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

Little information released on conservation-program proposals

River District says it’s impossible to provide meaningful review

Urban Water Conservation Success in the Colorado River Basin

In the past few decades, cities in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada have vastly increased their water use efficiency. They’ve also learned lessons that can inform other cities’ efforts.

Photos and videos: Rio Grande near Fort Craig, New Mexico, August 2022

This page features drone-captured photos and videos of the Rio Grande near Fort Craig, New Mexico Established in 1854, Fort Craig was the site of the largest Civil War battle...

Long-distance water

There’s desperation in the desert – for communities that could run out of water if the Colorado River keeps shrinking from overuse and climate change. Many are now looking...

Photos: Bullfrog Marina and Lake Powell, October 2022

This page features aerial and ground-based photos of Lake Powell's Bullfrog Marina in southern Utah. Created by Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell is the second-largest reservoir in the nation by...

Photos: Colorado River aerials, October 2022

This page features aerial photos of the Colorado River entering Lake Powell in southern Utah near Hite Marina. Just south of the inoperable Hite Marina lies an extended stretch of...

Colorado places 9th in national water conservation ranking

A new ranking shows Colorado in ninth place nationwide for its water-saving laws and policies, and in fourth place among states in the Colorado River Basin.

Photos: Fryingpan River, Colorado, December 2020

This page features photos of the Fryingpan River on Colorado's Western Slope near Basalt. The Fryingpan River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, which in turn flows into...

As climate change and overuse shrink Lake Powell, the emergent landscape is coming back...

Lake Powell’s decline offers an opportunity to recover the landscape at Glen Canyon, but it also presents serious challenges.

Calls grow for statewide water conservation standards; some cities skeptical

With a warming climate continuing to rob streams and rivers of their flows, talk in Colorado has resumed about how to limit growing water demand for residential use.