1. News
  2. Water

More Water Stories

A set of wine glasses stand on a display table behind a tasting bar at Birds and Barrels Vineyards Rail Road tasting room in Willcox on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. The business started shortly after owner Chad Preston finished his military service.

The Buzz: Arizona's growing wine industry

State lawmakers celebrate Arizona Wine Month as wine's place in the state's economy grows
A male elegant trogon in Madera Canyon feasts on a caterpillar it picked off a tree.

New Film Focuses on the Unique Sky Islands of Arizona

Thousands of different species depend on this habitat
A view of the Colorado River near the Silver Bridge on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. From November 2022.

World Water Day: Tucson's history with water

This year's World Water day theme is accelerating change.
A view of the Colorado River near the Silver Bridge on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. From November 2022.

Supreme Court seems split in Navajo Nation water rights case

The justices weighed a dispute involving the federal government and the Navajo Nation’s quest for water from the drought-stricken Colorado River.
Phillip Yazzie waits for a water drum in the back of his pickup truck to be filled in Teesto, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, on Feb. 11, 2021.

Feds want justices to end Navajo fight for Colo. River water

The tribe doesn't have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault.
Pusch Ridge after a March snowstorm.

The Buzz: How snowmelt affects Arizona's water supply

How much will a wet winter improve drought conditions around the state?
Tom Buschatzke (front) signs a water conservation deal with other Colorado River water managers, Dec. 15, 2021. "I thought we had very robust conversations with the California representatives," he said of the January 2023 negotiations.

Was California consulted in recent Colorado River negotiations?

Leaders in other states disagree with that characterization.
The Uncle Sam Mine, prior to the completion of work to seal it.

The Buzz: Arizona's abandoned mines

Many groups look to locate, seal and clean up old mines, which likely number in the hundreds of thousands.
Water in the Colorado River system fills Flaming Gorge Reservoir on June 26, 2021.

Feds pause some Flaming Gorge water releases amid a snowy winter for the Colorado River

After states in the Colorado River's Upper Basin filed a request with the Bureau of Reclamation.
The Green River flows beneath the Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah.

Proposed pause on reservoir releases prompts Arizona and Lower Basin states to respond

Those states essentially agreed with the idea of suspending water releases, but said water managers should wait a few months.
Snow in Colorado's Elk Mountains in May 2022.

Water report suggests diversification for Arizona agriculture

It's in response to mandatory Colorado River cutbacks triggered by drought.
Eric Balken, executive director of Glen Canyon Institute, walks along a sandbar once submerged by Lake Powell. As the reservoir drops to record lows, areas that were underwater for decades have begun to emerge.

Lake Powell drops to a new record low as feds scramble to prop it up

The reservoir is currently about 22% full, and is expected to keep declining until around May.
A skier cruises down Snowmass ski area, where January brought heavy snow to the mountains that supply the majority of the Colorado River's water. Scientists say this could provide a temporary boost to shrinking reservoirs.

The Rockies are having a snowy winter, but not all of that water will make it to the Colorado River

A snowy January is not enough to overcome conditions caused by years of below-average moisture in the region.
The seven states in the Colorado River basin couldn't agree on a plan to conserve unprecedented amounts of water before a federal deadline. Meanwhile, grim projections for the future of water levels in Lake Mead have forced mandatory cuts to water for some users in the lower basin. Federal authorities are trying to prop up levels in the nation's largest reservoir before they dip too low to generate hydropower or allow the passage of water.

California holdout in agreement over Colorado River cuts

Six western states that rely on water from the Colorado River have agreed on a model to dramatically cut their use.
A measurement gage at Lees Ferry in Arizona is the location where Colorado River water deliveries from the Upper Basin are legally accounted.

AP Exclusive: Emails reveal tensions in Colorado River talks

They largely include communication among water officials in Arizona and California, the major users in the river's Lower Basin.
After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

Recent snowfalls may slow water level decline at Lake Mead

Forecasters now expect Lake Mead to finish this year around 1,027 feet elevation, about 19 feet lower than its current level.

Selected Archive Filters

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