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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Newly discovered damage to part of the dam holding back America's second-largest reservoir has people who rely on the Colorado River worried about their ability to get the water they need.
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Damage inside Glen Canyon Dam could mean problems with the "river outlet works," a set of small tubes near the bottom of the dam that were originally intended to release excess water when the reservoir is nearing full capacity. The dam allows water to pass through to the Colorado River and Grand Canyon.
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A coalition of environmental groups has proposed a set of new rules for managing the Colorado River amid heated negotiations about how to share the water supply, which is shrinking due to climate changed.
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The Gila River Indian Tribe (GRIC) in Arizona said it does not support the Lower Basin's proposal for post-2026 river management, adding a new layer to complicated negotiations.
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The seven states that use water from the Colorado River have proposed competing plans for how it should be managed after 2026. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming have one plan in mind. California, Arizona and Nevada have a different idea. The states primarily disagree about the how to account for climate change and how to release water from Lake Powell.
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Water negotiators from states around the Southwest said they are planning to submit separate proposals to the Bureau of Reclamation about managing the Colorado River after 2026.
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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.
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The hydropower company Nature and People First had proposed a "pumped storage" project in the Black Mesa area. Indigenous advocates are celebrating the decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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The Bureau of Reclamation released a draft plan for releases from Glen Canyon Dam, which holds back Lake Powell. It's an effort to protect native humpback chub from smallmouth bass.
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Water from the Shoshone hydropower plant near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, will be purchased by the Colorado River District. It's part of an expensive effort to keep water flowing to the farms, cities and rivers of Western Colorado, and away from fast-growing cities and towns around Denver.
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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.
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Nebraska has purchased 90 acres in Colorado as part of a project to send South Platte water across the border.
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The limited snowfall could have big implications for the Colorado River, which gets most of its water from snow in the Rocky Mountains.
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At an annual meeting in Las Vegas, Colorado River policymakers said new rules may be a "messy compromise."
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Policymakers say a wet winter has created space for discussions about long-term water management, but they have a diverse set of interests to consider while drawing up new rules.
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There’s been an increase in hydropower projects across the U.S., including on different tribal reservations. But some advocates say tribes like the Navajo Nation aren’t being consulted enough about their development.