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

Crop-switching in the megadrought

Farmers in Arizona are hoping that guayule, a hardy plant that produces natural rubber, can become a profitable crop requiring far less water than alfalfa, corn and cotton. Gary...

As 2020 kicks in, historic Colorado River Drought Plan will get its first test

This year, the first-ever Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan is set to launch, and water officials expect 2020 to bring unprecedented changes to the way the river is run, including cutbacks in water use by some states.

Can carbon credits save Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands and protect California’s vital water hub?

An ambitious plan would use carbon credits as incentives to convert Delta islands to wetlands or rice to halt subsidence and potentially raise island elevations.

Milestone Colorado River management plan mostly worked amid epic drought, review finds

Draft assessment of 2007 Interim Guidelines expected to provide a guide as talks begin on new operating rules for the iconic southwestern river

Four things to know about the lower Colorado River basin

Water managers from the Colorado's River Upper Basin visit the Lower Basin on a fact-finding trip.

Data viz: Lake Mead levels

Last update: September 21, 2022 Percent of total capacity Source: US Bureau of Reclamation

Photos and videos: Blue Mesa Reservoir, December 2020

This page features ground-based photos of Blue Mesa Reservoir, along the Gunnison River in Curecanti National Recreation Area. Created by 390-foot Blue Mesa Dam, the reservoir has a total capacity...
Glen Canyon Dam photo

Recent drop in Lake Powell’s storage shows how much space sediment is taking up

A new study shows that sedimentation from the Colorado River means that Lake Powell's storage capacity is lower than previously believed.

Degrees of warming: How a hotter, thirstier atmosphere wreaks havoc on water supplies in...

Colorado's Pitkin County is grappling with higher temperatures, declining streamflows and drier soils caused by climate change.

Tour the San Joaquin River

An interactive map visualizes restoration efforts on the San Joaquin River.