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

Cow Creek photo

Ouray County water project faces opposition from state, others

A proposed reservoir, pipeline and water exchange in western Colorado could impact fish and environmental flows.
The Roller Dam on the Colorado River west of Glenwood Springs.

State to host public confabs on next steps in study of Lake Powell drought...

A statewide public effort to determine whether Coloradans should engage in perhaps the biggest water conservation program in state history enters its second year of study this summer, but the complex, collaborative effort on the Colorado River has a long way to go before the state and its water users can make a go/no-go decision, officials said.

Water Desk awards new grants to journalists and media outlets

The Water Desk is excited to announce the recipients of new grants to support water-related journalism in the seven states of the Colorado River Basin and the borderlands of...

California will soon have more than 300 data centers. Where will they get their...

A proposed data center in the Imperial Valley would need 750,000 gallons of water a day. Satisfying the thirst of 24 more facilities expected to open in the state will be challenging, experts and officials say.

Lake Powell pipeline plans to tap water promised to the Utes. Why the tribe...

The Ute Indian Tribe is suing to get back its water and asserting that the misappropriation is one of a decades-long string of racially motivated schemes to deprive it of its rights and property.
A kayaker runs the 6-foot drop of Slaughterhouse Falls on the Roaring Fork River photo

Groups try again to secure water for recreation

Some in Colorado’s recreation community are hoping proposed legislation will result in more water in streams for the benefit of boaters.

Photos and videos: Westwater, Utah, September 2022

This page features drone-captured photos and video of Westwater, a small Navajo community next to Blanding, Utah, that recently got electricity and is still waiting for running water. Water...

Report: Estimates of future Upper Colorado River Basin water use confound planning

Some water experts say unrealistic projections make it harder to plan for a future under climate change.

Photos: Rio Grande near Garfield, New Mexico, March 2026

This page in our free multimedia library features drone-captured photos of the Rio Grande, near Garfield, New Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in the San Juan Mountains and travels some 1,900 miles...

Lawmakers suspend attempt at legislative fix for water speculation

Colorado lawmakers have suspended an attempt to prohibit outside investors from profiting off the state’s water.