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

About The Water Desk

The Water Desk is an independent, nonprofit journalism initiative with three priorities:

Stories and reports

Scientists use cosmic rays to study the snowpack

Extraterrestrial particles offer insights into Earth’s mountain water towers

Taking stock of the spring snowpack

Maps and charts visualize conditions at the April 1 milestone

Data centers a small, but growing factor in Arizona’s water budget

BUCKEYE, Ariz. – It was supposed to be called Cipriani, a master planned community with more than 9,700 homes at the western fringe of this sprawling desert city in...

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.

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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...