Featured Story
PARKER, Arizona – South of Headgate Rock Dam, beyond riverbanks lined with willow and mesquite, the broad floodplain of the Colorado River spreads across emerald fields and sun-bleached earth.
The Colorado River has nourished these lands in present-day western Arizona for millennia, from the ancestral Mohave people who cultivated corn, squash, beans, and melons, to the contemporary farmers of the...
More from The Water Desk and our partners
Q&A: Defining the “snow deluge” and projecting its future
Scientist Adrienne Marshall explains why these extreme snow years are expected to decline in our warming world.
How this spring’s snowpack is stacking up
No joke: April 1 readings were decent across many parts of the West, but some areas are still stuck in a snow drought
Why atmospheric rivers can be both harmful and helpful
These "rivers in the sky" can cause catastrophic flooding but are also critical for the West's snowpack
Helpful sites for tracking snow and the (subpar) snowpack
There’s no shortage of websites with maps and graphics visualizing snow forecasts and the state of the snowpack.
Staying safe with the Winter Storm Severity Index
This pragmatic tool from federal forecasters illustrates where snow, ice, and wind can be deadly and disruptive.
Billions in federal assistance after New Mexico’s largest wildfire. But little...
Stream restoration beset by lack of money and workers.
From 2019 to 2023, The Water Desk offered grants to support journalists and media outlets covering Western water issues.
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.
