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

Q&A: former top Interior Department officials assess agency under Trump

The Water Desk spoke with Rebecca Watson and John Leshy, who visited the University of Colorado Boulder campus recently for an armchair debate hosted by the Getches-Wilkinson Center.

Millions in new taxes approved for West Slope, Front Range water districts

Water won big in Colorado on Election Day as voters in two multi-county districts approved property tax increases to fund water projects and programs.

A centuries-old system determines who gets water first and last

In response to the ongoing drought, Colorado has offered to pay ranchers to leave their water right in the river when levels sink to critically low levels.

Voters overwhelmingly pass Colorado River District tax hike

Western Slope voters have overwhelmingly passed a proposal by the Colorado River Water Conservation District to raise property taxes across its 15-county region.
lake mead photo

Can a grand vision or incremental change solve the Colorado River's challenges?

With talks looming on a new operating agreement for the river, a debate has emerged over the best approach to address its challenges.
Sign at a boat ramp on Lake Mead, near Boulder City, Nevada, Aug. 13, 2021. The lake currently is roughly two-thirds empty. AP Photo/John Locher

As climate change parches the Southwest, here’s a better way to share water from...

With users facing severe water shortages, the 1922 Colorado Compact is inadequate to deal with scarcity, and a better approach is needed.

Pitkin County groups concerned about marble quarry’s impacts on waterways

Local groups are keeping a close eye on a marble-mining company that violated the Clean Water Act with a Yule Creek diversion.
Homestake Reservoir photo 1

Homestake Reservoir release proves tricky to track

Front Range water providers released water downstream to test how to get it to the state line in the event of a Colorado River Compact call.
Irrigation from the Crystal River photo

River District report highlights Western Slope concerns with state water-savings plan

The Colorado River Water Conservation District staff plans to present its own framework for a water-savings plan at its October board meeting.
This photo from December 2021 shows one of the intake towers at Hoover Dam. Federal officials said basin states must conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet to protect reservoir levels in 2023. CREDIT: HEATHER SACKETT/ASPEN JOURNALISM

Race is on for Colorado River basin states to conserve before feds take action

Seven states in the West have been given until August 15th to implement new strategies and tools to conserve the Colorado River.