How low can the Colorado River go? A slow float on the 15-mile reach
On a hot and sunny morning in August, a group of nine paddlers pushed their duckies and stand-up paddle boards into the Colorado River at Harky’s boat launch in...
With fields already fallow, Uncompahgre Valley growers adapt to a drier future
New mapping tool prepares district for state conservation program
Photos and videos: Treasure Falls, Colorado, June 2026
This page features photos and videos of Treasure Falls in the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Treasure Falls is an easily accessible waterfall located just off U.S. 160,...
Peaches pay the bills for Western Colorado farmers, but prolonged drought makes their future...
On a warm morning in Palisade, Colorado, Bruce Talbott walks through his orchards, picking and discarding peaches he knows won’t sell. With just one look, he can tell how...
The Supreme Court shrunk clean water protections in the West. Colorado and New Mexico...
In dry, western Colorado, near the town of Glade Park, a high-elevation meadow is surrounded by aspens and firs. The grass is surprisingly bright green. That’s a clue, said...
Photos: San Juan River headwaters, June 2026
This page features photos of the headwaters of the San Juan River, near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
The San Juan River is a major tributary of the Colorado River that begins in...
Colorado water officials announce creation of state-run conservation program
In the culmination of a process that has been years in the making, Colorado officials Wednesday announced the creation of a state-run water conservation program.
In what officials are calling...
Western Slope lawmakers take Colorado River managers to task
Missed deadlines, threat of litigation, conservation program prompt questions
Photos: Blue Mesa Reservoir, July 2026
This page features photos of Blue Mesa Reservoir, along the Gunnison River in Colorado’s Curecanti National Recreation Area.
Created by 390-foot Blue Mesa Dam, the reservoir is the largest lake located entirely within Colorado. The...
As a Colorado aquifer runs low, dangerous heavy metals threaten rural communities’ drinking water
In the San Luis Valley, the ongoing megadrought and a record-low snowpack are draining groundwater and increasing its concentrations of toxic metals. There are few protections for residents drinking from private wells.