All I knew about Wilmington, California, was poverty, so I long hid my connection to it.
Water
Posted inOctober 1, 2020: Democracy's Frayed Western Front
What sewage can tell us about the spread of COVID-19
More cities are testing wastewater, but a poor federal response keeps efforts scattered.
Posted inArticles
Contested water settlements inflamed the Navajo Nation’s health crisis
Colonial laws and federal neglect created a worse-case scenario during a global pandemic.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2020: The Next West
A wildlife refuge under siege at the border
New emails detail drained ponds, salvaged fish and a tense relationship with the Department of Homeland Security.
Posted inArticles
Who’s looking out for elders on the Navajo Nation?
A reporter documents lack of food and harsh conditions for many Diné elderly, and few willing to take responsibility.
Posted inArticles
Will a new copper mine risk Montana’s Smith River?
A group of conservation organizations have challenged the mine’s operating permit in court.
Posted inArticles
Colorado passes limits on dangerous ‘forever’ chemicals
As federal regulations lag, state water officials unanimously pass new PFAS limits.
Posted inJuly 1, 2020: 'I am here fighting for my life and future children'
The only catfish native to the Western U.S. is running out of water
The Yaqui catfish was going extinct. Then came the border wall.
Posted inArticles
Video: Reclaiming the Klamath
Yurok attorney Amy Cordalis leads the tribe into litigation over more water for salmon in the Klamath.
Posted inArticles
Questions surround Pebble Mine’s environmental review
As a decision on the open-pit mine nears, documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act unveil agency critiques.
Posted inArticles
Jordan Cove pipeline moves forward, despite Oregon’s opposition
The company insists the pipeline will help Gov. Kate Brown recover economically from COVID-19.
Posted inArticles
Fast-growing Western cities face megadrought
Eleven states and northern Mexico will likely experience a drought more severe than any since the 1500s.
Posted inMay 1, 2020: Lives on Lockdown
The threat below Mount St. Helens
Forty years after the mountain’s eruption, officials struggle to balance research and risk.
Posted inApril 1, 2020: Land-Grab Universities
As temperatures rise, Arizona sinks
Climate change and unregulated wells are depleting the West’s groundwater reserves.
Posted inApril 1, 2020: Land-Grab Universities
‘This system cannot be sustained’
This year, tribal nations enter negotiations over Colorado River water.
Posted inArticles
Thirsty crops and vulnerable families vie for California’s precious water
Farmers are pumping until residential wells run dry in the Central Valley.
Posted inArticles
New Mexico grapples with its ‘forever’ chemicals
The City of Clovis has a water contamination problem but no easy way to fix it.
Posted inMarch 1, 2020: Predator (Mis)perceptions
Trump targets a bedrock environmental law
Three years of rollbacks have taken a toll, without delivering real benefits.
Posted inArticles
There’s a new boom in the Permian Basin — wastewater
As freshwater supplies shrink, interest in recycling water leftover from fracking is growing. Others aren’t so sure.