1. News
  2. Water and Environment
  3. Water and environmental news

Water and environmental news

The International Outfall Interceptor, or IOI, runs under this concrete-lined wash through the city of Nogales, Ariz.

Officials break ground on project to repair leaky cross-border sewage pipe

Jan 28, 2022 The pipeline, built more than half a century ago, has cracked and ruptured, leading at times to the release of raw sewage.
A solar array used by Tucson Electric Power to add renewable energy to the grid, August 2019

Arizona utility regulators again reject clean energy rules

Jan 27, 2022 The rules would have required the state’s utilities to get 50% of their power from sources that do not emit carbon dioxide by 2035.
Chiricahua National Monument.

Bill would turn Chiricahua monument into national park

Jan 24, 2022 A popular national monument in southern Arizona could become a national park under a new bill introduced in Congress.
The Bureau of Land Management used prescribed burns across many of its properties for habitat improvement and to reduce the risk of severe wildfires.

Arizona to receive $61 million towards wildfire prevention, repairs

Jan 19, 2022 The funds are part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year.
A large fishing boat in the Sea of Cortez.

U.S. puts restrictions on Mexican boats over illegal fishing

Jan 18, 2022 Environmental groups have applauded the move, calling it a “clear message” to Mexican leaders that they must improve enforcement of fishing practices.
John Farley, director of fire test operations at the Naval Research Laboratory, tests the effectiveness of aqueous film-forming foam by spraying it on a gasoline fire. The test took place at the laboratory in Chesapeake Beach, Md. Oct. 25, 2019.

PFAS water pollution pilot project opens in Tucson

Jan 13, 2022 State funded project is designed to combat ground water pollution north of Air Force base.
Precision-cut rows of broccoli grow on a laser-leveled field in Yuma, Arizona. Technological developments in agriculture are helping the industry use water more efficiently, but research shows that some methods are not helping save water on a basin-wide scale.

As the Colorado River shrinks, can new technology save water on farms? The answer is complicated

Jan 12, 2022 Agriculture uses about 80% of the water in the Colorado River basin.
Depending on weather conditions, Picacho Peak State Park may offer good opportunities for seeing wildflowers, March 5, 2019.

Fate of wildflower season depends on winter rain, says expert

Jan 5, 2022 A dry fall slowed the growth of Tucson area wildflowers but there is still hope for an above average bloom this winter.
In Central Arizona, the future of homes and farms relies on water stored underground. Some experts say that supply can't sustainably meet demand in the long term, especially as the population grows and the total water supply shrinks.

With less water on the surface, how long can Arizona rely on what's underground?

Jan 5, 2022 Some experts say aquifers are overtaxed and shouldn’t be seen as a long-term solution for a region where the water supply is expected to shrink in the decades to come.
The sun shines harshly behind a saguaro cactus.

Last year was fifth-warmest recorded in Tucson

Jan 4, 2022 Each month was among the warmest in Tucson history except for July, when there was heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.
Tucson shovel-nosed snake.

Tucson shovel-nosed snake needs Endangered Species Act protection, group argues

Jan 4, 2022 Center for Biological Diversity headed to court as snake's habitat faces threats.
Dropping Trees off at Rillito.

Live Christmas Trees can still be recycled at various local locations

Jan 2, 2022 The tree mulching sites set up in Tucson, Oro Valley and Marana will be open till January 17.
The Central Arizona Project moves water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona. July 2021

Water cutbacks coming to Arizona

Dec 31, 2021 A decades-long drought means less water from the Colorado River in 2022.
Whitset Pump House on the California side of Lake Havasu. Lake Havasu reservoir is formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and La Paz County, Arizona. The Whitsett Intake Pumping Plant is at the beginning of the Colorado River Aqueduct, a 242-mile aqueduct, which transports water from Lake Havasu to Lake Mathews in Riverside County.

Leading water experts explore the future of managing a shrinking water supply from the Colorado River

Dec 27, 2021 New report says the best water policies are borne out of a few driving factors.
One of four cactus ferruginous pygmy owls to be born at the Phoenix Zoo, 2019.

Pygmy Owl may get protection again

Dec 24, 2021 The federal government wants to list ferruginous pygmy owl as a threatened species.
Docent Sally Sherman gives a tour of the Watershed Management Group's Living Lab on December 4th, 2021. The tour shows participants how to conserve water through rainwater harvesting and other means.

Local organization gives tours showing how to conserve water

Dec 22, 2021 The group also helps homeowners navigate rebates and grants to defray the cost.

Selected Archive Filters

Environment,
Water
Back to Top
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona