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More Arizona Environment Water Stories

A view of the Colorado River near the Silver Bridge on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. From November 2022.

World Water Day: Tucson's history with water

This year's World Water day theme is accelerating change.
Pusch Ridge after a March snowstorm.

The Buzz: How snowmelt affects Arizona's water supply

How much will a wet winter improve drought conditions around the state?
The Uncle Sam Mine, prior to the completion of work to seal it.

The Buzz: Arizona's abandoned mines

Many groups look to locate, seal and clean up old mines, which likely number in the hundreds of thousands.
Water in the Colorado River system fills Flaming Gorge Reservoir on June 26, 2021.

Feds pause some Flaming Gorge water releases amid a snowy winter for the Colorado River

After states in the Colorado River's Upper Basin filed a request with the Bureau of Reclamation.
The Green River flows beneath the Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah.

Proposed pause on reservoir releases prompts Arizona and Lower Basin states to respond

Those states essentially agreed with the idea of suspending water releases, but said water managers should wait a few months.
Fresh snowfall in Saguaro National Park, East, near Tucson, Arizona.

The Buzz: Arizona and snow

While non-rain precipitation is rare in the deserts, it's not uncommon for the mountains to get feet of snow each year.
A canal carries water from the Colorado River to tribal land in Arizona.

Biden signs water bills benefiting 3 tribes in Arizona

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday giving leasing authority to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, whose reservation tracks its namesake on the Arizona-California border.
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.

ADEQ to test all small water systems for PFAS

An EPA grant will allow the state to test water from 1,200 providers.
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.
Residents of the Douglas and Willcox Basins say they're drilling deeper and more often for water as their wells dry up as big companies expand their operations and dig even deeper into the shared water supply.

Preserving parts of Cochise County's water future

In November, voters split on future management of two major basins.
The Verde River near the site of a dam that was removed in 2022.

The Buzz takes a trip down the Verde River

Meet a man who has made saving this unique waterway his life's work
A crew from Verde Earth Technologies chips arundo in Cornville, Ariz.

Crews remove invasive plants from Arizona waterways to conserve water, better ecosystem

Efforts along the Verde River and its tributaries to remove introduced plants can prevent monocultures while also getting water to a Phoenix-area reservoir.
This yard in Mesa was converted to desert landscaping under the city’s Grass-to-Xeriscape incentive program. September 2022.

As the drought grinds on, Maricopa County homeowners take advantage of xeriscape incentives

Megadrought and low runoff conditions accelerated by climate change have resulted in record low water levels in Lakes Powell and Mead
Water levels are at record lows and still dropping in the nation's largest reservoirs. The federal government began the process of restricting water releases from Glen Canyon Dam, which holds back a shrinking Lake Powell.

Feds want the ability to cut back on Colorado River reservoir releases over the next two years

On Friday, the Interior Department began the process of revising existing guidelines for water management in the Colorado River basin.
The Central Tucson Groundwater Treatment System, located near Davis Monthan Air Force Base, removes PFAS contaminates from the aquifer below the area.

The Buzz: Dealing with Arizona's PFAS problem

Why are the chemical class also known as forever chemicals so dangerous, and what's being done to fix the problem?
An ore cart, encrusted in invasive mussel shells, rests on a ledge above a receding Lake Powell.

‘It’s getting close’: As the megadrought grinds on, Arizona working to meet water demands

Satellite photos show a dramatic change.

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