As climate change looms, towns look to store water without dams.
Drought
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There’s nothing normal about ‘the new normal’
The phrase is the linguistic equivalent of a shrug.
Posted inMay 28, 2018: The River of Lost Souls
Some like it hot; the West’s unluckiest man; Phoenix’s future
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inJune 11, 2018: Reclaiming the Klamath
Interior revives the push for a higher Shasta Dam
But the state of California and Winnemem Wintu Tribe oppose the project.
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The playground of Lake Powell isn’t worth drowned canyons
Before a writer knew the true cost of Glen Canyon Dam, ‘ignorance was bliss.’
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Arizona agency angers Colorado River users upstream
The spat offers a preview of what water politics could look like in a drier future.
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All (climate) politics is local
During a dry spring, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet visits rural Colorado to talk economics and agriculture.
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Scuba flies
In California’s Mono Lake — whose alkaline waters are deadly to most insects — these diving flies don’t just survive; they thrive.
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A Southwest water dispute reaches the Supreme Court
Why a fight over groundwater has left farmers in New Mexico feeling stranded.
Posted inJanuary 22, 2018: A Separatist State of Mind
Climate change forced me to leave the place that I love
After finding their dream town, a family fled drought and fire.
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2017 in natural disasters
From massive wildfires to melting ice, the calamities that affected the West this year.
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In the Southwest, a sustainable breed of cattle
The criollo cow can thrive in hot, dry conditions that are difficult for other breeds.
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A flood of drought news can reduce water use
Drought-stricken California conserved more when media coverage spiked.
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One in 30 wells in the West failed in recent years
New research shows just how many wells ran dry between 2013 and 2015.
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California water project could cramp Colorado River plan
If the Delta tunnels deal sinks, it could mean increased pressure on the already-strapped Colorado.
Posted inOctober 30, 2017: The Changing Face of Woods Work
U.S. and Mexico agree to share a shrinking Colorado River
The two nations are poised to sign an updated water pact to deal with drought.
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How oceans impact Western reservoirs and rivers
New research on marine temperatures could help improve drought predictions.
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‘Flash drought’ threatens crops and cattle
Exceptionally dry conditions in the northern Great Plains are devastating farmers and ranchers.
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Denver to get more water from the Colorado River
Colorado’s largest water supplier makes a big ask — and a bold promise — with demand for water.
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Why 1 million Californians lack safe drinking water
Rural, cash-strapped communities don’t have the means to treat contaminated water.