Records shed new light on states’ vocal opposition in the 1950s to tribes claiming their share of the river.
Water
Posted inArticles
The National Park Service’s efforts to protect Quitobaquito Springs almost destroyed it
‘Indigenous presence is vital to the stewardship of the land.’
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
Short-lived or shallow, it’s still water
Notes on what is fluid and flowing, even if ephemeral.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
Staving off a bass invasion
As Lake Powell shrinks, smallmouth bass threaten the Grand Canyon’s native fishes.
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Environmental groups sue Utah over crisis at the Great Salt Lake
Plaintiffs invoke the public trust doctrine to restore the lake to a healthy level.
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Federal court derails proposed Utah oil railroad
Failures to assess risks to Colorado River and ‘numerous NEPA violations’ in project’s impact analysis highlighted.
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EPA to investigate claims of civil rights violations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Tribes and environmental justice groups say management of the Delta harms traditional food systems and causes pollution.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
In the Utah desert, can golf justify itself?
The struggle for water is straining St. George, Utah, where golf – and grass – are sacred cows.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
Finding a fix for ‘forever chemicals’
Tests found PFAS in nearly all the public drinking water in Vancouver, Washington. The city is testing a solution that could take years — and more than $170 million — to build.
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Water quality research helps bring healing and sovereignty to the Apsáalooke
‘I know it is my responsibility to care for this land that has always taken care of me.’
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The case of the Colorado River’s missing water
Researchers are trying to unravel the mystery of snow that falls but never shows up in the river.
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A quarter of rural water systems likely contain ‘forever chemicals’
USGS research confirms widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water — including in rural communities and private wells that are almost never tested.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
‘The fight for our lives’: Arizona’s water regime limits the Hopi Tribe’s future
A 45-year legal saga leaves the tribe fighting for their economic ambitions through water access.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How private interests benefit from tribal water settlements
When power players like mining and agriculture are involved, tribal nations, usually the senior-most water-rights holders, often must fight obstruction.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
Decades after the Colorado River flooded the Chemehuevi’s land, the tribe still doesn’t have its share
Nearly all of the tribe’s water remains in the river and ends up being used by Southern California cities.
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The long road to access at Willamette Falls
The second largest falls in the U.S. have been inaccessible since industrialists dammed them and lined the river with paper mills 150 years ago. Four tribes are working with PGE to plan public access.
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Supreme Court keeps the Navajo Nation waiting for water
The court case was the Nation’s bid to accelerate decades of fruitless negotiations and secure water for its reservation.
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Colorado Supreme Court drowns public access to riverbeds
Roger Hill’s landmark lawsuit fizzled out in court. What happens now?
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A dizzying look back from Phoenix’s future
A sci-fi scenario from 2008 offers insight into present day news.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
How Arizona squeezes tribes for water
A High Country News/ProPublica investigation shows that Arizona goes to unusual lengths in water negotiations to extract restrictive concessions from tribes.