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Nature and Environment

Phoenix scorches at 110 for 19th straight day, breaking big US city records in global heat wave

Jul 18, 2023 The city's record streak of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) or more stood out even amid sweltering temperatures across the globe.
Stacks of hay bales sit beside an irrigation canal in Imperial Valley on June 20, 2023. Critics have called for reductions to the amount of alfalfa grown with Colorado River water. The particularly thirsty crop is mostly used for cattle feed.

Freeing up Colorado River water from California farms will take more than just money, just ask the farmers

Jul 18, 2023 The Imperial Valley is the largest Colorado River water user.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

Navajo president presses Congress for more time, money, for water project

Jul 16, 2023 The project would deliver 37,767 acre-feet of water annually from the San Juan River basin through 300 miles of pipeline to 43 Navajo chapters, the city of Gallup, New Mexico, as well as the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
South 32 Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains. The mine development project earned a FAST-41 federal designation which streamlines its permitting process.

Environmental groups seek court order to stop two exploratory mining projects

Jul 14, 2023 The groups filed a lawsuit against the USFS in June.
The first panel at The Buzz Live event on July 10, 2023 with guests (from left) Sonia Gasho, Ash Dahlke and Mark Apel and host Christopher Conover (right).

The Buzz Live! Water Conservation and AMAs in Cochise County

Jul 14, 2023 The area's agriculture industry copes with a possible future as a recall vote looms.
After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

21st annual Water Resources Research Center brings in international collaborators

Jul 13, 2023 The conference focused on water solutions in a changing arid climate.
The seal of Cochise County.

Douglas AMA challengers get AMA back on the ballot

Jul 13, 2023 The existence of the Douglas AMA will go back to voters in 2023 General Election
Clear skies during the first weeks of the monsoon marked a disappointing start for the season.

This summer's monsoon off to a slow start

Jul 10, 2023 Early weeks indicate southern Arizona will not reach last year's rainfall total.
President of the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), Carolyn Shafer, stands in one of her favorite places along Harshaw Creek in Patagonia, Arizona. Shafer has lived in the community for about 26 years.

Permitting timetable published for Southern Arizona critical minerals mine

Jul 7, 2023 The South32 Hermosa project is located in the Patagonia Mountains
File image from the Hoover Dam.

The Buzz: Tracing the Colorado River’s problems back for more than a hundred years

Jul 7, 2023 This week, we preview Thirst Gap, a new podcast from the team at NPR member station KUNC.
A view from Coconino Overlook at the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon gets $27.5 million federal grant for greener shuttle buses

Jul 6, 2023 The replacement project includes 30 new buses — 20 that run on compressed natural gas and 10 electric buses.
AZ Project WET program coordinator, Josh Ruddick instructs educators like JoAnna McCormick, how to conduct percolator tests or, testing water absorption rates as part of the hands-on activities of Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory's summer teacher workshop. Teachers from throughout the greater Tucson area have gathered for this two-day workshop, to participate in hands-on activities and develop climate-change centric curriculum.

UA workshop deepens local educators' knowledge of the impact of climate change in Arizona

Jun 30, 2023 Relevant data will be used to develop relevant curriculum for students
The stretch of the Verde River that goes through Clarkdale ends near the Tuzigoot Road Bridge.

The Buzz takes a trip down the Verde River

Jun 30, 2023 We're revisiting this episode after it and another The Buzz episode were honored by PMJA
Snow falls on the Colorado River near New Castle, Colorado, on January 11, 2023. Months of snow and rain soaked a region in the grips of drought and helped replenish reservoirs along the Colorado River.

Months of wet weather erase drought across the Southwest

Jun 28, 2023 Only 28% of the region is experiencing drought.
An air tanker drops fire retardant on the Western Hemp Fire on Fort Huachuca Tuesday. June 27, 2023. *screenshot from Fort Huachuca's Facebook video of the fire, posted at 10:45 a.m.*

Western Hemp Fire burns 1,000 acres on Fort Huachuca

Jun 27, 2023 The fire has damaged one of the main power lines to the military installation
Water levels in Lake Powell, seen here in May 2021, are dipping dangerously low. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California. The measure aims to keep water levels high enough to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon Dam.

Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case

Jun 22, 2023 Colorado had argued that siding with the Navajo Nation would undermine existing agreements and disrupt the management of the river.

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