water

Two Colorado Republicans who lost their primary races last month are raising unfounded claims of voter fraud and renewing their requests for recounts. And the U.S. house is considering a package of bills related to wildfire and drought this week.

Blue Mesa Reservoir once resembled a deep and healthy lake. But a 22-year drought - coupled with obligations to release water to downstream users - has left the reservoir almost 60 feet below the normal high watermark. Experts say it will take a lot more than one snowy winter to refill the reservoir.

Over 150 scientists will research snow and water for two years near Crested Butte, Colorado. The project tracking weather patterns from ‘atmosphere to bedrock’ is the first of its kind.

New Mexico’s primary Election was on Tuesday. Utah’s primary election is coming up as well, on June 28th. And a new study that looks at nearly two thousand years of climate conditions in the Colorado River has identified the worst drought in the recorded history of our region.

Quitobaquito Springs is a natural water source near the US-Mexico border in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It’s a sacred site and historic homestead to a southern Arizona tribe. It's also now housing some of the state’s most endangered species. But the site is now in peril.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced a new round of funding for water projects this week. And Democrats at the Colorado state Capitol have passed a bill they say will protect elections from insider threats.

Snowpack levels in the Four Corners show small signs of improvement over last year, but some areas in the Southwest may face water shortages later this year. Avian influenza is affecting egg production, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says "no" to opening reserve croplands.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has been busy this past week signing several bills into law. Utah's snowpack is in dire shape and the state should expect a very dry summer.

A federal appeals court ruled this week against environmental groups and an Arizona tribe in their bid to keep a uranium mine south of the Grand Canyon from operating. And in Colorado, a proposed diversion to carry water out of the San Luis Valley and into Douglas County is drawing opposition from farmers, environmentalists, and politicians.

After another long, dry summer across the West -- many are hoping for a wet winter. With reservoirs in the region at record-low levels, a lot is riding on what the next few months will bring. But as KUNC’s Alex Hager reports -- even a snowy winter won’t be enough to ease more than two decades of drought...