agriculture

Across the Mountain West, where drought and shrinking reservoirs are putting pressure on already limited water supplies, decisions about who uses how much water often hinge on imperfect data. A nonprofit collaboration called OpenET hopes to change that.

Large farms in parts of the Colorado River Basin are paying little — and in some cases nothing — for federally supplied water, even as cities and residents are being asked to conserve, according to a new report.

Nevada wildlife officials have confirmed the presence of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats, marking the first detection in the state — and making Nevada the final western state where the pathogen has now been found.

A federal judge recently ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to scale back its use of pesticides in all western states. Environmental groups say the ruling is a big step toward protecting rangeland wildlife.

Farming and ranching in the Western U.S. sucks up 75% of the Colorado River basin’s water supply. A new analysis shows the federal government is paying these farmers billions in crop insurance, but not helping them adapt to climate change.

For more than 20 years, the federal government has been monitoring drought conditions nationwide. A new study shows that the system is not keeping up with climate change, especially in the Mountain West region.

New research shows cattle grazing can coexist with one of the most iconic and threatened birds in the West.

A new study reveals how climate change and irrigating crops are affecting river flows in the Western U.S.

Many farmers across the Mountain West grow alfalfa, which is dried into hay and fed to beef and dairy cattle. But it requires a lot more water than most crops. Now, researchers are working on new technologies to reduce the amount farmers use. Still, some say allowing them to grow such a thirsty crop in the arid West is the problem.

As years of drought and overpumping have reduced groundwater supplies across the West, officials and conservation groups in one part of our region are working to address the problem.