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

Aerial imagery: Colorado River and Lake Powell, October 2020

This page features images and footage shot with a GoPro camera during a Lighthawk flight above the Colorado River and Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona. The flight included views...

When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff

A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions

Photos: Front Range aerials, May 2019

This photo gallery features images shot during a Lighthawk aerial tour of water-related sites along Colorado's Front Range. After departing from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, the flight...

Photos: Roaring Fork River, Colorado, December 2020

This page features photos of the Roaring Fork River on Colorado's Western Slope. The Roaring Fork River runs for 70 miles and is a tributary of the Colorado River. The...

Some of Arizona’s most valuable water could soon hit the market 

PARKER, Arizona – South of Headgate Rock Dam, beyond riverbanks lined with willow and mesquite, the broad floodplain of the Colorado River spreads across emerald fields and sun-bleached earth.  The...

14 Denver-area cities to coordinate drought response

As drought conditions intensify across Colorado, at least 14 cities in the Denver metro area say they will join forces to warn residents of looming water shortages and the need to cut back use this spring.

Water and colonialism in New Mexico – Water Buffs Podcast ep. 10 – Julia Bernal

Julia Bernal, director of the Pueblo Action Alliance, talks to Water Desk Director Mitch Tobin about the legacy of colonialism in New Mexico and its impact on water issues.

Despite blizzard, Colorado’s critical mountain snowpack shrinks

Colorado remains mired in drought, with nearly half classified as being extremely or exceptionally dry, the most dangerous categories.

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...

Troubled waters

Confronted with the specter of a New Mexico parched by climate change, some have begun to push back against a water model that focuses primarily on putting as much water to use as possible.