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Nature and Environment

The Navajo Generating Station, April 2018.

Potential New Coal Plant Operator Offers Few New Details

Aug 15, 2018 The Chicago-based company said it would run the plant at 44 percent of capacity to make it more economical.
A lightning strike over east Tucson.

Monsoon Lightning Zaps Tucson Weather Radar Tower

Aug 14, 2018 Forecasters used work-arounds during weekend thunderstorms.
Tourists snap selfies at the iconic Horseshoe Bend, near Page, Arizona, April 2018.

Horseshoe Bend Undergoes Changes to Manage Growing Crowds

Aug 13, 2018 Parking restrictions and a new viewing deck are part of efforts to accommodate a projected 2 million visitors this year.
The California condor was on the verge of extinction in the 1980s, but agencies and environmental groups have worked to bring numbers back up, according to the National Park Service.

Endangered Condors to be Released in Northern Arizona

Aug 13, 2018 The captive-bred birds of prey will be released atop the dramatic Vermilion Cliffs in Northern Arizona.
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Arizona Sides With Developer in Water-Use Dispute

Aug 10, 2018 The long-standing lawsuit revolves around a proposed 7,000-home development in Sierra Vista, near the San Pedro River.
Desert-adapted birds like the cactus wren, at left, have declined throughout the Mojave Desert, but not as much as other birds. Decreased rainfall because of climate change appears to be the culprit. On the right, a Costa's hummingbird.

Research Reveals Climate-Driven Bird Collapse in Mojave Desert

Aug 10, 2018 Deserts globally have borne the brunt of warming and drying over the past 50 years.
Collaborative multi-media artists Bailey Hikawa and Scotty Wagner are Emotional.Store, performing as part of their "100 Year Plan".

Fight Your Fear of the Future with a "100 Year Plan"

Aug 9, 2018 Also on Arizona Spotlight: Is Arizona ready for wildfires on the scale of those ravaging California?, how to help hummingbirds beat the peak summer heat, and stories of kindness in action.
Researchers retrieve a fishing net from the Pacific Ocean in 2015.

Giant Strainer Seeks to Clean Up Oceanic Garbage Patches

Aug 8, 2018 An Arizona researcher says it's only one approach to an dire problem that requires a variety of mitigation strategies.
Still image from a video released by the public relations department of Customs and Border Protection showing the start to construction of border wall prototypes.

2,700 Scientists: Planned Border Wall a Threat to Biodiversity

Aug 7, 2018 Scientists from 47 countries reviewed a scientific paper and concluded Trump's border wall will be an ecological disaster.
Spring snowmelt in C.C. Cragin Reservoir, 2017.

Forest Thinning, Burning Project OK'd to Protect Reservoir

Aug 6, 2018 The plan is aimed at preventing severe fire, erosion and flooding.
Salt River Canyon wilderness area, May 2016.

Invasive Snail Threatens Ecosystem of Arizona's Salt River

Aug 6, 2018 Apple snails were likely introduced into the river's ecosystem illegally from someone's aquarium.
A changing climate is prolonging and intensifying heat waves, scientists say, driving wildfires.

Study: Droughts Are Growing Hotter Under Climate Change

Aug 6, 2018 Stressors may include environmental and social impacts of drought and heatwaves, driving more frequent wildfires, worsening air quality and stressing crops and livestock.
Three Golder Ranch Fire District members pose with a Tucson Fire Captain before deploying to the Carr fire in Northern California. From Left, GRFD Engineer Michael Waldorf, GRFD firefighter Scott Petersen, TFD Captain Eliot Anderson and GRFD firefighter James Cissell.

Southern Arizona Firefighters on the Fire Lines in California

Jul 31, 2018 Carr Fire has claimed at least six lives, including two firefighters.
The Santa Cruz River.

Residents Warn of Threat to Santa Cruz River if Sewer Pipe Ruptures Again

Jul 31, 2018 Last year, rains caused a breach in a pipeline that carries raw sewage from Mexico to the U.S.
Monsoon clouds build up over the Catalina Mountains in this photo shot from the University of Arizona campus. From July 2018.

Meteorologists Expect Relief From Drought Conditions for Arizona

Jul 30, 2018 Monsoon rains and El Niño weather pattern are expected to bring the Southwest closer to normal conditions.
At a light-rail stop in Phoenix.

Record Heat in Phoenix Area Leads to Near-Record Power Usage

Jul 27, 2018 The state's largest utility said Tuesday set the peak for the most electricity used at the same time so far this year.

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