The Southwest monsoon season is changing, forcing ranchers and Indigenous farmers to adapt
Changing storms in the Southwest are altering timeless food traditions as researchers grapple with how to study the monsoon’s erratic nature.
Colorado has unique protections for river recreation, but do they have enough legal muscle?
David Hajoglou sat on the rocks next to a rushing stretch of river in Golden, Colorado. As he scouted a kayak route through the riffles and waves, he thought...
How New Mexico learned to love its ephemeral waters
In 2004, Michael and Chantell Sackett purchased a plot of land near Priest Lake, Idaho, in the picturesque northern reaches of the state’s panhandle. On one side of their...
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.
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.
Federal plan makes steep Colorado River water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada
The Bureau of Reclamation’s final environmental impact statement leaves the door open for states to come to an agreement on how to share the water—and for legal battles.
State water education campaign focuses on individual actions
At the meeting of the Colorado Water Congress, Gov. Jared Polis unveiled a statewide initiative to educate Coloradans on water conservation.
Water planners pray for snow as 2022 forecast shows dry weather ahead
Colorado’s water forecast, already strained by back-to-back drought years, is unlikely to brighten this fall and winter.
State engineers developing measurement rules for water diversions
Colorado officials are preparing for a future with less water by developing rules for users to measure how much they're taking from streams.
Holding out hope on the drying Rio Grande
Reporting supported with a grant from The Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder's Center for Environmental Journalism. Aerial photography support provided by LightHawk.
FAR WEST TEXAS—The year was...