Western Water Reporting
Throughout the history of the American West, water issues have shown their ability to both unite and divide communities. As an imbalance between water supplies and demands grows in the region, KSUT is committed to covering the stories that emerge.
Reporters Luke Runyon and Alex Hager cover the Colorado River basin. They report from the snowy headwaters in Colorado to Lakes Powell and Mead, to the river's delta in Mexico.
KSUT is a member of Western Water Reporting along with stations throughout Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Kansas. Stories are produced at KUNC in Greeley, Colorado.
LATEST STORIES
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Luke Runyon/KUNCThe Colorado River's foundational agreement is 100 years old this month. And while the document among seven western states was groundbreaking for its time, it's currently left the southwest to grapple with a massive gap between water supply and demand. -
Alex Hager/KUNCIn Page, Arizona, a shrinking Lake Powell is causing problems for the local water utility. A short-term fix is underway, but Page says it needs more money for a backup.
MORE COVERAGE
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Colorado cities competed to see which has the best-tasting tap water. KUNC's Alex Hager was invited to judge, but found that it's hard to pick up on "grassy, earthy and rubbery" flavors in a famously bland beverage. -
The Bureau of Reclamation filed a Notice of Intent to propose changes to the amount of water released from Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
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A Nevada water agency has taken the first concrete step toward accounting for evaporation and other losses in the Colorado River’s Lower Basin. The new analysis attempts to pinpoint exactly how much water is lost, and who should cut back to bring the system closer to a balance between supply and demand.
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The Gila River Indian Community will leave some of its water in Lake Mead, and aims to receive federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act.
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The federal government is designating $4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act for drought mitigation work in the Colorado River basin.
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Ongoing warming in the Southwest has bottomed out major reservoirs on the Colorado River and raised alarms among cities and farms that rely on the water. But it’s also a threat to the environment in one of the world’s most recognizable wonders: the Grand Canyon.
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Water agencies in Southern California have agreed to cut back 400,000 acre-feet each year for four years. The deal between agencies supplying cities and farms comes amid federal pressure to reduce use of the shrinking river.
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Federal officials say they are ready to have a “candid conversation” about accounting for water lost to evaporation in the Colorado River’s Lower Basin. They are giving states until the end of 2024 to prepare for what would amount to a significant cut in annual water allocations to users in Nevada, California and Arizona.
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The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced plans to spend money from the Inflation Reduction Act on water conservation measures in the Colorado River basin. Sources told KUNC that could include buying water from farmers and ranchers to help boost levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
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Cities in the arid Southwest are investing in water reuse technology, keeping more water in the system and bolstering drinking supplies in an area hit hard by drought.
