Nearly all of the tribe’s water remains in the river and ends up being used by Southern California cities.
Colorado River
Posted inArticles
Supreme Court keeps the Navajo Nation waiting for water
The court case was the Nation’s bid to accelerate decades of fruitless negotiations and secure water for its reservation.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How Arizona squeezes tribes for water
A High Country News/ProPublica investigation shows that Arizona goes to unusual lengths in water negotiations to extract restrictive concessions from tribes.
Posted inArticles
Hay – yes, hay – is sucking the Colorado River dry
Desert farming, wasteful irrigation and the profoundly thirsty crop is bringing the critical river to the brink.
Posted inArticles
The breakdown on the Colorado River ‘breakthrough’ water deal
The agreement isn’t the sustainable, permanent one that’s necessary.
Posted inArticles
Atmospheric rivers ease Western drought
Record-breaking rain and snow bring salvation — and destruction — to a drought-parched West.
Posted inArticles
Utah’s proposed crude oil railway could see an accident every year
Coloradans fight the oil train project, fearing a repeat of East Palestine’s toxic derailment — but in the Colorado River.
Posted inArticles
Could Arizona’s new governor shift Colorado River politics?
There’s a historic reckoning in the Colorado River Basin — and Katie Hobbs is here to play hard ball.
Posted inArticles
What happens when an affluent Arizona suburb’s main water supply is cut off?
As the Colorado River crisis worsens, an unregulated housing development faces a reckoning.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
La Niña expected to serve up a hat trick
The weather pattern hits the West for a third consecutive winter.
Posted inArticles
How the West’s public lands fared in 2022
It was a bad year for dams and a good one for ‘green’ metals.
Posted inArticles
Will the Senate ban uranium mining in the Grand Canyon?
Before the legislative slate is wiped clean on Jan. 3, senators needs to pass the Grand Canyon Protection Act.
Posted inArticles
Federal, state and local agencies reach agreement to address Salton Sea crisis
The $250 million commitment will support public health and habitat while conserving Colorado River water.
Posted inArticles
A true Colorado River Compact
Tribes were excluded from compact negotiations 100 years ago. What if they had shown up anyway?
Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion
Tribal nations fight for influence on the Colorado River
Indigenous nations in the basin are making a stand for their water — and upsetting the river’s power structure.
Posted inArticles
On its 100th birthday, the Colorado River Compact shows its age
The foundational document was flawed from the start.
Posted inArticles
Interior’s plan won’t solve the Colorado River crisis. Here’s what will.
What if farmers competed with one another to cut water consumption?
Posted inArticles
Can the Salton Sea be saved?
Climate change, megadrought and agricultural needs have transformed the ‘jewel in the Californian desert’ into a toxic place.
Posted inArticles
The Colorado River’s alfalfa problem
Growing less hay is the only way to keep the river’s water system from collapsing