water management

Water experts gathered at the University of Colorado, Boulder for talks about the future of the Colorado River. Top policymakers were notably absent.

Researchers found massive depletion of the region's groundwater, adding more stress to the drought-stricken Colorado River.

Top water negotiators declined to speak at an upcoming conference amid closed-door meetings about the future of the water supply for 40 million people.

Hydrologists say that hotter temperatures have been drying out soils and vegetation in the west, leading to less water flowing to rivers and streams when snow melts.

The Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada are asking for a fresh look at proposals for sharing the shrinking water supply and changes to Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam.

A look into the complexities of water rights, agricultural use, and the continued search for shared solutions in the Colorado River basin as drought conditions continue.

A farmer in southwest Colorado is helping administer a federal water conservation program that pays water users in the Upper Basin to curb their use. Greg Vlaming, who’s working to promote the System Conservation Pilot Program to farmers in the Dolores Water Conservancy District area, says those in his region who opt in won’t necessarily be forced to not farm their land in order to save water, and, therefore, earn money from the program. Instead, farmers in the drought-stricken area have a different option: plant crops that need less water in order to conserve, like “forage crops,” which are plants destined to be used as feed for animals.

In southwest Colorado, rain and snowmelt are projected to fill McPhee Reservoir and result in a scheduled release of water, known as a “spill.” According to Ken Curtis, the general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, the spill will likely occur in early May, and will benefit water users and irrigators along the Dolores River. CORRECTION: In our original audio, we incorrectly stated that there was a meeting open to the public hosted by the DWCD on this issue next week. The real date and time for the public meeting on the "spill" will be determined soon, and is not on Monday. And state lawmakers are moving forward with efforts to mitigate negative impacts of wolf reintroduction.

An above average SNOTEL report shows the state’s southwestern river basins are 139% of average for this time of year.

Colorado is launching a new financial aid program to help students who want to become health care workers. And the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona announced it will abandon a multi-state deal on the Colorado River to keep its biggest reservoir from declining.