1. Radio
  2. Arizona Environment Water

More Arizona Environment Water Stories

Water levels in Lake Powell are dipping dangerously close to "dead pool," at which point it becomes impossible to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon dam. Experts think the reservoir could reach those levels within a year.

Hydropower customers could pay extra fees

Federal law requires fees be paid whether or not dams are generating power.
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.

Western drought worst in 1000 years

Scientists say this is the worst case scenario.
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.
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.
Mated pair of Great Plains toads (Anaxyrus cognatus) in the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River.

The Desert Blooms in a Bountiful Monsoon.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Why the music of the rock group Fanny is rocking a whole new generation!
The Central Arizona Project moves water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona. July 2021

Arizona faces cut in water supplies as shortage is declared on Colorado River

Arizona will lose 18% of its share of Colorado River water next year, with cuts falling largely on farmers.
Soldier Canyon in the Catalina Mountains.

Measuring the Monsoon.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: 'Tis the season for mushroom hunters on Mount Lemmon; and "Gloria: A Life" returns to The Invisible Theatre.
Lake Pleasant, north of Phoenix, is a major reservoir for Colorado River water. Each summer the lake is pumped down to send water to Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties. July 2021

Water cutbacks coming to Arizona

A decades-long drought means less water from the Colorado River.
Lake Mead, 2016.

US West prepares for possible 1st water shortage declaration

Projections say by late next year Lake Mead could drop to levels that could threaten the ability to generate electricity at Hoover Dam
The sun shines harshly behind a saguaro cactus.

Low saguaro reproduction numbers at national park in Tucson

Drought cycle that dates to the mid-1990s thought to be responsible
Visitors take in Colorado River views at Horseshoe Bend outside Page, Arizona.

A Colorado River showdown is looming. Let the posturing begin

The states that draw water from it are about to undertake a new round of negotiations over the river’s future.
This stretch of the Colorado River near Moab, Utah is currently in extreme drought.

Forecast for spring: Nasty drought worsens for much of US

West will be especially hard hit

Western states chart diverging paths as water shortages loom

Drought and dwindling supply are creating stress on the western water-sharing system
Looking upstream Sabino Creek on one of the bridges at the popular recreation site in Tucson in early winter.

Arizona seeks to create surface water protections after Clean Water Act rollback

The legislation aims to fill the gap left by the rollback of federal protections, but not everyone is pleased with the current proposal.
This stretch of the Colorado River near Moab, Utah is currently in extreme drought.

Predicted Arizona dry year could impact trees, cause fires

After driest year on record in 2020, no relief is in sight

Selected Archive Filters

Arizona, Environment, Water
Back to Top
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona