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

Picuris Pueblo Governor Craig Quanchello photo

Against the flow

Picuris Pueblo says its water has been stolen and shunted over a mountain to the Mora Valley — where irrigators claim rights to it, too.

Photos and videos: Rio Grande near Taos Junction Bridge, June 2023

This page features ground-based and drone-captured photos and videos of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico near the Taos Junction Bridge and the river's confluence with the Rio...

Photos: Colorado River in Grand Junction, April 2026

This page in our free multimedia library features photos of low flows in the Colorado River in Grand Junction on April 22, 2026. The Colorado River is struggling early in...

Troubled waters

Confronted with the specter of a New Mexico parched by climate change, some have begun to push back against a water model that focuses primarily on putting as much water to use as possible.

When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff

A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions

$500M in new federal funds to give thousands of Coloradans freedom from lead, PFAS...

Coloradans exposed to drinking water tainted by lead or so-called “forever chemicals" will see clean water faster.

One crop uses more than half of Utah’s water. Here’s why.

By Brian Maffly and Mark Eddington, The Salt Lake Tribune   This article is the first in a series supported by The Water Desk, an independent journalism initiative based at the University of Colorado...
Golf course photo

At Peak of Its Wealth and Influence, Arizona’s Desert Civilization Confronts A Reckoning Over...

Arizona’s powerful will to grow is challenged by extreme heat, deep drought, and serious water-related stress.

Upper Basin states test methods to fill Powell pool

States say automatically turning to agriculture isn’t always reliable
Matilija Reservoir has filled with sediment, allowing grasses to grow on its surface. | Photo: Paul Jenkin (August 2019)

The dam nobody wants just won’t go away

Dams can stop the natural flow of sand and silt to the sea—resulting in coastal wetland loss and disappearing beaches—as well as preventing fish from reaching vital spawning grounds.