groundwater

A new study shows climate change is causing the Earth’s supply of fresh water to quickly disappear. One of the world’s fastest-drying regions is the American Southwest, where future food supplies could be threatened.

For decades, hydrologists believed most spring snowmelt rapidly enters rivers and streams. But a new study from the University of Utah shows that most of it spends years as groundwater before it spills into reservoirs – new research that could help western water managers and farmers better plan each year.

Decades of drought and overpumping are draining groundwater tables across the West. Now, some states are buying farmers’ water rights to free up supplies – and plenty of farmers are ready to sell.

The race for lithium is heating up in Nevada. There are more than 80 lithium projects proposed for the state's public lands, but our arid environment comes with limitations.