Colorado, Texas give New Mexico permission to use stored water
Low runoff, top-of-the-thermometer temperatures and little rainfall have translated into a dismal summer on the Rio Grande, with large river stretches south of Albuquerque already dry. But water managers are…
Read More...In parched Southwest, warm spring renews threat of ‘megadrought’
Rapid melting this year showed that good snowpack doesn’t necessarily translate into full reservoirs. At 12,000 feet on the Continental Divide, only vestiges of the winter snowpack remain. That’s normal…
Read More...University to update, digitize century-old water rights maps
New Mexico State University is working to digitize the state’s water rights database and develop maps that will help with management of limited groundwater and surface water resources. The project…
Read More...Water diversions paused to ensure Rio Grande keeps flowing
One of New Mexico’s largest drinking water providers will stop diverting water from the Rio Grande to help prevent the stretch of the river that runs through Albuquerque from going…
Read More...Remarkable drop in Colorado River water use a sign of climate adaptation
Use of Colorado River water in the three states of the river’s lower basin fell to a 33-year low in 2019, amid growing awareness of the precarity of the region’s…
Read More...Arizona starts talks on addressing dwindling Colorado River
Arizona is getting a jump start on what will be a years-long process to address a dwindling but key water source in the U.S. West. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California,…
Read More...Outside of Colorado, revamped WOTUS rule takes effect
The Trump Administration has taken action throughout 2020 to narrow the scope of which wetlands and waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The recently limited rule took…
Read More...Governor Polis enacts drought plan for 40 Colorado counties
Gov. Jared Polis has ordered a task force to assess initial damage and recommend mitigation measures for severe drought conditions affecting 40 of Colorado’s 64 counties, or roughly a third…
Read More...Colorado’s snowpack is nearly gone, which is not a good sign for fire season
Colorado’s rivers and streams are still filled with plenty of cold, rushing water from this season’s snowmelt. But that natural water source won’t last much longer. Colorado’s snowpack has all…
Read More...Colorado’s oldest water rights get extra protection from state engineer
Some water experts say preserving these pre-compact water rights, even though they aren’t being used, could give Colorado stronger footing in potential negotiations with lower basin states by propping up…
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