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

Video and photos: Captain Jack Mill drone flight, July 2019

This photo gallery contains images taken by drone for our story on acid mine drainage in Colorado, which featured the Captain Jack Mill Superfund site near Ward, Colorado. DateJuly 18,...

Some good news on funding for water: Sports betting tax revenue gaining strength

Coloradans legally bet more than $1.1 billion on sports in 2020, exceeding expectations and funneling some cash to the Colorado Water Plan sooner than anticipated.
A kayaker runs the 6-foot drop of Slaughterhouse Falls on the Roaring Fork River photo

Groups try again to secure water for recreation

Some in Colorado’s recreation community are hoping proposed legislation will result in more water in streams for the benefit of boaters.

As more sanitation districts test wastewater for COVID-19, questions remain on interpreting the data

Wastewater can inform public health departments of new variants in the community, but the data collected is still inconclusive.
Western Slope Colorado River

Water conservation payments to Colorado ranchers could top $120M; is it enough?

A new economic study suggests that a wide-scale water conservation program in Colorado could cost more than $120 million.

Colorado River restoration project crawls forward as some environmental groups call for radical change

The Colorado River Water Conservation District voted to give $1 million of their taxpayer-raised funds to help construct a connectivity channel meant to improve deteriorated conditions at the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Major South Platte River basin project would maximize reuse of Western Slope water, report...

A multibillion-dollar reservoir and pipeline project may one day pull more than 50,000 acre-feet of water per year from the South Platte River.

Colorado official says demand management program holds water

At the heart of a potential program is a reduction in water use in an attempt to send up to 500,000 acre-feet downstream to Lake Powell to bolster thereservoir and meet 1922 Colorado River Compact obligations.

Cutting Back

In Diamond Valley, Nevada, farmers are looking to protect their future — and testing the limits of the state’s water laws.

Helpful sites for tracking snow and the (subpar) snowpack

There’s no shortage of websites with maps and graphics visualizing snow forecasts and the state of the snowpack.