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

What to watch on the Colorado River in 2024

After years of dry conditions throughout the West, 2023 gave the region’s water managers the greatest gift of all: a hefty snowpack. What will 2024 bring?

Upper Colorado River states add muscle as decisions loom on the shrinking river’s future

Upper basin states seek added leverage to protect their river shares amid difficult talks with California and the lower basin

The Supreme Court just shriveled federal protection for wetlands, leaving many of these valuable...

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that protection of wetlands encompasses only wetlands that adjoin rivers, lakes and other bodies of water.

Colorado River states bought time with a 3-year water conservation deal – now they...

The May 2023 deal staves off an immediate water crisis but does not solve long-term problems in the Colorado River Basin.

Utah’s Suicide Pact With the Fossil Fuel Industry

The state’s fixation on oil and gas development threatens the Colorado River watershed.

Stream restoration bill watered down

A bill making it easier for stream-restoration projects to take place has been gutted after stakeholders couldn’t reach an agreement.

Amid a withering drought, New Mexico leaders struggle to plan for life with less...

New Mexico faces tough choices as a dire and historic drought continues and the Rio Grande is unable to give everyone what they want or need.

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.

Fines for breaking US pollution laws can vary widely among states – that may...

The variability in pollution laws nationwide may be caused by the EPA not requiring state enforcement.

As climate change and overuse shrink Lake Powell, the emergent landscape is coming back...

Lake Powell’s decline offers an opportunity to recover the landscape at Glen Canyon, but it also presents serious challenges.