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Stacks of hay bales sit beside an irrigation canal in Imperial Valley on June 20, 2023. Critics have called for reductions to the amount of alfalfa grown with Colorado River water. The particularly thirsty crop is mostly used for cattle feed.

The Buzz: A legislative look-ahead at water and agriculture

The new legislative session is weeks away, so we look at the state's top water user.
Bands of discolored rock show that Lake Powell's water levels are lower than they have been for much of its past.

When a reservoir is more than just stored water

Reservoirs are a common solution to the seasonal ebbs and flows of river water. But, for some communities, they are so much more.
Almost 100 years after the opening of Bisbee's Queen Mine, the Queen Mine Tours opened to the public in 1976. About 50,000 people visit the mine each year.

Water and Copper: How mining's history follows Arizona's feelings about water use in the state

Mining was Arizona's first billion-dollar industry. As we consider our state's economic drivers and their water use, we ask not only how much water goes into mining but what its aftermath does to water.
Water levels in Lake Powell, seen here in May 2021, are dipping dangerously low. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California. The measure aims to keep water levels high enough to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon Dam.

The Buzz: Looking back on 2022

Newsworthy interviews and topics that we addressed this year.
Central Arizona Project water flows in a canal near Marana.

East side development renews concerns about water and growth

Members of the City Council say it's time for the state to pitch in with CAP water.
The 28,000-home master planned community would be built just south of Benson.

Opinions divided on massive Benson housing development

Backers see the project as an economic boon; opponents worry it will deplete local groundwater and harm the environment.
The proposed site of the Rosemont Copper mining project is in the Santa Rita Mountains in Southern Arizona.

Support and opposition for two mines in Southern Arizona

As the Rosemont Copper mine plans to start construction, we talk with those for and against the project.
The San Pedro riparian area, containing about 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area on November 18, 1988.

Sustaining the San Pedro River

A panel in Bisbee discusses the present and future of Southern Arizona's last large, free-flowing river.
The proposed site for the Rosemont Mine.

Conservation Groups Sue to Block Proposed Rosemont Copper Mine

The groups claim the Army Corps of Engineers illegally issued a permit to the owners of the mine.
Many poppies are blooming at Catalina State Park, providing interesting color and shadows in the area, March 4, 2019.

Wildflowers Show Off Their Colors Around Arizona

Fall and winter rains provided a necessary resource for brilliant blooms.
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Arizona Sides With Developer in Water-Use Dispute

The long-standing lawsuit revolves around a proposed 7,000-home development in Sierra Vista, near the San Pedro River.
A view from the Lake Mead side of the Hoover Dam.

Study: Lake Mead Shortage Could Slow Home Construction, Agriculture

Drought declaration would cause rationing that would affect adequate water supplies.
ll 17 Compost Cats are OSHA-Certified equipment operators. Clarisa Avalos says, “I’m having fun!” as she maneuvers the skip loader to turn a pile of wet compost.

Feeding Our Future: Turning Garbage into Gardens

How a group of UA undergraduates are saving the environment.
German students David Sipple, Milan Daus, Stefan Zins and Davis Rösch have been riding bicycles all around Tucson during their visit.

Tucson, an Urban Classroom for German Students

University students visit the city to learn about global conditions
Water levels at the Colorado River basin.

Report: Colorado River Most Endangered River in US

Three human-caused sources listed as dangerous for river that flows through Arizona.
Site of the proposed Rosemont copper mine, looking west from Highway 83.

Rosemont Copper Mine Hits Roadblock, Air Pollution Permit Overturned

Maricopa County Superior Court says AzDEQ acted “contrary to law”

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