In 2016, David Cottrell dropped $400 worth of rock on Washaway Beach to see what would happen. Now engineers are watching, too.
Water
Posted inArticles
Plans for a new uranium mill in Utah announced
Fierce opposition to the project is likely.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2023: The Reveal
LDS environmentalists want their institution to address the Great Salt Lake’s collapse
Advocates call for healing the rift between scripture and politics.
Posted inArticles
Researchers solve one of the Borderlands’ biggest water puzzles
Officially, the U.S. and Mexico share 11 groundwater basins. A new map bumps that figure up to a stunning 72.
Posted inArticles
The West’s salt lakes are turning to dust. Can Congress help?
A new research and monitoring program aims to conserve threatened but overlooked saline ecosystems.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
Can dam removal save the Snake River?
See the river as the climate changes, development continues and consequences grow with inaction.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
Why are Saudi farmers pumping Arizona groundwater?
A conversation with Natalie Koch, author of ‘Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arabia and Arizona.’
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
Can assisted migration save the Rio Grande’s cutthroat?
Scientists wage an upstream battle to save trout in a warming West.
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Alaska’s Arctic waterways are turning orange, threatening drinking water
Scientists think climate change may be the culprit.
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Should we worry about 8 billion people?
Breaking down population’s role in the environmental impact equation.
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Federal, state and local agencies reach agreement to address Salton Sea crisis
The $250 million commitment will support public health and habitat while conserving Colorado River water.
Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion
Pink snow is a red flag for the West’s water
Researchers are trying to understand what drives snow algal blooms and how they could alter water supplies.
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A true Colorado River Compact
Tribes were excluded from compact negotiations 100 years ago. What if they had shown up anyway?
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The Klamath dams are coming down
Today, FERC ordered PacifiCorp to surrender the dam license, the final hurdle after 20 years of studies and advocacy.
Posted inDecember 1, 2022: Beyond Illusion
Tribal nations fight for influence on the Colorado River
Indigenous nations in the basin are making a stand for their water — and upsetting the river’s power structure.
Posted inArticles
On its 100th birthday, the Colorado River Compact shows its age
The foundational document was flawed from the start.
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The history behind the New Mexico-Texas Rio Grande settlement
It’s taken 10 years for the states to reach an agreement, but it may not be the end of the water conflict.
Posted inArticles
After June’s floods, will the Yellowstone River be allowed to roam?
Rock walls called riprap constrain the river to protect property from erosion —but there are other options.
Posted inNovember 1, 2022: The Futures of Conservation
Do bedrock conservation laws need a makeover?
Experts suggest needed upgrades in the face of modern crises.
Posted inArticles
Idaho cobalt mine is a harbinger of what’s to come
A new venture near Salmon signals an uptick in hardrock mining across the West.