Colorado River

Open Space

'Unprecedented' Sale of Public Land Concerns 'Even Some Republicans'

As the Department of the Interior auctions off 'vast swaths' of American wilderness to oil and gas companies, fiscal conservatives and conservationists alike wonder if it’s the right thing at the right time.

April 24, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Hoover Dam Downstream

Lawsuit Would Recognize the Human Rights of the Colorado River

Corporations have rights in the United States, and an organization called Deep Green Resistance is going to federal court in Colorado to argue that rivers should too.

October 2, 2017 - The New York Times

Reflection Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Desert 5, Humans 0

Look no further than the American Southwest for signs that human ingenuity is no match for the ability of the planet to reassert its power.

July 19, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Glen Canyon Dam

Climate Change Is Shrinking the Colorado River

Documenting the effects of climate change on the West's most vital source of water.

June 30, 2017 - The Conversation

Lower Colorado River

America's 'Most Endangered Rivers' Face New Threats in 2017

The American Rivers advocacy group has released its annual report on the country's most endangered rivers, paying special attention to the threats posed to the country's waterways in new federal policies and budget plans.

April 12, 2017 - American Rivers

Salton Sea

California's Plan to Save the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is drying up, and California is poised to spend $383 million to keep that from happening. At stake are Colorado River water negotiations between California, Arizona, and Nevada.

March 20, 2017 - The Desert Sun

Shasta

Climate Change Requires a Different Paradigm for California's Water Supply

Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, explains how the impacts of California’s historic drought are already changing the landscape of the American Southwest.

August 26, 2016 - The Planning Report

Lake Powell

Is Glen Canyon Dam Obsolete?

As climate changes in the Rockies and the southwest, Lake Powell is gradually shrinking. The debate over Glen Canyon Dam is on again, and this time environmentalists aren't the only ones against it.

June 23, 2016 - Pacific Standard

Visualizing the Drought in the Colorado River Basin

The Colorado River, drinking water source for one in ten Americans, is severely impacted. A new interactive visualization illustrates just how dramatic the problem has become.

December 17, 2015 - U.S. Department of the Interior

Lake Powell

Op-Ed: Lake Powell No Longer Needed

Eric Balken makes the case that Lake Powell, anchored in place by the Glen Canyon Dam, is too inefficient a reservoir during times of water scarcity. Lake Mead, he says, is more than up to the task.

December 11, 2015 - High Country News

EPA Causes Massive Spill, Discoloring a Colorado River

The Environmental Protection Agency finds itself in a peculiar place. Normally it investigates spills caused by the private sector. Now it's cleaning up a massive spill it caused while investigating a leak at an abandoned mine in southwest Colorado.

August 10, 2015 - The New York Times - U.S.

'Most Endangered River' in the United States: the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

American Rivers' list of the "Most Endangered" U.S. rivers provides an annual reminder of the abuse waterways bear in the name of the country's economy and culture.

April 7, 2015 - American Rivers

U.S.-Mexico Agreement Returns Water to the Colorado River Delta

National Geographic details the effects of the "Minute 319" agreement that will return water to the Colorado River Delta.

December 19, 2014 - National Geographic

Friday Eye Candy: Google Documents the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

If you fancy yourself a modern-day John Wesley Powell, but to this point haven’t climbed on a raft headed Grand Canyon way, Google recently released a series of “Street View” style photos from the very bottom of that most famous natural landmark.

March 14, 2014 - AP via San Jose Mercury News

America's Most Endangered Waterways

In time for Earth Day, American Rivers has released its annual list of the country's most threatened rivers. Topping this year's list is the Colorado River, a waterway so dammed, diverted and over-tapped that it ultimately "dries to a trickle."

April 22, 2013 - Take Part

Exposing America's Water Crisis

Cynthia Barnett says Americans live under an "illusion of water abundance" and calls for government water managers and private water companies to "stem the drain on America's water resources before it's too late."

November 13, 2012 - The Los Angeles Times

Amid Growth, the Colorado River is Running Dry

Freshwater resources are running out and being overused -- a global crisis that can be seen in the declining flows of the Colorado River.

September 22, 2010 - Smithsonian Magazine

Finding Solutions for the Colorado River Delta Problem

The Colorado River Delta is in tough shape once it ventures into Mexico. But now, a group of NGOs and local governments are showing how the sensitive area can be kept clean.

March 17, 2010 - Miller-McCune Magazine

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