FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Five large wildfires have burned tens of thousands of acres in the forests around this northern Arizona city in the last 15 years. Monsoon floods after those fires closed roads, wrecked homes, and took the life of a 12-year-old girl. But it is the fire that has yet to burn that most […] The post With wildfire-prevention work, Flagstaff seeks to avoid the next devastating flood appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In July 2022, for the second time in a month, the landscape above the Wupatki Trails neighborhood took a beating. The first blow was the Pipeline Fire, which ignited on June 12, 2022, and burned 26,770 acres mostly in Coconino National Forest including the slopes above Wupatki Trails and eight other forested […] The post As flames scorch western forests, Flagstaff area offers roadmap for post-wildfire flood prevention appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
The long-term drying of the American Southwest poses a gathering and measurable threat to hydropower generation in the Colorado River basin. Should Lake Mead, the reservoir formed by Hoover Dam, continue to shrink, a substantial drop in the dam’s hydropower output is on the horizon. The diminished state of the lake and the potential severe […] The post Once a showcase of American optimism and engineering, Hoover Dam faces new power generation declines appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk