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

Sunrise at Lake Powell. Photo: Adobe Stock

Colorado River drought study advances as participants call for fairness between cities, ranches

Can Colorado find a fair way to set aside as much as 500,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Powell to protect the state from future drought?

Colorado River farm fallowing pilot moves forward, with approvals slated for next month

Farmers and ranchers in Colorado have submitted proposals to help restore the Colorado River, but the impacts remain uncertain.

New Mexico and Rio Grande Journalism Project

This page explains how journalists can apply to The Water Desk for funding to support their coverage of water issues connected to New Mexico and the Rio Grande. We will...
The South Adams County Water and Sanitation district photo

Colorado health officials investigating contaminated PFAS plume near Denver fire training center

The Colorado health department is investigating a plume causing high levels of forever chemicals in the raw water supply of Adams County.
A view of the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell photo

As Lake Powell dries up, the US turns to creative accounting for a short-term...

A new agreement calls for Western states to leave their drinking water in the reservoir — and act as if they didn't.

Photos: Snowpack in San Juan Mountains, May 2023

This page in our free multimedia library features aerial photos of the snowpack in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. The San Juans are mostly located in southwest Colorado...

When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff

A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions
Ruedi Reservoir on the Fryingpan River photo

Ruedi Reservoir at lowest level in two decades

Ruedi Reservoir on Colorado's Fryingpan River is 54% full and at its lowest level in 19 years.

Are New York billionaires different than Colorado’s? Work group eyes new tools to stop...

Imposing hefty taxes on speculative water sales, requiring that water rights purchased by investors be held for several years before they can be resold, and requiring special state approval of such sales are three ideas that might help Colorado protect its water resources from speculators.

Uranium cleanup in Moab

After more than a decade of work, a federal cleanup project along the Colorado River in Utah is still removing radioactive uranium tailings that could pose a threat to...