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

Rafters on the Gunnison River photo

How many “boatable” days does a Colorado river possess? We’re about to find out

A prototype web tool uses historical data to give river users and water managers the ability to check an entire season’s flow forecast.
Beach at Barr Lake, where agencies are working to remove toxic algae. May 31, 2022. Credit: Jerd Smith, Fresh Water News

Heading to the lake? Colorado trying new tools, including P-Free lawns, to combat toxic...

Colorado water officials hope to combat algae blooms caused by rising temperatures and an increased use of phosphorus-laced lawn fertilizers.

Aerial photos and videos: Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, July 2020

This page features images and footage shot with a GoPro camera during a pilot-only Lighthawk flight above Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, along the Colorado River near Las Vegas,...
Colorado River photo

Glenwood Springs secures water right for whitewater parks

Glenwood Springs has secured a conditional water right for three whitewater parks on the Colorado River after a long fought court battle.

Colorado has unique protections for river recreation, but do they have enough legal muscle?

David Hajoglou sat on the rocks next to a rushing stretch of river in Golden, Colorado. As he scouted a kayak route through the riffles and waves, he thought...
Yampa River photo

As iconic Yampa River flows drop, Colorado moves to tighten oversight

With drought continuing to grip the American West, Colorado is declaring one of its last, mostly free-flowing rivers as over-appropriated.
roaring fork river

Work underway to smooth out big drop in river near Basalt

Work underway in the Roaring Fork River will make for a smoother ride for boaters beginning this spring.

Alternative plan to Wild and Scenic River designation for upper Colorado River OK’d

The alternative management planning process came about after the BLM in 2007 found that 54 miles of the upper Colorado River were eligible for a federal Wild and Scenic River designation.

As pandemic hammers its finances, Vail pulls out of state cloud seeding program

Vail Resorts Inc., one of the largest financial contributors to Colorado’s cloud seeding program, has dropped out this year, leaving a major hole in the program’s budget.