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

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.

Harvesting water in arid lands – Water Buffs Podcast ep. 11 – Brad Lancaster

Brad Lancaster, author and expert on water harvesting, explains how to make the most of rainfall and greywater to stretch local supplies.

Cloud seeding study validates ski industry staple

Cloud seeding disperses dust-sized silver iodide particles into clouds so that ice crystals can form on those particles and fall to the ground as snow.

Photos: Rio Grande near Las Cruces, New Mexico, March 2026

This page in our free multimedia library features drone-captured photos of the Rio Grande, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in the San Juan Mountains and travels some 1,900...

Once a showcase of American optimism and engineering, Hoover Dam faces new power generation...

The long-term drying of the American Southwest poses a gathering and measurable threat to hydropower generation in the Colorado River basin. Should Lake Mead, the reservoir formed by Hoover Dam,...

The value of water

With population growth around Denver prompting fierce competition for water, investors want to import a new supply from the San Luis Valley, but many farmers and ranchers who depend...
Las Vegas photo

As climate change turns up the heat in Las Vegas, water managers try to...

Rising temperatures will drive up water demand as a historic drought in the Colorado River Basin imperils Southern Nevada's key water source.

Human emissions are helping fuel the Southwest’s epic drought

Three studies of the Pacific Ocean conclude that lower precipitation isn’t just due to natural causes

Northwest Colorado ranchers grapple with state requirements to measure, record water use

Irrigators in Northwest Colorado are facing a sea change in how they use their water, and many ranchers are greeting such a shift with reluctance and suspicion.