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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States tasked with deciding the Colorado River's future have submitted competing proposals for how to manage the river's water. Environmental groups and tribes are also trying to help shape that conversation.
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A new study from University of Colorado Boulder researchers finds a strong chance that precipitation will make the next two decades on the Colorado River wetter than the last.
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A group of tribes that use Colorado River water sent a list of principles to the federal government amid contentious talks about how to share the shrinking supply.
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Colorado's Rocky Mountains have reached peak snowpack, but climate change is changing the way snow turns to water. States around the region are debating new rules for the river that center around new water deficits.
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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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After a Colorado River conservation agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada, states and tribes are turning their attention to a new round of pre-2026 negotiations.
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The nation's second-largest reservoir has been shrinking as drought and steady demand strain the Colorado River. Lake Powell water levels are low, but canyons and ecosystems are emerging.
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Scientists in Colorado are studying snow sublimation, in which snow evaporates before can melt into water. The new data collected will help water managers across the West understand Colorado River supply.
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The Bureau of Reclamation is releasing a "high-flow experiment" from Glen Canyon Dam after forecasts showed a boost to Lake Powell.
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Cuts to water use along the Colorado River could be spread evenly across some southwestern states, or follow the more than a century-old priority system that currently governs water management. Those are two alternatives federal officials are considering to keep hydropower generation going at the nation’s largest reservoirs according to a draft plan released Tuesday.
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The Gila River Indian Community is among the first recipients of payouts from a federal program designed to incentivize water conservation.
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Two classrooms in Colorado are learning about water by connecting pen pals between Basalt and Aurora.
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A group of congress members from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, California and Arizona is gathering to talk about the Colorado River and rally funding for Western water projects.
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People are choosing alkaline hydrolysis for themselves and loved ones. The process is considered more environmentally friendly than traditional flame cremation.
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California officials say the state was not consulted as others that use water from the Colorado River drafted a six-state agreement to propose cutbacks. Representatives from Arizona, Utah and Colorado disagree.