colorado river

A wide shot of Lake Mead and the surrounding mountains. The sky is blue and clouds are hanging at the mountain peaks.

Mountain West states getting millions in federal funds for drought resilience

Kaleb Roedel

The Interior Department is spending nearly $85 million to help communities in the West tackle challenges brought on by drought, and many of the projects are in the Mountain West.

Lee's Ferry, a site on the Colorado River. A dock leads up to the river with a boat nearby with several people standing in it. Several cliffs can be seen surrounding the river in the background.

Energy and Environment

The Colorado River Compact turns 100 years old. Is it still working?

Luke Runyon

The Colorado River's foundational agreement is 100 years old this month. And while the document among seven western states was groundbreaking for its time, it's currently left the southwest to grapple with a massive gap between water supply and demand.

A bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water line of Lake Mead near Hoover Dam at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Boulder City, Nev.

Local Stories

KUNR Today: Western states hit with more cuts to Colorado River water

Shelby Herbert

Read or listen to the news headlines for Wednesday, August 17, 2022.

A hilly area with sagebrush and other grasses.

Local Stories

KUNR Today: Feds invest $50 million in sagebrush ecosystem as threats mount

The Associated Press

Read or listen to news headlines for Tuesday, August 16, 2022.

Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

Energy and Environment

Under federal pressure, Colorado River water managers face unprecedented call for conservation

Alex Hager

Colorado River water managers are facing a monumental task. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has asked seven western states to commit to an unprecedented amount of conservation and do it before a deadline later this summer. This comes amid shrinking water levels in the nation's largest reservoirs.