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

Winter’s alarmingly low snowpack offers a glimpse of the changing rhythm of water in...

As global temperatures rise, the freezing line where precipitation changes from rain to snow moves up the mountains, shrinking the area capable of sustaining a seasonal snowpack.

Colorado water users, environmentalists brace for changes as EPA, Supreme Court weigh wetland rules

The Supreme Court is reevaluating the Clean Water Act's standards for wetland protection, which could affect the health of Colorado waterways.

Apache water

As the Colorado River is impacted by climate change and drought, Native American tribes are helping to find solutions. For The Water Desk, Gary Strieker reports on the Jicarilla...

When flows are low, river recreators seek out new allies and avoid making enemies

What used to be a calm stretch of the Yampa River near Craig, Colorado, now boasts a new set of rollicking whitewater rapids.  They’re not the result of some new...

A treasure hunt for wild springs in Arizona’s desert 

In Arizona, finding water in the wilderness means discovering a source of life. 
Salton Sea

California’s vanishing lake

Water conservation in California’s southern desert is causing an environmental disaster as the Salton Sea quickly shrinks. Lindsay Fendt reports. https://vimeo.com/400802260 Length: 2:04 Download script Download full resolution video

Photos: Rio Grande near Las Cruces, New Mexico, March 2026

This page in our free multimedia library features drone-captured photos of the Rio Grande, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in the San Juan Mountains and travels some 1,900...
Crystal River photo

Facing drought and increased demands, Colorado communities eye new storage alternatives

Colorado could need 750,000 acre-feet of new water supplies by 2050 for its growing population, but how to store that water isn’t clear.

New Rules

As climate change and overuse reduce water supplies, the gap between “paper water” (the legal right to use water) and “actual water” (what’s available) is widening.