Arizona

Population growth, agricultural withdrawals and climate change have badly diminished the river and threaten its future.

Communities along the Colorado River are facing a new era of drought and water shortages that is threatening their future. With an official water emergency declaration now possible, farmers, ranchers, and towns are searching for ways to use less water and survive.

As a developer seeks an easement in the Kaibab National Forest, the character of surrounding towns and parks could drastically change.

Southwestern U.S. cities have embraced innovative strategies for conserving and sourcing water in a changing climate.

The Colorado River has been dammed, diverted, and slowed by reservoirs, strangling the life out of a once-thriving ecosystem. But in the U.S. and Mexico, efforts are underway to revive sections of the river and restore vital riparian habitat for native plants, fish, and wildlife.

The Gila River Indian Community is ensuring that members can use their own resources while helping solve water supply problems in the region.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell could reach water levels low enough to halt hydropower production.

Once criticized for being a profligate user of water, fast-growing Phoenix has taken some major steps — including banking water in underground reservoirs, slashing per-capita use, and recycling wastewater — in anticipation of the day when the flow from the Colorado River ends.

About one-third of Navajo Nation residents lack running water in their homes and water pollution remains a serious issue in the region. We talk to Kaitlin Harris of DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project about solutions to these pressing problems.

Snowpack in Colorado is melting earlier than expected due to an increase in dust storm severity.