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

Hydroelectric turbine at Glen Canyon Dam photo

Powell’s looming power problem

Drought and demand threaten a critical component of the Western grid as Lake Powell approaches minimum power pool for the first time.

As the Colorado River shrinks, can the basin find an equitable solution in sharing...

Drought and climate change are raising concerns that a century-old compact that divided the river’s waters could force unwelcome cuts in use for the upper watershed.
The confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers in the Grand Canyon, shown here in a September 2020 aerial photo from Ecoflight, represents an area where the humpback chub has rebounded in the last decade. That progress is now threatened by declining water levels in Lake Powell, which could lead to non-native smallmouth bass becoming established in the canyon. CREDIT: JANE PARGITER/ECOFLIGHT

Declining levels at Lake Powell increase risk to humpback chub downstream

Low levels and warming waters threaten to increase invasive species in the Colorado River.

Photos: South Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam, May 2021

This page features aerial photos of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona. Lake Powell is the second-largest reservoir in the nation by capacity and began to fill...

A Colorado River veteran moves upstream and plunges into the drought-stressed river’s mounting woes

Chuck Cullom discusses the Upper Basin's five-point plan, water cut-offs and who IS responsible for water losses.

Demand management discussions continue amid worsening Colorado River crisis

The crisis on the Colorado River is not waiting for the state of Colorado to develop a program to avoid water shortages.

Colorado River Water Users Association

More than 1,000 key players from CRWUA met this week to consider what actions to take in response to the reduction in the volume of water flowing in the...

A Colorado River flows drop and tensions rise, water interests struggle to find solutions...

Experts warn that climate change has rendered old assumptions outdated about what the Colorado River can provide, leaving painful water cuts as the only way forward.

As 2020 kicks in, historic Colorado River Drought Plan will get its first test

This year, the first-ever Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan is set to launch, and water officials expect 2020 to bring unprecedented changes to the way the river is run, including cutbacks in water use by some states.