More Environment Stories

The Bureau of Land Management used prescribed burns across many of its properties for habitat improvement and to reduce the risk of severe wildfires.

Arizona to receive $61 million towards wildfire prevention, repairs

The funds are part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year.

A large fishing boat in the Sea of Cortez.

U.S. puts restrictions on Mexican boats over illegal fishing

Environmental groups have applauded the move, calling it a “clear message” to Mexican leaders that they must improve enforcement of fishing practices.

A sprawling swath of the West is in drought, with more than 20 years of dryness in the Colorado River basin. Researchers say nearly every indicator of drought is heading in the wrong direction.

Could we — should we — build a desalination plant?

Even with money in the budget and the ocean so close, water could still be far away.

John Farley, director of fire test operations at the Naval Research Laboratory, tests the effectiveness of aqueous film-forming foam by spraying it on a gasoline fire. The test took place at the laboratory in Chesapeake Beach, Md. Oct. 25, 2019.

PFAS water pollution pilot project opens in Tucson

State funded project is designed to combat ground water pollution north of Air Force base.

Adia Barnes on Teamwork and Motherhood.

Also on Arizona Spotlight:Can new technology save water on farms? Plus Chris Dashiell remembers Peter Bogdanovich, and a short story read by author Michelle Ross.

Jazz guitarist, composer & educator Dave Stryker.

The Dave Stryker Quartet kicks off the 2022 Tucson Jazz Festival.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The Cocopah Indian Tribe work to restore the Colorado River Delta; How Maryanne Chisholm's artistic vision guided her through difficult times; and the Sonoran Plein Air Painters share "A Brush with the Desert".

Depending on weather conditions, Picacho Peak State Park may offer good opportunities for seeing wildflowers, March 5, 2019.

Fate of wildflower season depends on winter rain, says expert

A dry fall slowed the growth of Tucson area wildflowers but there is still hope for an above average bloom this winter.

In Central Arizona, the future of homes and farms relies on water stored underground. Some experts say that supply can't sustainably meet demand in the long term, especially as the population grows and the total water supply shrinks.

With less water on the surface, how long can Arizona rely on what's underground?

Some experts say aquifers are overtaxed and shouldn’t be seen as a long-term solution for a region where the water supply is expected to shrink in the decades to come.

The sun shines harshly behind a saguaro cactus.

Last year was fifth-warmest recorded in Tucson

Each month was among the warmest in Tucson history except for July, when there was heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.

Tucson shovel-nosed snake.

Tucson shovel-nosed snake needs Endangered Species Act protection, group argues

Center for Biological Diversity headed to court as snake's habitat faces threats.

The Central Arizona Project moves water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona. July 2021

Water cutbacks coming to Arizona

A decades-long drought means less water from the Colorado River in 2022.

Whitset Pump House on the California side of Lake Havasu. Lake Havasu reservoir is formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and La Paz County, Arizona. The Whitsett Intake Pumping Plant is at the beginning of the Colorado River Aqueduct, a 242-mile aqueduct, which transports water from Lake Havasu to Lake Mathews in Riverside County.

Leading water experts explore the future of managing a shrinking water supply from the Colorado River

New report says the best water policies are borne out of a few driving factors.

One of four cactus ferruginous pygmy owls to be born at the Phoenix Zoo, 2019.

Pygmy Owl may get protection again

The federal government wants to list ferruginous pygmy owl as a threatened species.

Docent Sally Sherman gives a tour of the Watershed Management Group's Living Lab on December 4th, 2021. The tour shows participants how to conserve water through rainwater harvesting and other means.

Local organization gives tours showing how to conserve water

The group also helps homeowners navigate rebates and grants to defray the cost.

Dropping Trees off at Rillito.

Live Christmas Trees can still be recycled at various local locations

The tree mulching sites set up in Tucson, Oro Valley and Marana will be open till January 17.

Representatives from lower Colorado River basin states, the federal government and tribes sign the new 500+ plan. The deal, formalized at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas, allocates millions of dollars to help put water back into Lake Mead.

Lower basin states sign deal to put water back in Lake Mead amid dropping levels

Arizona, California, Nevada, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are pooling more than $100 million dollars to incentivize reductions in water use.

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