water management

The sluggish Colorado River negotiations have entered a new phase: Long and fiery letter writing.

The seven states that rely on the Colorado River need to figure out who will take cuts to water usage as climate change worsens drought in the basin. The federal government needs to start an environmental review process in order to have any new operating guidelines in place by October.

North Fork High School students and community leaders role-play drought decisions in a water planning game as Colorado faces low snowpack and Colorado River uncertainty.

The Colorado River District has cleared an important hurdle in securing the Shoshone water right, which is an in-stream flow agreement with the state. The deal is designed in part to protect Colorado River water levels, and it was approved despite objections from utility companies on the Front Range.

A group of nonprofits is calling for reductions to water demand, changes at Glen Canyon Dam and more transparent negotiations.

The Bureau of Reclamation has lowered Navajo Dam releases from 650 to 500 cfs to support endangered fish habitat along the San Juan River. Flows will remain within recovery program targets, with adjustments possible based on conditions.

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.