Will future courts order states to take down fish-blocking dams?
Rivers & Lakes
Posted inJune 25, 2018: Little Weed, Big Problem
An inventory of loss on the Los Angeles River
The city weighs revitalization of an unruly river, since transformed into a concrete ditch.
Posted inArticles
Aspen may stockpile water under its golf course
As climate change looms, towns look to store water without dams.
Posted inJune 11, 2018: Reclaiming the Klamath
How the Yurok Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath River
For the first time, the largest tribe in California has one of its own to lead its legal battles.
Posted inMay 28, 2018: The River of Lost Souls
Below Mount Shasta, a fight burbles over bottled water
Selling water to Nestlé, Crystal Geyser and others could strain aquifers.
Posted inMay 28, 2018: The River of Lost Souls
The dark secrets of the Animas River
A 2015 spill that turned the waterway orange is a reminder of mining’s disastrous legacy.
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.
Posted inJune 11, 2018: Reclaiming the Klamath
Tribal nations hold some of the best water rights in the West
But to use them, tribes often must negotiate settlements that need federal approval.
Posted inArticles
Colorado says fishing next to private land is trespassing
But that could change on the Arkansas River if a legal decision declares it navigable.
Posted inArticles
The playground of Lake Powell isn’t worth drowned canyons
Before a writer knew the true cost of Glen Canyon Dam, ‘ignorance was bliss.’
Posted inArticles
Arizona agency angers Colorado River users upstream
The spat offers a preview of what water politics could look like in a drier future.
Posted inJune 11, 2018: Reclaiming the Klamath
Climate extremes are putting species in sync – and in danger
Shifts in coastal weather systems could make the West’s species less resilient.
Posted inArticles
The House passes a bill limiting water for salmon
The legislation would override a court ruling calling for more water over dams.
Posted inApril 30, 2018: Celebrity Scofflaw
Latest: Salmon get a boost over Columbia River dams
Court order to help beleaguered fish forces operators to spill more water over dams.
Posted inArticles
Scuba flies
In California’s Mono Lake — whose alkaline waters are deadly to most insects — these diving flies don’t just survive; they thrive.
Posted inArticles
Montana’s only congressman sells public lands short
Recreation-based businesses like canoe guiding rely on continued protection for national monuments.
Posted inMarch 19, 2018: Desert, Divided
Latest: Wyoming to pay up over water dispute
A decade-old case on the Tongue River is resolved.
Posted inMarch 5, 2018: Drilling Chaco
In Oregon, a peculiar case for protecting the beaver
Using the Endangered Species Act, a novel strategy could protect keystone species.
Posted inMarch 5, 2018: Drilling Chaco
Fight over household wells highlights rural growing pains
Can Washington balance development with the needs of rivers, fish and water users?
Posted inArticles
To save our oceans, let’s start with our rivers
Dams and pollution affect rivers across the West, to the detriment of our oceans.