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

Roaring Fork headwaters

Pitkin County’s opposition to tax follows pattern of ‘misalignment’ with River District

Pitkin County’s opposition to a River District tax increase is just the latest in the historically antagonistic relationship between the two entities.

Milestone Colorado River management plan mostly worked amid epic drought, review finds

Draft assessment of 2007 Interim Guidelines expected to provide a guide as talks begin on new operating rules for the iconic southwestern river
Salton Sea photo 1

Long troubled Salton Sea may finally be getting what it most needs: action —...

The shrinking desert lake has long been a trouble spot beset by rising salinity and unhealthy dust blowing from its increasingly exposed bed.

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.

Vague and voluntary proposals may do little to help Colorado River

Seven municipal water providers in the West create a five-point plan to conserve water, but some say it's not enough.
This Parshall flume on Red Mountain photo.

Pitkin County agrees to fund ditch piping project

The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners has approved funding toward a ditch piping project to keep more water in Hunter Creek.
River kayaking photo

Conservation groups want recreation water right tied to natural river features

Three conservation groups in Colorado are working on a revision to a state law that would allow natural river features to get a water right.
A stream in the Rocky Mountains. Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Overlooked Army Corps rulemaking would shrink federal stream protections

Conservation groups and state regulators are alarmed by proposed changes to nationwide permits that authorize construction across streams and wetlands.

A new strategy for western states to adapt to long-term drought: Customized water pricing

Rather than raising everyone’s water prices, we propose a customized approach that lets individual consumers decide whether to pay higher prices.
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.