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

Video story: California’s vanishing lake (full length)

Water conservation in California’s southern desert is causing an environmental disaster as the Salton Sea quickly shrinks.
Arizona Public Media

Video: The vanishing vaquita

Should Colorado River water be used to grow alfalfa or subdivisions in the Phoenix metropolitan area?

Is renewable energy’s future dammed?

A proposed hydroelectric project on the Little Colorado River shows the tricky trade-offs in transitioning from fossil fuels.

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.

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.

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...