Dams and reservoirs

Is prior appropriation up to the task of divvying up the state’s water in an era of increasingly frequent and severe drought conditions?

The drought pool would be filled voluntarily, largely by farmers and ranchers, who would be paid to temporarily dry up their fields.

A majority of survey respondents said they support the project but don’t want to pay for it and would conserve more water in order to avoid it.

Drought and climate change are raising concerns that a century-old compact that divided the river’s waters could force unwelcome cuts in use for the upper watershed.

Last update: September 21, 2022 Percent of total capacity Source: US Bureau of Reclamation

Dropping reservoir levels have opened a window of opportunity for water-management policies that move the river system toward sustainability.

Last update: September 21, 2022 Percent of total capacity Source: US Bureau of Reclamation

As drought threatens Colorado River reservoirs' ability to generate hydropower, the Bureau of Reclamation is creating work-arounds.

Colorado’s “first-in-time, first-in-right” prior appropriation doctrine is coming under increasing scrutiny as rivers and reservoirs dry out.

This page features imagery of Fontenelle Reservoir along the Green River in southwestern Wyoming. Created by Fontenelle Dam, a 139-foot earthfill dam, Fontenelle Reservoir has a storage capacity of 345,000...