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

Featured Story

A large elevation differential is a crucial feature of the proposed Carrizo Four Corners project. The project's upper reservoir would be located at the top of the Carrizo Mountains, seen here on Navajo Nation land near Beclabito.
BECLABITO, N.M. – Standing in a breezy parking lot on Navajo land in the state’s far northwest corner, Tom Taylor looked toward the western horizon and then upwards at the furrowed mass of the Carrizo Mountains less than 10 miles away. If all goes to plan, the infrastructure that could one day spill from the mountain’s flanks and through its...

More from The Water Desk and our partners

 

In burned forests, the West’s snowpack is melting earlier

As blazes expand to higher elevations, the impacts cascade downstream

Human emissions are helping fuel the Southwest’s epic drought

Three studies of the Pacific Ocean conclude that lower precipitation isn’t just due to natural causes

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

A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions

Q&A: Snow droughts imperil the American West’s water supply

A lack of snow impacts the West’s water resources, wildfire risk, recreational activities and ecosystem health.

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

Stories made possible by Water Desk grants

 

From 2019 to 2023, The Water Desk offered grants to support journalists and media outlets covering Western water issues.

More about our prior grantmaking (archived)

Read more grant-supported stories

Stories from The Water Desk

 

Stories produced by our editorial team and partners. Any content produced by The Water Desk is available for free republishing under a Creative Commons license. Please contact other media outlets if you are interested in republishing their stories.

View all original stories | Reposting Guidelines