The Water Desk

On a hot and sunny morning in August, a group of nine paddlers pushed their duckies and stand-up paddle boards into the Colorado River at Harky’s boat launch in Palisade.  The goal of the float was to experience and document the river at one of the lowest levels it has ever seen. With flows hovering […] The post How low can the Colorado River go? A slow float on the 15-mile reach appeared first o…

For decades, a Utah uranium mill has sparked debate over whether radioactive contamination threatens human health by getting into the water and the air. The post Drive for nuclear power boosts uranium industry — and tribal health concerns in Southwest appeared first on The Water Desk .

After years of analysis and stalled negotiations, the federal government last month finally laid out its proposal for managing the Colorado River’s biggest reservoirs for the next decade. The Bureau of Reclamation still needs to release its final decision and an operating plan for the next two years. But its final environmental impact statement provides a framework for how […] The post ‘Pain and …

New mapping tool prepares district for state conservation program The post With fields already fallow, Uncompahgre Valley growers adapt to a drier future appeared first on The Water Desk .

The Bureau of Reclamation’s final environmental impact statement leaves the door open for states to come to an agreement on how to share the water—and for legal battles. The post Federal plan makes steep Colorado River water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada appeared first on The Water Desk .

Love storytelling? Curious about how water shapes life in the West? Want to work with a small team of journalists who are fascinated by the snowpack, rivers, reservoirs, and the stories behind them? The Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism is looking for a Fall 2026 Intern, and we’d […] The post The Water Desk now accepting applications for a Fall…

Q&A with hydrologist Adrienne Marshall on why this past winter’s snowpack fell so low, how global warming increased the odds and what the future may hold The post Climate change made the West’s snow drought far more likely—but it’s still not the new normal appeared first on The Water Desk .

On a warm morning in Palisade, Colorado, Bruce Talbott walks through his orchards, picking and discarding peaches he knows won’t sell. With just one look, he can tell how many days until a peach should be picked, whether its pit is split, and whether it will look good at the grocery store.  “See those, they’ll […] The post Peaches pay the bills for Western Colorado farmers, but prolonged drought …

Scientists restore an endangered orchid to Arizona’s desert wetland. The post Canelo Hills ladies’-tresses grow only in the Southwest’s vanishing ciénegas. Can they be rooted there again? appeared first on The Water Desk .

In dry, western Colorado, near the town of Glade Park, a high-elevation meadow is surrounded by aspens and firs. The grass is surprisingly bright green. That’s a clue, said Abby Burk: there’s water here. But at first, it’s not apparent. “There are some wetland plants that are here that let us know – it’s kind […] The post The Supreme Court shrunk clean water protections in the West. Colorado and …

Photos by Paul Ratje. Reporting supported by the Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder. HATCH, N.M.—After 13 years, Texas and New Mexico have finally reached a settlement in a Supreme Court case over Rio Grande water management. Now comes the hard part. Texas sued New Mexico in 2013, arguing that its upstream neighbor […] The post The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande w…