The water war in Indian Wells Valley
California pistachio farmers are facing off against the U.S. Navy over water rights. The outcome could shape future legal fights as climate change upends the status quo.
Brackish groundwater is no easy water solution for Arizona
Deep below Arizona sit large volumes of water that are less salty than the ocean, but not easily used.
If it were all pumped to the surface and purified, this brackish groundwater would supply Arizona’s water needs for a century or more. Problem is, it can’t all be pumped.
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
Water trouble in Rio Verde Foothills
An Arizona community may be ground zero for climate change in America. The Colorado River basin is in crisis — its reservoirs are running dry. Brad Hicks shows you...
Humans are great at giving real problems the side-eye
Two new books provide insights into the willful ignorance that lead to the West’s water woes.
Seasonal river cleanups could be a new community conservation tradition in Tucson
The Santa Cruz River may be dry but it has come alive with people who are making a seasonal river cleanup a community conservation tradition in Tucson.
Tribal breakthrough? Four states, six tribes announce first formal talks on Colorado River negotiating...
Four states have embarked on formal meetings to negotiate jointly with some of the largest owners of Colorado River water rights: tribal communities.
A centuries-old system determines who gets water first and last
In response to the ongoing drought, Colorado has offered to pay ranchers to leave their water right in the river when levels sink to critically low levels.
Colorado has big dreams to use more water from the Colorado River. But will...
The site where Ute Water plans to build Owens Creek Reservoir at 8,200 feet on the Grand Mesa was snow covered by mid-November. The Western Slope’s largest domestic water...
Photos: Gila River, Arizona
This page features imagery of the Gila River in Arizona.
Flowing through New Mexico and Arizona, the 649-mile Gila River is a tributary to the Colorado River, though today only...












