Photos and videos: Blue Mesa Reservoir, December 2020
This page features ground-based photos of Blue Mesa Reservoir, along the Gunnison River in Curecanti National Recreation Area.
Created by 390-foot Blue Mesa Dam, the reservoir has a total capacity...
Well water throughout California contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’
These chemicals are everywhere. They last forever. They’re expensive to get rid of. And many Californians don’t even know they’re drinking them.
Southern Ute Tribe and climate change
The megadrought in the Southwest is impacting everyone including Native American tribes that have lived here for thousands of years. For The Water Desk, Gary Strieker reports from the...
High marks and worries on home water conservation: Is Colorado’s effort stalling?
A new analysis of residential water use by Fresh Water News shows Colorado's statewide savings from water conservation in recent years may have stalled out.
Does the Western Megadrought Mean the End of Cheap Cheese and Ice Cream?
Water Desk grantees Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley of the Gastropod podcast recently explored the importance of alfalfa to Western water issues and dairy products.
Colorado lawmakers say “yes” to more than $53M in new water funding
Colorado lawmakers approved bills to help finance the Colorado Water Plan, protect watersheds, mitigate wildfires and recover from drought.
The Colorado River Is Dying. Can Its Aquatic Dinosaurs Be Saved?
The razorback sucker has survived in the river for more than 3 million years. Climate change could end that.
State officials looking for engagement on updated water plan
State officials are hoping dire climate predictions and water shortages will convince Coloradans to get involved in planning how to share a dwindling resource.
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
Lake Powell to dip below target elevation
Despite emergency releases from upper basin reservoirs to prop up Lake Powell, levels are still projected to dip below a critical threshold.