About The Water Desk
The Water Desk is an independent, nonprofit journalism initiative with three priorities:
The Colorado River states are deadlocked and the river is crashing. Will a ‘grand...
A 'wild idea' to defuse the Colorado River Compact's legal time bomb has been kept alive by seasoned observers who believe it could still save the river
Colorado River experts say agriculture must make permanent cuts to water use
Water managers say drying up farmland is not the solution
How universities in the West justify staying green during drought
In early June, water experts gathered at the University of Colorado Boulder to talk about the future of the Colorado River.
The lifeline for 40 million people in the Southwest...
Latest multimedia content
Our multimedia content is available for free reuse by journalists and others under a Creative Commons license. Questions? Please contact us at waterdesk@colorado.edu
Resources
We've produced and collected resources to help you learn more about Western water issues.
Materials for SEJ Chicago, April 2026
Hands-on Workshop
Downloading, Reformatting and Visualizing EPA Drinking Water Data
Materials for the Society for Environmental Journalists conference in Chicago on April 15, 2026.
InstructionsSlidesData...
Cases, agreements and treaties
The legal intricacies of Western water can be difficult to wade through. This timeline offers an introduction to some key cases, agreements and treaties....
Resources: Background readings
Browse our background reading resources.
Colorado River Basin
Helpful online resources for learning more about the Colorado River Basin.
1922 Colorado River Compact
1922 Colorado River Compact Meeting...
Glossaries
It’s hard to understand water issues unless you know the lingo. Here are some helpful water-related glossaries on the web:
The U.S. Geological Survey's Dictionary...
Water books
Want to go deep and really learn about water issues? Here's a list of great nonfiction books on (Western) water issues, curated by Mitch...
Media and journalism
On this page you'll find a guide to water media and examples of great water journalism. Have a suggestion for a story or outlet...