Drought
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
‘No state has sacrificed more:’ Arizona joins Nevada, sues feds over Colorado River plan
The Arizona Department of Water Resources' motion claims that the state's cities, tribes and farmers can't survive without sufficient water from the Colorado River.
Lithium mines leech water from surrounding communities. Soon, they’ll run dry
Researchers concluded that most lithium mines won't have enough water to meet industry demands by 2050.
NYC may expand key reservoir after devastating drought
The aqueduct that carries water from the reservoir to New York City has been leaking 35 million gallons of water per day since the 1990s.
If Corpus Christi can’t revive desalination plant project, it may owe Texas $235 million
Earlier this month, city officials declined to pursue developing the plant for the second time in a year.
Instead of water, sediment from droughts and wildfire is choking U.S. dams
Sediment has filled 8% of dam storage capacity in the United States. Because of climate change, researchers expect it will only accumulate quicker.
15 million people rely on the Rio Grande — in 2 years, it may run dry
The river fuels billions of dollars in agricultural production. Reducing agricultural water use may be the only way to save it.
Data center provider partners with “cloud seeding” company to artificially trigger rainfall
With cloud seeding, planes or drones release salt compounds into clouds to make them produce rain.
122 ‘carbon major’ companies to blame for half of the West’s lost water
A first-of-its-kind study found that “carbon major” companies drained the west of trillions of gallons of water.
Feds say Arizona, California and Nevada must cut Colorado River water use by 1.25 million acre-feet
The new plan does not apply mandatory cuts to any of the river’s upper basin states.
Even a “best case scenario” El Niño won't fix the West’s drought
While lower basin states may see increased precipitation, increased snowfall in upper basin states is needed to bring sufficient water to the West.
The US Virgin Islands are facing a “drought disaster,” US government declares
Puerto Rico is also experiencing a drought.
Why a Colorado River water conservation agreement is so hard to reach
As the nation's two largest reservoirs hit their lowest levels on record, what would it take to avert the crisis? An expert weighs in.
Federal proposal calls for mandatory water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada
The Bureau of Reclamation stepped in after states failed to come to an agreement over Colorado River water use reductions.
Data centers are booming near the West's fastest-shrinking lakes
Years of drought, water diversion and climate change have caused Western lakes to shrink dramatically.
Drought is affecting all but 5 US states
Almost all of the United States faces moderate to severe drought at the start of an El Niño summer.
Wildfires have burned 2.3 million acres this year — before wildfire season
This year's fires are not contained to the West, with wildfires destroying hundreds of thousands of acres in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
New agreement would let Arizona, Nevada use water from California desalination plant
The plan will help reduce strain on Lake Mead during extreme drought periods.
Southern California water agencies accelerate reuse and recycling projects
From desalination to wastewater recycling, California officials are promoting more reclamation projects as the Southwest remains in drought.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
