The Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder
The Water Desk’s mission is to increase the volume, depth and power of journalism related to Western water issues, with a focus on the Colorado River Basin.| The Water Desk
Lakes Mead and Powell, the basin’s two largest reservoirs, are approaching critical levels in which hydropower from their dams (Hoover and Glen Canyon, respectively) would be severely curtailed or altogether cease. The post Solar growth cushions Colorado River hydropower declines appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
Three studies of the Pacific Ocean conclude that lower precipitation isn’t just due to natural causes The post Human emissions are helping fuel the Southwest’s epic drought appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions The post When the West’s rivers surge each spring, older groundwater dominates the runoff appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
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 Water Desk is excited to announce the recipients of new grants to support water journalism connected to the Colorado River Basin. The post The Water Desk supports journalists covering the Colorado River Basin appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
KLAMATH, Calif. — In a thick forest along the remote northern California coast earlier this month, a group of mostly young Indigenous kayakers pushed off into the clear-emerald waters of the recently undammed Klamath River. The 13- to 20-year-olds from more than six tribes in the Klamath Basin, along with several instructors, had been paddling […] The post Indigenous youths finish historic journey down Klamath River after dams removed appeared first on The Water Desk.| The Water Desk
Pieter Strauss used to love hosting stargazing parties at his house in the Lakeshore Park neighborhood up Flagstaff Road southwest of Boulder. The hobbyist astronomer would fire up the barbecue and spend hours showing his neighbors the night sky through his observatory and telescopes. Strauss’s house sits looking directly over Gross Reservoir, which provides water […] The post As Gross Reservoir rises, Boulder County residents grapple with project’s legal turmoil appeared first on The...| The Water Desk
LONESOME LAKE, WYOMING—Whit Coleman belly flopped with style into some of Wyoming’s most famous alpine waters on a summer day. Out on a father-son backpacking trip with friends, the Salt Lake City man took the plunge with an incredible backdrop: the Wind River Range’s Cirque of the Towers, a semi-circle of big-walled granite peaks that […] The post Wyoming’s crowded Lonesome Lake tops EPA’s national survey for fecal contamination 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
The Water Desk’s mission is to increase the volume, depth and power of journalism related to Western water issues, with a focus on the Colorado River Basin.| The Water Desk
A better understanding of groundwater in the headwaters could improve streamflow predictions.| The Water Desk
