Agriculture

A farmer and environmentalist formed an unlikely partnership to improve fish habitat in the San Luis Valley.

As climate change and overuse reduce water supplies, the gap between “paper water” (the legal right to use water) and “actual water” (what’s available) is widening.

In Diamond Valley, Nevada, farmers are looking to protect their future — and testing the limits of the state’s water laws.

A recent study of a Colorado demand-management program found that the benefits would be comparable to the negative secondary impacts.

Thirsty Front Range Colorado cities continue to drive the market for South Platte River farm water with Aurora announcing two major deals to acquire farms and their water rights.

A $1 million science experiment on Colorado hay fields is backed by powerful water groups, farm interests, and environmentalists.

We discuss a recent American Rivers report that examines the economic value of rivers and our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure. The report calls on Congress to invest $500 billion over 10 years in water infrastructure and river restoration.

The second-ever call on the Yampa River was lifted after water providers announced an Elkhead Reservoir water release to support irrigators and endangered fish.

Infrastructure built more than a century ago still endures, but some of Colorado’s old irrigation ditches have been repurposed to meet the moment. The High Line Canal—a 71-mile-long former irrigation conveyance turned greenway and stormwater filtration tool—winds its way through the Denver metro area as an artery of infrastructure boasting a story of adaptation.

Water Desk Director Mitch Tobin talks to Heather Sackett, managing editor at Aspen Journalism, about water issues in Colorado, including several stories that explore the potential transfer of water from rural areas to growing cities.