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

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.

Denver investment fund raising $5M for water tech startups

The Denver-based Colorado River Basin Fund is raising $5 million to help promising new water technology companies bring their wares to market.
Boaters float the Yampa River in northwest Colorado photo

Stream management planning watered down by agriculture

Flow targets for the environment and recreation are lacking, according to a recent report.

Photos: Granite Reef Underground Storage Project, January 2019

This page features aerial photos of the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project (GRUSP), near Mesa, Arizona. Roughly four miles downstream from the Granite Reef Diversion Dam, the GRUSP is a...

How climate change is redesigning Canyonlands National Park

A warming climate has been linked to human activity around the world, and has affected the Colorado River System as well. The impacts are substantial, from reduced water flows, threats to indigenous species and the influx of new invasive species along the river system.

Photos and videos: Navajo Lake and San Juan River, April 2021

This page features drone-captured videos and images of Navajo Lake, a reservoir that impounds the San Juan River in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Completed in 1962, Navajo...

The megadrought hits Lake Powell

In the 1960s, Glen Canyon Dam created Lake Powell, the 186-mile-long reservoir intended to store Colorado River flows from the Rocky Mountains. With the flows reduced by drought and...

Special Report: Climate change is sapping Colorado’s water supplies. Can its hallmark water law...

Colorado’s “first-in-time, first-in-right” prior appropriation doctrine is coming under increasing scrutiny as rivers and reservoirs dry out.

New California law bolsters groundwater recharge as strategic defense against climate change

State designates aquifers 'natural infrastructure' to boost funding for water supply, flood control, wildlife habitat
South Platte River

Aurora inks $43.7 million in water deals on South Platte River

Thirsty Front Range Colorado cities continue to drive the market for South Platte River farm water with Aurora announcing two major deals to acquire farms and their water rights.