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

City of Aspen banks on creative thinking for ATM water project

The city of Aspen is moving ahead on a project aimed at increasing the reliability of its water supply and environmental flows through what’s known as an “alternative transfer method,” or ATM.

Rainfall brings Colorado River drought relief, but concerns for next year’s water supply remain

Heavy autumn rains brought relief to drought-plagued portions of the Southwest, but across the Colorado River basin ongoing water supply concerns still linger amid tense policy negotiations and near...

Wildfires and wetlands

Residents in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, see first-hand how wildfires can damage wetlands and watersheds vitally important to their water supply. Jerd Smith reports for The Water Desk. https://player.vimeo.com/video/553127855 Length: 2:03 Download script Download...

As more sanitation districts test wastewater for COVID-19, questions remain on interpreting the data

Wastewater can inform public health departments of new variants in the community, but the data collected is still inconclusive.

Alternative plan to Wild and Scenic River designation for upper Colorado River OK’d

The alternative management planning process came about after the BLM in 2007 found that 54 miles of the upper Colorado River were eligible for a federal Wild and Scenic River designation.

Once ‘paradise,’ parched Colorado valley grapples with arsenic in water

Decades of climate change-driven drought, combined with the overpumping of aquifers, is making the valley desperately dry — and appears to be intensifying the levels of heavy metals in drinking water.
Chimney Hollow Reservoir under construction photo

Two new Colorado River reservoirs are rising on the Front Range, are they the...

Two new water storage projects designed to capture the flows of the Colorado River may represent the end of an era on the river.

Photos: Laguna Grande Restoration Area, Mexico

This page features photos of the Laguna Grande Restoration Area in Baja California, Mexico. The Laguna Grande Restoration Area is a 1,200-acre plot of land located on the Colorado River’s...

Photos: Rio Grande near Caballo Dam, New Mexico, March 2026

This page in our free multimedia library features drone-captured photos of the Rio Grande, near Caballo Dam in southern New Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in the San Juan Mountains and travels...

Why the second-driest state rejects water conservation

A powerful group that steers Utah’s water policy keeps pushing for costly infrastructure over meaningful conservation efforts.