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

Site Features

Arizona’s future water shock

Smaller cities. Soaring water prices. Scorched desert towns.

Unsafe yield

Severe drought, dead wells and political division push Arizona steadily closer to water supply peril.

Photos: Lyman Reservoir, Arizona, February 2021

This page features ground-based and aerial photos of Lyman Reservoir, located in Lyman Lake State Park near Springerville, Arizona. By damming the Little Colorado River—a tributary to the Colorado River...
Golf course photo

At Peak of Its Wealth and Influence, Arizona’s Desert Civilization Confronts A Reckoning Over...

Arizona’s powerful will to grow is challenged by extreme heat, deep drought, and serious water-related stress.

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.

Lawmakers suspend attempt at legislative fix for water speculation

Colorado lawmakers have suspended an attempt to prohibit outside investors from profiting off the state’s water.

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...
Lake Powell's Glen Canyon Dam photo

New forecast: Lake Powell electricity production to drop, as officials race to boost water...

Electricity produced at Glen Canyon Dam has been cut in half by the 20-year drought.
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: Agriculture in Pinal County, Arizona

This page features photos of agriculture in Pinal County, Arizona. Located in the central part of southern Arizona, Pinal County is one of the most agriculturally productive counties in the...