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

Feds call for more water recycling, conservation as Colorado River deteriorates

Water recycling, conservation programs and repair of leaky reservoirs and pipelines will help restore the Colorado River, according to federal officials.

Water confab: Colorado politicos call for more water storage, smart growth

Politicians and water officials gathered to discuss Colorado's water issues and creating more reservoir storage.

The driest year revisited: Five takeaways from 2002 for today’s Colorado River

The Colorado River basin has been here before.  This year’s historic winter of low snow might feel novel. But recent years give some insight into just how dry the West’s...
Western Slope Colorado River

Water conservation payments to Colorado ranchers could top $120M; is it enough?

A new economic study suggests that a wide-scale water conservation program in Colorado could cost more than $120 million.

Major South Platte River basin project would maximize reuse of Western Slope water, report...

A multibillion-dollar reservoir and pipeline project may one day pull more than 50,000 acre-feet of water per year from the South Platte River.

Colorado water users, environmentalists brace for changes as EPA, Supreme Court weigh wetland rules

The Supreme Court is reevaluating the Clean Water Act's standards for wetland protection, which could affect the health of Colorado waterways.

As 2020 kicks in, historic Colorado River Drought Plan will get its first test

This year, the first-ever Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan is set to launch, and water officials expect 2020 to bring unprecedented changes to the way the river is run, including cutbacks in water use by some states.

Two pumped water storage projects move forward in Colorado

Two proposed pumped water storage projects that could expand Colorado’s ability to store renewable energy are moving forward.

Water trouble in Rio Verde Foothills

An Arizona community may be ground zero for climate change in America. The Colorado River basin is in crisis — its reservoirs are running dry. Brad Hicks shows you...

A record warm winter could send Lake Powell to a historic low. Flaming Gorge...

A cream-colored band lines the orange sandstone walls that rise above the blue-green waters of Lake Powell. The so-called “bathtub rings,” these chalky layers remind boaters zooming across the...