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

Glen Canyon Dam photo

As Colorado River reservoirs shrink, feds ask for work-arounds for 2022

As drought threatens Colorado River reservoirs' ability to generate hydropower, the Bureau of Reclamation is creating work-arounds.

‘This system cannot be sustained’

This year, tribal nations enter negotiations over Colorado River water.
A welcome sign in Price reminds residents to save water, Sept. 30, 2025. Consistent messaging is likely one of the reasons Carbon County has become a leading county for conservation in Utah.

Utah has county-by-county water goals. Which ones are hitting them?

One size fits all. That’s great for hats in the Zion National Park gift shop but not for water conservation goals. So at the start of this decade — and...

Aerial video: Colorado River and Green River in Utah, October 2020

This page features video footage shot with a mounted GoPro camera during a Lighthawk flight above the Green River, Colorado River and their confluence in Utah's Canyonlands National Park. The...

Southern Ute Tribe and climate change

The megadrought in the Southwest is impacting everyone including Native American tribes that have lived here for thousands of years. For The Water Desk, Gary Strieker reports from the...
Irrigation from the Crystal River photo

River District report highlights Western Slope concerns with state water-savings plan

The Colorado River Water Conservation District staff plans to present its own framework for a water-savings plan at its October board meeting.

CWCB changes course, will open most demand management meetings to public

The Colorado Water Conservation Board has decided to hold upcoming workgroup meetings about a potential water-demand management effort in public

Photos: Salt River, Arizona, 2021 and 2023

This page features aerial photos of Arizona's Salt River, including its confluence with the Verde River. Both the Salt and Verde are tributaries of the Gila River and part of the Colorado...

Photos: Central Arizona Project

This page features photos of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal, a cornerstone of Arizona's water supply. Created in 1968 by the Colorado River Basin Project Act, the CAP is...

Photos: Green River, Yampa River, Echo Park and Dinosaur National Monument, September 2020

This page features ground-based photos of the Green River, Yampa River and Echo Park in Dinosaur National Monument. Echo Park, which lies at the confluence of the Green and...