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Nature and Environment

The Elgin Bridge Fire was first reported May 23, 2022.

Fire near Elgin prompts evacuations

May 23, 2022 Winds pushed the fire across several thousand acres by mid-afternoon.
These are some of dozens of species that Ken Lamberton has photographed on his property near Bisbee, AZ.

Pandemic in pajamas while birding for blog.

May 20, 2022 Bisbee author turns to nature and photographs to write new chapters.
Gov. Ducey's desalination plant proposal is designed to relieve pressure on water supplied by Lake Mead.

Tucson willing to give up some Colorado River water

May 19, 2022 The Mayor and Council are looking at how to take stress off Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Snow hangs in Colorado's Elk Mountains in May 2022. The Colorado River gets the majority of its water from high-altitude snowpack, and climate scientists say it's likely that less water than normal will make it into rivers and streams.

For this summer's water forecast, climate experts are looking back to winter

May 16, 2022 Snow is the key to water in Arizona and other the Colorado River Basin states.
Cars moving through Tucson.

High pollution advisory for Tucson on Friday

May 13, 2022 Pima County officials are encouraging anyone especially sensitive to ozone to avoid physical exertion outside until 6 p.m.
Many Southern Arizona residents employ water-saving techniques, like rainwater harvest.

Making the most of water in Tucson

May 13, 2022 As the monsoon approaches, The Buzz focuses on rainwater harvesting.
The proposed site of the Rosemont Copper Mine.

Appeals court rules against mine project in Santa Rita Mountains

May 12, 2022 The court cited the planned use of Coronado National Forest land for long-term storage of waste rock and the lack of valuable minerals on the property.

Voters in Willcox Basin will decide water management future of the area in November

May 11, 2022 The Cochise County Elections Department certified that the county-based group Arizona Water Defenders collected enough signatures for a ballot measure.
A view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, next to the Kolb Studio, September 2018.

Arizona scores low marks on land conservation

May 9, 2022 The Center for Western Priorities ranked the state second to last in a recent study.
The vaquita is a critically endangered porpoise that lives in the northern part of the Sea of Cortez. It is considered the smallest and most endangered cetacean in the world.

Inbreeding won’t doom the endangered vaquita marina — but fishing nets might

May 6, 2022 Research now finds that, genetically speaking, there is still hope the vaquita population can recover.
Cars moving through Tucson.

High pollution advisory for Tucson

May 6, 2022 The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality issued an advisory Friday for ground-level ozone air pollution.
One of the pits at the Morenci Mine in eastern Arizona, which has one one of the largest copper reserves in the United States.

It's one of the five Cs of Arizona's economy. But what role does mining really play in Arizona today?

May 6, 2022 This week, The Buzz examines the longtime economic driver in the state and its environmental impacts.
The proposed site of the Rosemont Copper Mine.

Rosemont returns clean water permit

May 4, 2022 The company is trying to end lawsuits against its proposed mine.
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.

Federal government rolls out ‘extraordinary actions’ to prop up Lake Powell

May 4, 2022 Water levels in Lake Powell are the lowest they have ever been and still dropping.
Sahuarita Town Hall.

Sahuarita to partner with growing water management company

Apr 28, 2022 The mayor and council decided against using eminent domain to block the company from acquiring infrastructure in town.
Water levels in Lake Powell are dipping dangerously close to "dead pool," at which point it becomes impossible to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon dam. Experts think the reservoir could reach those levels within a year.

Colorado River basin give approval to proposed water cutbacks

Apr 22, 2022 The plan would cut flows to Arizona, Nevada and California by 480,000 acre-feet, enough water to supply more than half a million homes for a year.

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