The federal government ordered Flaming Gorge water released and cuts to Lake Powell releases, to prevent collapse.
California
Posted inArticles
Tribal leaders reflect on a year of uncertainty — and possibility
Federal turnover and policy shifts have forced Indigenous communities to adapt.
Posted inIssues
Trotting tortoises, juggling unicyclists, ancient clothing and bear poop beer
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
In major reversal, Interior allows top official with close industry ties to work on grazing policy
Karen Budd-Falen, the agency’s associate deputy secretary, had previously recused herself from working on grazing matters.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
From low-flow nozzles to baling hay at night, see how farmers are adapting to less water.
Posted inArticles
The Colorado River rift abides
States’ stalemate persists as Lake Powell races toward de facto deadpool.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
LandBack advances across the West
More ancestral lands are being returned to tribes, while other important sites remain at risk.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
Learning to two-step at a queer country bar
With a wedding months away, a writer takes a dance class to prepare.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
Wise-guy wolves, trekking in drag, talented tarantulas and Bigfoot takes a bow
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
Where giant kangaroo rats — and other critters — thrive
Thanks to concerted conservation, California’s Carrizo Plain is once again home to rare wildlife.
Posted inArticles
The nation’s trails are disappearing
Government-issued maps offer a promise for safely exploring our public lands, but they no longer reflect the reality of what’s actually on the ground.
Posted inJanuary 2026: Deep Time in the West
“Legend-dairy” mountain peaks, visiting bears and remembering a blubbery blowout
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Digging out in the Palisades Fire burn zone
Portraits of the workers shoring up a broken world.
Posted inArticles
A year after the Eaton Fire, permit delays keep Black families from returning
Once known for its trees and community, Altadena is now a test of who — and what — gets to come back after disaster.
Posted inJanuary 2026: Deep Time in the West
How plate tectonics revolutionized our understanding of Earth
And how scientist Tanya Atwater was at the center of it all.
Posted inDecember 2025: Wild Harvest
Cascades frogs vanished from Lassen Volcanic National Park in 2007. Now, they’re back.
With careful site selection and antifungal baths, scientists are staging a frog comeback in the park.
Posted inDecember 2025: Wild Harvest
Inside California’s wild Christmas tree harvest
Each winter, migrant crews climb into the Sierra to cut wild silvertip firs, a fragile tradition now imperiled by wildfire, climate change, and tightening immigration laws.
Posted inDecember 2025: Wild Harvest
Going bananas in Portland, any portabella in a storm, and squirrels gone wild in California
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
National parks aren’t just for tourists. They’re an essential home for wildlife.
Pick up this new book on Yosemite for the photos but stay for the captivating animal stories.