deficits in its history.

Drone videos and photos: Goosenecks of the San Juan River, December 2019

This page features drone footage and still imagery of the Goosenecks of the San Juan River as well as the area around Mexican Hat, Utah and Kayenta, Arizona. The...