Aspen’s rich history of befouling the Roaring Fork River
As Aspen evolved from a bucolic high-mountain meadow to an industrial city, pollution began to flow directly into the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries.
New Mexico and Rio Grande Journalism Project
This page explains how journalists can apply to The Water Desk for funding to support their coverage of water issues connected to New Mexico and the Rio Grande.
We will...
Aspen activist wants ‘rights of nature’ for the Roaring Fork River
Movement reimagines humans’ relationship to local waterways
San Luis Valley ranchers see dividends in water for fish. Are they on to...
A farmer and environmentalist formed an unlikely partnership to improve fish habitat in the San Luis Valley.
Anger and disappointment as Yampa River ranchers ordered to measure water
Hundreds of ranchers in the Yampa Valley have ignored a state request to begin measuring the water they use, putting them on a collision course with regulators if they don’t relent.
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...
In New Mexico, Partners Collaborate to End Siege from Megafires
Initiative in the Rio Grande basin intends to thwart catastrophic wildfires that wreck watersheds.
Study: Colorado River water crisis could dry out Front Range, West Slope cities and...
If drought and climate change continue to sap the Colorado River, and a legal crisis erupts with downstream states, six of Colorado's eight major river basins could be forced to give up water.
Tribal water talks
With growing water shortages on the Colorado River, tribal communities are demanding a bigger role in river management and access to water they legally own but have never actually...
Just 53% of Colorado cities use permanent watering restrictions, despite proven savings
Despite a drought and below-normal reservoir levels, communities remain split on permanent outdoor watering restrictions.