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...

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 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...

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...

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.

Photos: Colorado snow drought 2025-2026

This page in our free multimedia library features photos of the low snowpack in Colorado's Rocky Mountains during the 2025-2026 snow drought. This collection includes...

Fish out of water on the Colorado River

With drought and high temperatures putting unprecedented pressure on water users throughout Colorado, from cities to agriculture, there’s one segment that can be affected...

Photos: Colorado River in Grand Junction, April 2026

This page in our free multimedia library features photos of low flows in the Colorado River in Grand Junction on April 22, 2026. The Colorado...

The driest year revisited: Five takeaways from 2002 for today’s Colorado River

The Colorado River basin has been here before.  This year’s historic winter of low snow might feel novel. But recent years give some insight into...