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

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.

The Colorado River drought crisis: 5 essential reads

Five articles from The Conversation’s archive explain what’s happening and what’s at stake in the Colorado River basin’s drought crisis.

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.

State officials draft bill on stream restoration

Colorado officials have drafted a bill aimed at addressing a tension between stream restoration projects and water rights holders.

Hard water: In these metro neighborhoods, few drink the tap water. Can trust in...

Some Colorado residents have been experiencing drinking water contamination for years. When the water will be safe to drink is unknown.
Glen Canyon Dam photo

Recent drop in Lake Powell’s storage shows how much space sediment is taking up

A new study shows that sedimentation from the Colorado River means that Lake Powell's storage capacity is lower than previously believed.
Hoover Dam photo

Hydropower’s future is clouded by droughts, floods and climate change – it’s also essential...

As competition for water increases, the way hydropower is managed within regions and across the power grid in the U.S. will have to evolve.
A view of the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell photo

As Lake Powell dries up, the US turns to creative accounting for a short-term...

A new agreement calls for Western states to leave their drinking water in the reservoir — and act as if they didn't.

The US is making plans to replace all of its lead water pipes from...

The Biden administration has released a plan to accelerate removal of lead water pipes and lead paint from U.S. homes.

New era? Western cities using wetland parks, stormwater capture and mobile wastewater collection

Western cities are using new tactics to address shrinking water supplies due to drought and population growth.