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

The Roaring Fork River seen here on May 24 near the Catherine Store Bridge in Carbondale. Downstream at Glenwood Springs, the river peaked for the season on May 20, early and outside the window of what’s considered normal. CREDIT: HEATHER SACKETT/ASPEN JOURNALISM

Early peak runoff for Western Slope rivers

Snowpack in Colorado is melting earlier than expected due to an increase in dust storm severity.

Photos: Santa Cruz River in Tucson, February 2021

This page features photos of the Santa Cruz River in Tucson, Arizona. The Santa Cruz begins in southern Arizona, dips into northern Mexico, and meets the Gila River, a...

East Troublesome Fire could cause water-quality impacts for years

The Colorado fire grew 100,000 acres in 24 hours, eventually becoming the second-largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history.
A man dives into a clear mountain lake from a rocky cliff. The lake is ringed with pine trees.

In “Water Bodies,” Western writers tap into intimate connections to their local waterways

In the arid West, water verbs are often bureaucratic. Rivers, streams and lakes are allocated, decreed, diverted, divided and used. Droplets are distributed to serve human needs. Scarcity drives...

Demand management discussions continue amid worsening Colorado River crisis

The crisis on the Colorado River is not waiting for the state of Colorado to develop a program to avoid water shortages.

Photos: Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge and Parker Strip

This page feature drone-captured imagery and ground-based photos of Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge and Parker Strip, both located along the Colorado River and the Arizona-California border. The Bill...

Photos: Colorado River aerials, October 2022

This page features aerial photos of the Colorado River entering Lake Powell in southern Utah near Hite Marina. Just south of the inoperable Hite Marina lies an extended stretch of...

Photos: Fryingpan River, Colorado, December 2020

This page features photos of the Fryingpan River on Colorado's Western Slope near Basalt. The Fryingpan River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, which in turn flows into...

Once a rich desert river, the Gila struggles to keep flowing

Population growth, agricultural withdrawals and climate change have badly diminished the river and threaten its future.

States, Congress, Trump okay $156M to extend innovative Platte River recovery program

After a year of anxious waiting, scientists and researchers who’ve helped build one of the most successful species recovery programs in the nation have gotten a 13-year extension to finish their work.