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

A lush lawn outside a home in a Thornton, Colo. subdivision photo

Turf replacement bill gains ground

Colorado could soon have a program that would pay property owners to get rid of one of the largest water uses for Western Slope water providers: grass.

Two pumped water storage projects move forward in Colorado

Two proposed pumped water storage projects that could expand Colorado’s ability to store renewable energy are moving forward.
Low water levels Aug. 18 at Dillon Reservoir expose sand rings around the lake's islands.

Dillon Reservoir water levels hold on despite statewide drought

Amid one of the hottest summers on record for Colorado, Dillon Reservoir is 94% full, nearly 5 feet below its capacity. This level of drought has been manageable this year for Denver Water partly because of the 2018-19 winter.

Videos and photos: Green Mountain Reservoir and Colorado/Blue confluence drone flight, October 2019

View this gallery for high-resolution downloads » This page features drone-captured imagery of Green Mountain Reservoir and the confluence of the Colorado River and Blue River, near...

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...

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.

Hundreds of comments submitted over Holy Cross Wilderness water export proposal

Forty years after the Holy Cross Wilderness Area was created, an effort to explore tapping its water has generated more than 500 public comments.

Photos: Xeriscaping in Phoenix

This page features photos of xeriscaping in Phoenix, Arizona. Xeriscaping is the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation. Homeowners can opt for yards filled...
Liza Mitchell, a natural resource planner and ecologist with Pitkin County, shows off the recent work on a restoration project at a fen on North Star Nature Preserve, on Aug. 26. This fiber mat is plugging an old ditch that drained water from the wetland to the Roaring Fork River.

Pitkin County launches project to restore ancient wetland at North Star Preserve near Aspen

A fen-restoration project aims to enhance the wetland’s ability to provide habitat, store and filter groundwater, and sequester carbon.
Colorado distiller photo 1

Colorado distillers, builders and restaurateurs get water savvy this Earth Day

Earth Day offers a chance to highlight some Colorado projects and businesses that are moving the needle on water sustainability.