Drought

The Trump administration's dramatic staffing cuts at federal lands agencies like the Forest Service are causing anxiety in tinder dry New Mexico, where the wildfire threat is already severe this Spring.

Nonfunctional turf replacement is an important tool in Colorado River water conservation, but even its proponents say it is a small part of the bigger picture.

Money from the Inflation Reduction Act has helped save water in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin. President-elect Trump appears poised to take away funding for those programs.

At the Colorado State University research center in Fruita, researchers are gathering data on water usage, nutrient quality of the crops they grow and even the temperature of the soil two feet underground. All this information is vital for CSU projects that look to make agriculture more efficient in a semi-arid environment.

In Glen Canyon, home to Lake Powell, the shrinking reservoir has revealed areas that were once submerged. These scientists are counting the plants that live there, and have found that they're mostly native.

The federal government is spending nearly $5 million to improve drought monitoring and forecasts in the West, helping states, communities, and farmers better plan and prepare for droughts.

Cities around Phoenix are spending billions to develop water infrastructure. Local leaders say it's a necessary step as the Colorado River shrinks and groundwater dries up.

Dendrochronologists found that high temperatures in the 21st century make the current drought unprecedented compared to other dry periods around the Colorado River across the past 500 years.

Washington County, Utah — home to the city of St. George — has recently been one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. Local leaders hope a new plan will stretch the county’s water supplies enough for the next two decades.

Scientists looked at trees to better understand the interplay between temperatures and droughts in the Western U.S. Human-caused climate change is exacerbating both.