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

Videos and photos: Blue River drone flight, December 2019

This page features drone-captured imagery of the Blue River, north of Silverthorne, Colorado. A tributary of the Colorado River, the Blue River runs for 65 miles and offers Gold...

Report: Colorado’s farm water use exceeds national average, despite efforts to conserve

Farm water is critical to Colorado’s effort to balance a growing population with a water system stressed by drought and climate change.

Mobile-home residents stuck in a regulatory roundabout

It's unclear whether a new law could improve water quality in the Eagle River Village park, but legislators want to pressure owners to do more.

Owners of Eagle River Village mobile-home park defend water quality

Residents of a mobile home park in Edwards say their well water tastes, looks and smells bad.

State looking to oppose White River storage project in water court

For more than 4½ years, state engineers in Colorado have expressed concerns that a conservancy district has not proven there is a need for the water, which would be stored in the proposed White River reservoir and dam project.

Degrees of warming: Rising temperatures, shorter winters and a declining snowpack are impacting Aspen’s...

Pitkin County is warming, the number of frost-free days is increasing and snowpack is declining—all of which have myriad impacts on life in the Aspen area.

Aspen’s rich history of befouling the Roaring Fork River

As Aspen evolved from a bucolic high-mountain meadow to an industrial city, pollution began to flow directly into the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries.

States, Congress, Trump okay $156M to extend innovative Platte River recovery program

After a year of anxious waiting, scientists and researchers who’ve helped build one of the most successful species recovery programs in the nation have gotten a 13-year extension to finish their work.
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Video story: When in drought, call the beavers

Beaver reintroduction and restoration can help with some of the West's most profound water problems, both in terms of quantity and quality. A trial program is underway at Caribou Ranch in Boulder County.

The value of water

With population growth around Denver prompting fierce competition for water, investors want to import a new supply from the San Luis Valley, but many farmers and ranchers who depend...