In dry years, Colorado’s Crystal River runs at a trickle — but why?
A historic drought driven by climate change and temperatures that creep ever higher are partly to blame, but the factors that lead to a dry river bed are many.
Photos: Snowpack in San Juan Mountains, May 2023
This page in our free multimedia library features aerial photos of the snowpack in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.
The San Juans are mostly located in southwest Colorado...
In $100 million Colorado River deal, water and power collide
The purchase represents the culmination of a decades-long effort to keep Shoshone’s water on the west side of Colorado’s mountains, settling the region’s long-held anxieties over competition with the water needs of the Front Range, where fast-growing cities and suburbs around Denver need more water to keep pace with development.
Why atmospheric rivers can be both harmful and helpful
These "rivers in the sky" can cause catastrophic flooding but are also critical for the West's snowpack
Water flux and toxic wells – Water Buffs Podcast ep. 12 – Kathy James
On this episode of Water Buffs, we examine how drought can harm human health, specifically how dramatic fluctuations in water availability can lead to increasingly toxic water supplies.
Helpful sites for tracking snow and the (subpar) snowpack
There’s no shortage of websites with maps and graphics visualizing snow forecasts and the state of the snowpack.
Staying safe with the Winter Storm Severity Index
This pragmatic tool from federal forecasters illustrates where snow, ice, and wind can be deadly and disruptive.
What to watch on the Colorado River in 2024
After years of dry conditions throughout the West, 2023 gave the region’s water managers the greatest gift of all: a hefty snowpack. What will 2024 bring?
Billions in federal assistance after New Mexico’s largest wildfire. But little money to repair...
Stream restoration beset by lack of money and workers.
Colorado River crisis — How did the nation’s two largest reservoirs nearly go dry?
Experts cite complicated operating systems, competing government agencies, rigid guidelines and climate change