Water
Climate Whiplash: Four Corners Residents and Ranchers Adapting to Weather Extremes
By Luke Ruynon | Monday, Oct. 21, 2019
“We’ve set records almost every year, good or bad,” Colorado rancher Dustin Stein says. “So hot, so dry. So much snow, the river's too high. It's just incredibly bipolar.”
Unquenchable Thirst: Groundwater Bill Could Shift California’s Water Management Approach
By Char Miller | Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019
Could the desert, specifically the Mojave Desert, one of the most arid regions on this blue planet, become a rich repository of water?
As Southwest Water Managers Grapple with Climate Change, Can a ‘Grand Bargain’ Work?
By Luke Runyon and Bret Jaspers | Wednesday, July 31, 2019
A temporary fix to the Colorado River's scarcity problem has turned attention to how to manage the water supply for 40 million people across the Southwest.
Lawn Be Gone: Major Western Cities Pay Residents to Ditch Grass to Save Water
By Jamie Sudler | Friday, July 26, 2019
Many water providers have been offering rebates to residents willing to lose their lawns. So why are two major Western cities punting on the idea?
Utah Presses Forward on Lake Powell Pipeline Despite Strains on Colorado River
By Judy Fahys | Friday, July 12, 2019
The Colorado River is dwindling and the West is getting warmer and drier, but communities all along the river basin are pushing for costly water projects.
Ranchers Want Dams to Protect Against Drought, But Could They Worsen Climate Change?
By Melodie Edwards | Thursday, July 11, 2019
Wetlands on undammed waterways can cover as little as 2% of the landscape but hold 15% to 30% of the carbon. But if reservoirs hold all the water, those riparian areas will dry up and lose the ability to hold carbon.
On Stressed Colorado River, States Test How Many More Diversions Watershed Can Bear
By Luke Runyon | Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Denver Water wants to increase the size of one dam by 131 feet and fill the human-made lake with more water from the headwaters of the Colorado River via a tunnel that traverses the Continental Divide.
City Uses Reclaimed Water to Bring ‘Dead’ Arizona River Back to Life
By Melissa Robbins | Friday, July 5, 2019
The Santa Cruz River west of downtown Tucson is receiving treated wastewater under a Heritage Project meant to restore riparian areas and replenish aquifers.