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

As Lake Powell drops, a thriving ecosystem is emerging

“We’re entering beaver land!” Zanna Stutz yelled joyfully. Stepping lightly over slick, wobbly mud and splashing through ankle-deep water, she approached a small dam created by nature’s engineers. A Woodhouse toad...

Data centers a small, but growing factor in Arizona’s water budget

BUCKEYE, Ariz. – It was supposed to be called Cipriani, a master planned community with more than 9,700 homes at the western fringe of this sprawling desert city in...

Dropping reservoirs create ‘green light’ for sustainability on Colorado River

Dropping reservoir levels have opened a window of opportunity for water-management policies that move the river system toward sustainability.

Drone videos and photos: Colorado River near Bond, Colorado December 2019

This page features drone footage and still imagery of the Colorado River near Bond, Colorado. From Kremmling to Dotsero, the Colorado River passes through rugged country, but a road...

Video story: Cooling the Yampa river (full length)

As climate change brings warmer weather, Westerners are looking for ways to protect the region’s rivers and streams. In a special report for the Water Desk, Jerd Smith of Fresh Water News explains a strategy for safeguarding Colorado’s Yampa River.

Shoshone power plant outages concern Glenwood Canyon water users

It has been a rough year for the Shoshone hydropower plant in Glenwood Canyon. First, ice jammed the plant’s spillway; then a wildfire burned down its transmission lines.
Julia Bernal (Sandia, Taos and Yuchi-Creek Nations of Oklahoma) in Sandoval County in the Middle Rio Grande Valley photo

Indigenous feminism flows through the fight for water rights on the Rio Grande

An intergenerational group of Pueblo women lead the way on water policy along the Middle Rio Grande Valley.

Colorado Reservoirs at 85% of average capacity, with little recovery expected summer rains may...

Drought and decreased snowpack have left Colorado reservoirs below average capacity levels.

Photos: Fishing on the Green River

This page features fishing on the Green River in Utah. The Green River flows through Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, running 730 miles downriver before connecting with the Colorado River. About...

Drive for nuclear power boosts uranium industry — and tribal health concerns in Southwest

For decades, a Utah uranium mill has sparked debate over whether radioactive contamination threatens human health by getting into the water and the air.