But to use them, tribes often must negotiate settlements that need federal approval.
Colorado River
Posted inArticles
Ask a Scientist: How to make talking about science personal
Jonathan ‘Peck’ Overpeck studies climate change — and tweets about it, too.
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The playground of Lake Powell isn’t worth drowned canyons
Before a writer knew the true cost of Glen Canyon Dam, ‘ignorance was bliss.’
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Arizona agency angers Colorado River users upstream
The spat offers a preview of what water politics could look like in a drier future.
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All (climate) politics is local
During a dry spring, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet visits rural Colorado to talk economics and agriculture.
Posted inApril 16, 2018: Cashing in on Standing Rock
A flurry of research illuminates snow’s foes
New studies detail how hotter temperatures, humid air and wind-blown dust can pummel the Western snowpack.
Posted inFebruary 5, 2018: Caught Between Crises
The uncompromising environmentalist behind the Sierra Club
A new book details the rise of the Sierra Club from hiking group to political force.
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Utah is headed into a water battle it can’t win
Why is this fiscally conservative state pushing an expensive diversion project?
Posted inJanuary 22, 2018: A Separatist State of Mind
Traversing the mighty Colorado River
A writer sets out on a geographic journey to understand the imperiled water source.
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The tiny power plant that shapes the Colorado River — merely by existing
The Shoshone power plant is the cornerstone for water rights in the upper river.
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The 26,000 tons of radioactive waste under Lake Powell
The West’s uranium boom brought dozens of mills to the banks of the Colorado River — where toxic waste was dumped irresponsibly.
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Does a river have a right to life?
No law gives a river a right to exist; at best, laws protect a river from harm caused by new development.
Posted inNovember 27, 2017: Profit and Politics
Latest: Grand Canyon ‘mega-development’ voted down
Navajo council rejects plans for Escalade’s tram, shops, restaurants.
Posted inOctober 30, 2017: The Changing Face of Woods Work
Why a Colorado River reunion with the sea isn’t a guarantee
To revive a desiccated ecosystem, a U.S.-Mexico agreement looks past ‘pulse flows.’
Posted inOctober 2, 2017: Following Ancient Footsteps
Latest: A setback for a Las Vegas pipeline
Judge tells BLM to redo plans for compensating for wildlife habitat that would be lost to massive groundwater project.
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The fight to save vaquitas from extinction
Through a tangle of corruption and overfishing, a marine species hangs in the balance.
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California water project could cramp Colorado River plan
If the Delta tunnels deal sinks, it could mean increased pressure on the already-strapped Colorado.
Posted inOctober 30, 2017: The Changing Face of Woods Work
U.S. and Mexico agree to share a shrinking Colorado River
The two nations are poised to sign an updated water pact to deal with drought.
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
Down with the Glen Canyon Dam?
Activists claim that decommissioning the dam will save water and restore a wild canyon. Are they right?
Posted inOctober 2, 2017: Following Ancient Footsteps
Money-for-water programs work — but for how long?
In the Colorado River Basin, a pilot project wins over skeptical farmers and ranchers.