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

Opinions differ on timeline as Crystal River Wild & Scenic efforts move ahead

Urgency to designate the Crystal River in Colorado as Wild & Scenic varies among the river's advocates.

Two new Colorado River deals give parched Lake Powell temporary relief

Lake Powell will receive 1 million acre-feet of water from the Colorado River as a short-term solution to drought, boosting lake levels and protecting hydropower production.

Crisis on the Colorado Part IV: In Era of Drought, Phoenix Prepares for a...

Once criticized for being a profligate user of water, fast-growing Phoenix has taken some major steps — including banking water in underground reservoirs, slashing per-capita use, and recycling wastewater — in anticipation of the day when the flow from the Colorado River ends.

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.

Aerial photos and videos: Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, July 2020

This page features images and footage shot with a GoPro camera during a pilot-only Lighthawk flight above Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, along the Colorado River near Las Vegas,...

Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack

Water managers in the Colorado River Basin are gaining a better understanding that what happens in the weeks after peak snowpack.
Clean water act setback 1

After Clean Water Act setback, state to ask lawmakers for new authority

State health officials will request to fast-track authority over streams left unprotected after a 2020 rollback of Clean Water Act.

Troubled waters

Confronted with the specter of a New Mexico parched by climate change, some have begun to push back against a water model that focuses primarily on putting as much water to use as possible.

Tour the San Joaquin River

An interactive map visualizes restoration efforts on the San Joaquin River.
Cow Creek photo

Ouray County asks state water board to delay filing aimed at instream flow protection

Ouray County is asking the state water board to delay a court filing designed to protect streamflows and resolve issues in a related case.