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Humans Killed Cataract Canyon. It Brought Itself Back to Life
February 26th, 2024
Courtesy of Rolling Stone, a look at how – after damming the Colorado River wiped out a magnificent stretch of rapids for half a century – they are now, incredibly, returning — on their own: THE RIVER CHURNS a muddy brown as it carries us through towering vermilion rock walls toward the roar of Gypsum Canyon […]
Read more »On The Colorado River, There Are No Simple Disputes
February 23rd, 2024
Via J. Fleck’s Inkstain, commentary on the foundational disputes that are holding up a new agreement on the Colorado River: One of the commentors to our January 19th, 2024, blog post titled “Are We headed for the First Colorado River Compact Tripwire?” – John C. (who, by-the-way runs a very talented water resources engineering firm) […]
Read more »The Colorado River Is Shrinking: Will Seven States Agree on How To Manage Its Water By March?
February 23rd, 2024
Via Phys.org, commentary on whether whether seven states agree on how to manage Colorado River water by March? The seven Colorado River states face a quickly approaching deadline to present a unified plan for how to manage the drying river that provides water for 40 million people across the West. But major disagreements remain ahead […]
Read more »This Arizona Aquifer Is Draining Faster Than All But 2 In U.S.
February 23rd, 2024
Via Tuscon.com, an article on the Gila Bend groundwater basin’s rapid decline: The Gila Bend groundwater basin about 125 miles northwest of Tucson has one of the fastest-falling aquifers known on the planet, a new study shows. The aquifer in the Gila Bend Basin — where pumping isn’t regulated — fell faster from 2000 through 2020 than […]
Read more »Feds Deny Permits for Hydro Projects on Navajo Land, Citing Lack of Consultation With Tribes
February 21st, 2024
Via Inside Climate News, a report on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s recent announcement of a new policy requiring that any energy project seeking to build on tribal land must get the tribe’s approval before it will permit the project: Federal officials Thursday denied preliminary permits for multiple pumped storage hydroelectric projects proposed on the […]
Read more »Montana Court Restricts Use of Groundwater for New Homes
February 21st, 2024
Via The New York Times, an article on a recent Montana court ruling in which the scion of a political dynasty sought to build a subdivision in a water-stressed valley. A judge said no, a decision that could slow development across the state: A Montana judge has ruled that state officials have failed to impose […]
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