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

Hay collecting photo

Report: Colorado River ranch water savings hit 42 percent

Colorado’s high altitude hay meadows could be re-operated to yield more than 40 percent in water savings, according to a new report.
Pistachio farm photo

Tulare County’s never-ending drought brings dried up wells and plenty of misery

In the rural towns around Visalia, drought is a perpetual plight and wells are going dry.

Can we save the San Joaquin’s salmon?

The upstream effort to restore a river and its fish.
Rafters on the Gunnison River photo

How many “boatable” days does a Colorado river possess? We’re about to find out

A prototype web tool uses historical data to give river users and water managers the ability to check an entire season’s flow forecast.
Colorado River photo

Traveler Special Report: Grand Canyon’s Struggling River

Glen Canyon Dam, climate change and invasive plant species are threatening the Colorado River.
Water diversion photo

Special Report: Inside the toxic link between Colorado’s wildfires and its water

Megafires triggered by drought and climate change have ravaged major Colorado water systems, and recent snowmelt will only make things worse.
Rocky Mountain National Park burn photo

Funding shortfalls, bureaucratic barriers hobble efforts to restore Colorado’s fire-scarred water systems

Funding shortfalls are hobbling efforts to clean up watersheds and protect drinking water for more than 1 million Coloradans.
Yampa River photo

As iconic Yampa River flows drop, Colorado moves to tighten oversight

With drought continuing to grip the American West, Colorado is declaring one of its last, mostly free-flowing rivers as over-appropriated.

Wildfires and wetlands

Residents in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, see first-hand how wildfires can damage wetlands and watersheds vitally important to their water supply. Jerd Smith reports for The Water Desk. https://player.vimeo.com/video/553127855 Length: 2:03 Download script Download...

In the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, two groundwater sustainability agencies try to...

Agencies in two counties are pursuing different approaches to address overdraft and meet requirements of California’s groundwater law.