Before a writer knew the true cost of Glen Canyon Dam, ‘ignorance was bliss.’
Bureau of Reclamation
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Oil- and gas-rich counties ask for more federal revenue
A new bill would return money earmarked for Western water projects to mineral-producing counties.
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A new structure for the Interior Department takes shape
A massive shake-up would shed senior staffers and state boundaries. Could it work?
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Interior sends mixed signals on California water project
Without agency approval, the Delta tunnels deal can’t proceed — but conflicting statements make next steps uncertain.
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As sediment builds, one dam faces its comeuppance
Officials at a Colorado reservoir are reckoning with decades of accumulation.
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What is the Bureau of Reclamation?
The Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Interior Department, manages water conservation and delivery, flood control, drought response and rural water projects. It helped Western homesteaders in the early 20th century by providing water to farmers and ranchers through dams, irrigation and reservoirs. Today, it delivers water to one in five farmers in the Western […]
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West Obsessed: On dams and the rebirth of the Elwha
A deep dive into a dismantled dam — and another in the planning stages.
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
Down with the Glen Canyon Dam?
Activists claim that decommissioning the dam will save water and restore a wild canyon. Are they right?
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
After its dams came down, a river is reborn
A look at the Elwha unleashed.
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
Will Utah dam the Bear River?
The Wasatch Front faces drier times and a growing population, threatening the Great Salt Lake.
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
How farmers can help keep salt out of the Colorado River
The solution to a basin-wide problem may fall to individual irrigators.
Posted inJuly 24, 2017: Down the Dark Mountain
Latest: Delta tunnels plan challenged in court
Agencies weigh in on threatened fish — and get smacked with their first lawsuit.
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Can private money solve public water problems?
As facilities age and public funding declines, private companies may step in.
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Will a dam save the pallid sturgeon, or doom it?
On the Yellowstone River, farmers and conservationists clash over controversial infrastructure.
Posted inOctober 31, 2016: A Monumental Divide
The fading grandeur of the Glen Canyon Dam
Silt and erosion threaten to clog up the enduring structure.
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Montana tribe’s water deal clears major Senate milestone
Blackfeet have waited decades to resolve their water claims but Congress is in no hurry.
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How the feds can ensure Western states get more water in 2016
Key legislation failed in 2015. Will this year be any different?
Posted inOctober 12, 2015: The Rise of Lisa Murkowski
The Colorado River’s desalination plant is on its last legs
The obscure Paradox Valley Unit keeps the Colorado River’s salinity levels in check for farmers, but causes quakes upstream.
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California drought renews push for water storage projects
A long-standing proposal to enlarge Shasta Dam gets a boost from the Bureau of Reclamation.
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Lake Mead watch: six inches from the level that triggers cutbacks
If water curtailments go into effect, which states are most vulnerable, and why?