1. News
  2. Climate Change

More Climate Change Stories

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.
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.
Low water levels at Wahweap Bay at Lake Powell along the Upper Colorado River Basin are shown, on June 9, 2021, at the Utah and Arizona border at Wahweap, Ariz.

Interior: $580M headed to 15 tribes to fulfill water rights

The money will help carry out the agreements that define the tribes' rights to water from rivers and other sources and pay for pipelines, pumping stations, and canals that deliver it to reservations.
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.
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.
A canal carries water from the Colorado River to tribal land in Arizona.

Biden signs water bills benefiting 3 tribes in Arizona

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday giving leasing authority to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, whose reservation tracks its namesake on the Arizona-California border.
A row of bright yellow aspen trees at Arizona Snowbowl north of Flagstaff.

Climate change and drought are muting bright fall colors as we know them

Researchers in Flagstaff are tracking tree health with a network of cameras to determine how the forests are being affected.
An empty rack of flares sits on the wing of a turboprop Piper PA31T Cheyenne II airplane.

SRP researches cloud seeding in White Mountains to create snow amid historic drought

The state also helps fund cloud seeding programs in Colorado meant to increase flows into the Colorado River.
A flag flies by the dome of the U.S. Capitol.

Water bills for tribes in Arizona to head to President Biden

The U.S. House approved the legislation on Thursday, just a few days after the U.S. Senate did.
A harvesting machine pulls pecans from trees at Green Valley Pecan Company in Sahaurita.

Arizona restricts farming to protect groundwater supply

The Arizona Department of Water Resources this week put a limit on the amount of land that can be watered, designating the Hualapai Valley as an irrigation non-expansion area.
Tuesday’s press conference to announce the over $4.7 million USDA grant to UArizona to support and promote 'climate-smart' food production was held at the ENR2’s rooftop garden. The rooftop garden is an example of how native plants can be paired with solar panels to protect plants in an increasingly hot and dry climate while water evaporating from the plants cools and makes the panels more efficient.

USDA awards $4.7 million to new partnership with UA for 'climate-smart' food production

The funding will help farmers reduce water consumption and carbon emissions.
A Tucson Clean and Beautiful volunteer is putting mulch around a new tree in a neighborhood in South Tucson on Saturday, Dec. 17th. The mulch helps protect the tree from the harsh desert climate.

60,000 trees planted since start of Tucson Million Trees program

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced the program in 2020 and hopes to reach the goal by 2030.
After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

More questions than answers at Colorado River water meetings

Talk at sessions Wednesday and Thursday has focused on cooperation between users to solve shortages.
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.

The Buzz: Looking back on 2022

Newsworthy interviews and topics that we addressed this year.
Climate change has cut deep into the Southwest's water supply, and policymakers in the seven states that share the river have failed to agree on a plan to significantly reduce demand. That has left Lake Powell, held back by Glen Canyon Dam, at less than a quarter of its capacity.

The “power of aridity” is bringing a Colorado River dam to its knees

The Glen Canyon Dam faces threats that could soon render it useless after decades as a symbol of American engineering achievement.
The Verde River near the site of a dam that was removed in 2022.

The Buzz takes a trip down the Verde River

Meet a man who has made saving this unique waterway his life's work

Selected Archive Filters

Climate Change
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