Photos: Low snowpack in southwest Colorado, March 2026
This page in our free multimedia library features photos of the record-low snowpack in southwest Colorado along U.S. 550, between Durango and Ouray.
Like the rest of Colorado, the...
As budget crisis envelops Colorado government, funding for water programs shrinks
State lawmakers sought to cut $3.3 billion from water programs to compensate for one of the largest deficits in its history.
Why atmospheric rivers can be both harmful and helpful
These "rivers in the sky" can cause catastrophic flooding but are also critical for the West's snowpack
Two Southwest tribes raise concerns over uranium storage
In Utah, a pool of toxic waste is emitting dangerous amounts of radon to the surrounding communities, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
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.
New law strengthens historical agricultural water uses
A new bill seeks to resolve the debate over how ranchers and other water users can maintain their historical water use when dry conditions trigger cutbacks.
Colorado reservoirs down 25 percent as drought persists
Colorado’s reservoirs are 25 percent lower than they were last year at this time, as a hot, dry summer continues into the fall.
After Clean Water Act setback, state to ask lawmakers for new authority
State health officials will request to fast-track authority over streams left unprotected after a 2020 rollback of Clean Water Act.
A dam in Grand County is showing an increasing risk of failure, prompting a...
Problems with a Grand County, Colorado dam are turning out to be worse than previously thought, and may be tough to plan for moving forward.
In an arid U.S. West, water agencies look to deliver purified wastewater directly to...
Western water experts are working to not only conserve water, but to also reuse as much wastewater as possible, including through direct potable reuse.