Thousands of salmon escaped into the Puget Sound. Then the controversy began.
Water
Posted inJuly 1, 2022: Living with Rivers
The Colorado stream case that could revolutionize river access
‘There are waters I’ve wanted to fish for 50 years, and I’ve been denied the use of a state-owned resource.’
Posted inJuly 1, 2022: Living with Rivers
Why can’t the public access the West’s biggest waterfall?
Willamette Falls used to be a public place of laughter and sharing. It could be again, if painful politics don’t eclipse revitalization efforts.
Posted inArticles
In the wake of fires and floods
Climate disasters across the West wreak havoc on economies and livelihoods.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
As Lake Powell levels drop, see inside Glen Canyon Dam
The hydropower plant that powers about a quarter of a million homes is run by a team of mechanics, electricians and more.
Posted inArticles
Yellowstone area flooding upends lives and portends a new climate reality
Unprecedented rain and snowmelt destroyed roads and washed away bridges outside the national park.
Posted inArticles
Copper Mine near Tucson dealt a blow
But the Canadian company gets a win for its other, nearby operation at Copper World.
Posted inArticles
Nebraska’s curious ‘canal to nowhere’ would siphon water from Colorado
Water experts say the $500 million project won’t really do anything to help the Cornhusker State’s water supplies. What’s going on?
Posted inArticles
Yes, the drought really is that bad
The Western U.S. is experiencing its worst drought since 800 A.D.
Posted inArticles
Two Southwest tribes raise concerns over uranium storage
Tribal communities in Arizona and Utah face environmental problems connected to the same radioactive resource: uranium.
Posted inArticles
Following 14,000-gallon fuel spill, Pacific representatives call for U.N. investigation
Indigenous youth caucus calls for demilitarization of Hawai‘i.
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
Why is this California sheriff suddenly interested in ‘environmental crimes?’
Law enforcement takes center stage in Siskiyou County’s fight over who can, and can’t, use land and water.
Posted inArticles
EVs’ demand for copper escalates threat against Apache’s Oak Flat
A massive copper mine in Arizona could destroy an Apache community’s most sacred land.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
Powell’s looming power problem
Drought and demand threaten a critical component of the Western grid.
Posted inApril 1, 2022: The Archives Issue
A mystery worm is threatening the future of Washington’s oysters
Clues from 1,000-year-old shells could reveal the parasite’s past —and portend the future.
Posted inArticles
Report: Over half of U.S. waters are too polluted to swim or fish
At 50 years, the Clean water Act has had success. But there are key sources of water pollution yet to be addressed.
Posted inArticles
Arizona faces a reckoning over water
The state’s powerful will to grow is challenged by extreme heat, deep drought and serious water-related stress.
Posted inArticles
Dangerous levels of lead found in Montana schools
High lead levels were identified in the water of over 100 of the state’s nearly 600 schools, and only half have provided samples.
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
Colorado River, stolen by law
Indigenous nations have been an afterthought in U.S. water policy for over a century. That was all part of the plan.
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
Tribes along the Colorado River navigate a stacked settlement process to claim their water rights
The gauntlet leaves those nations in an unjust state of limbo.