Geography

Western governors say it's time to help states recover from wildfires, thin overgrown forests and protect mountain water systems.

This page features photos of agriculture in Pinal County, Arizona. Located in the central part of southern Arizona, Pinal County is one of the most agriculturally productive counties in the...

Snowmelt dominates many Western rivers, but climate change will reduce that contribution as raindrops replace snowflakes.

This page features photos of Navajo Generating Station, a large coal-fired power plant near Page, Arizona that was decommissioned in 2019. The power plant was built, in part, to...

This page features ground-based and drone-captured photos and videos of the Arkansas River in central Colorado. The Arkansas River begins near Leadville, Colorado and travels nearly 1,500 miles until it...

Risk of severe water shortages in the seven-state Colorado River Basin have risen dramatically since April with new forecasts indicating that lakes Powell and Mead could hit crisis levels much sooner than previously expected.

As a changing climate renders streamflow predictions less accurate, water managers are turning to new technologies for a clearer picture of what’s happening in their basin’s snowpack.

Colorado water quality regulators’ attempt to fast-track new rules shielding streams left unprotected by changes to the Clean Water Act was abandoned earlier this month after it failed to win support from lawmakers.

The snowpack that 40 million people rely on for water was supposed to provide a bounty this year. Instead, much of it melted away fast and early — part of a long-term trend associated with climate change.

Drought and climate change are raising concerns that a century-old compact that divided the river’s waters could force unwelcome cuts in use for the upper watershed.