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Water and environmental news

Ashton Johnson uses his drip torch during a prescribed burn operation in Kaibab National Forest on Oct. 5, 2023. Fire crews planned to burn around 2,300 acres of land that day.

Fighting fire with fire: How prescribed burns protect forests in northern Arizona

Nov 6, 2023 The prescribed burns in Kaibab National Forest are part of the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year wildfire crisis strategy, which aims to combat wildfires in high-risk forest landscapes.
Since the 1980s Tucsonans have replaced their green lawns with decomposed granite and opted for plants like palo verde trees and cacti, which can endure long periods of drought and extreme heat.

That green lawn may not be so green: Gas-powered equipment are heavy polluters

Nov 5, 2023 Gas-powered lawn equipment in Arizona emitted 445,908 tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, the polluting equivalent of putting 98,162 cars on the road, a new report says.
Regional and local leaders came to celebrate the kick off event for the new University of Arizona Western Environmental Science Technical Assistance Center for Environmental Justice (WEST EJC) at the Pima County Abrams Public Health Center in Tucson, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 1.<br/><br/>From left to right: City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, EPA Regional Tribal Operations Committee Co-Chair Laura Ebbert, Regional Administrator for EPA Martha Guzman, Chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors Adelita Grijalva, Dean of the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Iman Hakim, Pima County Health Director Theresa Cullen, Deputy County Administrator, Francisco Garcia.

University of Arizona leads the way in western environmental justice initiatives

Nov 3, 2023 Empowering communities and bridging gaps: UA's role in transforming environmental equity
The Pinyon Plain Mine shaft in Coconino County, on Wednesday, Aug. 30. In 2016, the mine shaft punctured a perched aquifer that contained natural levels of uranium, requiring the mining company Energy Fuels to pump water to the surface to an impoundment for treatment.

Navigating murky waters: how laws and regulations can hinder tribal initiatives

Nov 3, 2023 In this tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the intersection of preserving tribal heritage, defending precious resources and reforming mining laws.
These two Mexican gray wolf pups and siblings were born at the Wolf Conservation Center in New York. They are considered "neonatal" and less than 14 days old.

Biologists are keeping a close eye on a rare Mexican wolf that is wandering out of bounds

Nov 3, 2023 This marks the second time the wolf — identified as F2754 — has ventured north.

Cattle grazing is ruining the habitat of 2 endangered bird species along Arizona river, lawsuit says

Nov 2, 2023 The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson targets seven grazing allotments spanning 15 miles along the Gila River.
From left to right: Congressman Juan Ciscomani, Administrator and CEO of Western Area Power Administration Tracey LeBeau, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy Jennifer Granholm at the Apache Generating Station in Cochise, AZ. October 30, 2023.

U.S. Dep. of Energy announced federal support of three transmission projects

Oct 30, 2023 The Southline Transmission Project is one of the three projects and will span from Hidalgo County New Mexico to Pima County in Arizona.
City of Tucson's council chambers in downtown.

The Buzz speaks with Tucson City Council candidates

Oct 27, 2023 Candidates see streets, crimes and homelessness as the city's top issues.
Red Butte in Coconino County, Wednesday, Aug. 30. Known as "Wii'i Gdwiisa," in Havasupai, the sacred grounds are protected under President Joe Biden's Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni- Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

A generational battle: How a tribe’s concern over uranium mining on ancestral homelands brought Biden to AZ

Oct 27, 2023 In this tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the history of the Havasupai people's fight to stop uranium mining near the Grand Canyon.
The sun rises over the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River

Oct 25, 2023 The U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement that the risk of reaching critically low water elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the river's two key reservoirs, has gone down substantially.
A pipe carries water from the Colorado River into a shed in Page, Ariz. on November 2, 2022.

Tap water is cheap. Maybe too cheap.

Oct 25, 2023 That means big spending and costs that will get passed along to the millions of people who use that water in sinks, showers and sprinklers.
Candidates for Mayor of Tucson. From left to right: Ed Ackerley (I), incumbent Regina Romero (D), and Janet "JL" Wittenbraker (R).

The Buzz: El Tour de Mayor of Tucson

Oct 20, 2023 AZPM takes a drive around Tucson with three candidates running in the mayor's race.
The San Pedro River post-Monsoon rain. September 14, 2023.

Center for Biological Diversity demands action on depleting aquifer in Sierra Vista

Oct 19, 2023 Environmental advocates call for fair water use policies to save the San Pedro River.
The Colorado River flows near Hite, Utah on July 4, 2022.

New Colorado River rules will be hard to agree on

Oct 19, 2023 A new report shows just how tricky it could be.

An unprecedented water line in an unprecedented place

Oct 19, 2023 In this Tapped episode, Danyelle Khmara delves into the Grand Canyon's water infrastructure challenges and the extraordinary Transcanyon Waterline upgrade, highlighting the complexities of delivering clean water in this iconic natural wonder.
A monsoon storm drops localized, heavy rainfall over northwest Tucson, Marana, and Oro Valley. From August 2022.

Rainwater contents may surprise you

Oct 18, 2023 A UA study looks at what is in local rain.

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