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

The Colorado River got so low, rafting companies canceled this popular trip for the...

Most river rafting operators dabble in soothsaying. Every day, sometimes every hour, they closely study river flows and try to predict what kind of adventure Mother Nature has in...

‘Pain and suffering’: What the feds’ Lake Powell proposal means for Utah and other...

This story was originally published by The Salt Lake Tribune on August, 12, 2026. After years of analysis and stalled negotiations, the federal government last month finally laid out...

In the drought-stricken West, birds of a feather flock to low reservoirs

Gerry Morrell wouldn’t necessarily call himself a birder. But even through the sound of cars and semis speeding past on the nearby interstate, he can pick out the call...

How low can the Colorado River go? A slow float on the 15-mile reach

On a hot and sunny morning in August, a group of nine paddlers pushed their duckies and stand-up paddle boards into the Colorado River at Harky’s boat launch in...

Climate change made the West’s snow drought far more likely—but it’s still not the...

Q&A with hydrologist Adrienne Marshall on why this past winter’s snowpack fell so low, how global warming increased the odds and what the future may hold

Peaches pay the bills for Western Colorado farmers, but prolonged drought makes their future...

On a warm morning in Palisade, Colorado, Bruce Talbott walks through his orchards, picking and discarding peaches he knows won’t sell. With just one look, he can tell how...

The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use

Photos by Paul Ratje. Reporting supported by the Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder. HATCH, N.M.—After 13 years, Texas and New Mexico have finally reached a settlement in...

Colorado water officials announce creation of state-run conservation program

In the culmination of a process that has been years in the making, Colorado officials Wednesday announced the creation of a state-run water conservation program. In what officials are calling...

How universities in the West justify staying green during drought

In early June, water experts gathered at the University of Colorado Boulder to talk about the future of the Colorado River.  The lifeline for 40 million people in the Southwest...

‘It’s devastating’: Drawdown at Flaming Gorge hits local recreation economy

As campers with boats flocked to Buckboard Marina at the start of Memorial Day weekend, Tony Valdez was busy issuing refunds and repairing broken boat ramps. One older Green...