Once ‘paradise,’ parched Colorado valley grapples with arsenic in water
Decades of climate change-driven drought, combined with the overpumping of aquifers, is making the valley desperately dry — and appears to be intensifying the levels of heavy metals in drinking water.
An Arizona water story where ranchers, environmentalists and developers are collaborating
A nonprofit trust is in the middle of a five-phase campaign to purchase and protect Sopori Creek and Farm and its larger watershed and habitat.
Diverting the Rio Grande into a grown-over, decades-old canal could cut New Mexico’s water...
New Mexico once again owes Texas a massive water debt, so water managers are considering resurrecting the original purpose of the channel.
The Colorado River drought crisis: 5 essential reads
Five articles from The Conversation’s archive explain what’s happening and what’s at stake in the Colorado River basin’s drought crisis.
Colorado River farm fallowing pilot moves forward, with approvals slated for next month
Farmers and ranchers in Colorado have submitted proposals to help restore the Colorado River, but the impacts remain uncertain.
Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look
Even a deep snowpack in the West likely won't be enough to end the drought.
White River call ‘significant’ for water users
The Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District placed a call for its water rights, which could potentially alter the system for other water users.
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...
Public: New Colorado Water Plan needs more urgency and accountability
Coloradans want the state’s top water road map to be more equitable, but finalizing plans has been difficult.
Does the Western Megadrought Mean the End of Cheap Cheese and Ice Cream?
Water Desk grantees Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley of the Gastropod podcast recently explored the importance of alfalfa to Western water issues and dairy products.