NM Supreme Court asked to weigh in on stream access dispute that no one can agree on
Kendra Chamberlain at New Mexico Political Report unpacks the controversy over New Mexico’s stream access law, and the pending lawsuit between pro-access groups and the state. She writes, “Groups on…
Read More...Colorado AG, top water quality regulator vow to challenge new Clean Water Act rule
Colorado and other Western states will be hard pressed to shield their rivers and streams under a new federal Clean Water Act rule finalized last month, largely because hundreds of…
Read More...Washington state makes historic decision to protect salmon from rising water temperatures
In a game-changing decision for struggling Southern Resident orcas and endangered salmon, Washington state will exercise its authority—for the first time ever—to require federal dam operators to keep the Columbia and Snake…
Read More...Understanding moisture and rainfall
The role that atmospheric water vapour plays in weather is complex and not clearly understood. However, U.S. researchers say they are starting to get a handle on it after teasing out…
Read More...USDA announces $5 million for wetland mitigation banking program
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is making available up to $5 million for wetland mitigation banks. This funding through the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program is to help conservation partners develop…
Read More...Irrigated crops underestimation risks water shortages
The area of agricultural land that will require irrigation in future could be up to four times larger than currently estimated, a new study has revealed. Research shows the amount…
Read More...Funds for climate-tied Colorado Water Plan drying up due to virus
Plummeting oil and gas tax revenues and a state budget thrashed by the coronavirus pandemic means water projects in Colorado are facing a financial double-whammy. And the odds are long…
Read More...California snowpack measures below normal for spring
The last seasonal survey of snow in the Sierra Nevada confirms that California had a dry winter that will leave much-needed runoff levels below normal, authorities said yesterday. Sierra snowmelt…
Read More...California agencies sue state as irrigation war escalates
California water agencies yesterday sued the state over endangered species protections they claim threaten their ability to provide water to more than 25 million residents and thousands of acres of…
Read More...Colorado governor signs five major water bills into law
Gov. Jared Polis, even as COVID-19 swept across the state, gave his stamp of approval to five major pieces of water legislation, paving the way for everything from more water…
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