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Michelle Peters fills a glass with freshly desalinated ocean water at Poseidon Water's Carlsbad plant. Using reverse osmosis, the facility creates about 10% of San Diego County's freshwater supply.

The Southwest is running out of fresh water. Could the ocean provide a cure?

Arizona and other states are looking at the use of desalination plants.
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.

Deadline looms for drought-stricken states to cut water use

New cuts are expected on Tuesday.
A canal carries water from the Colorado River to tribal land in Arizona.

Tribes in the Colorado River basin say they're 'in the dark' as states discuss water conservation

The complaint comes as Colorado River water users are trying to come up with a new sharing plan.
A measurement gage at Lees Ferry in Arizona is the location where Colorado River water deliveries from the Upper Basin are legally accounted.

Upper Colorado River leaders push back against federal ask for conservation

Mounting pressure to find solutions has Upper Basin leaders saying the savings should come from elsewhere
Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, is projected to decline as 2022 progresses, triggering responses from both state and federal officials.

On the Colorado River the feds carry a big stick. Will the states get hit?

A summer deadline approaches for state leaders to agree on how to cut their water use.
Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

What will Arizona do as its share of Colorado River water diminishes?

We hear about efforts to reassess state allocations and what may come of a billion-dollar fund established this summer.
Glen Canyon Dam holds back Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest reservoir on the Colorado River. The lake is currently at 28% of its capacity.

Responding to federal pressure, Upper Colorado River states seek to bring back conservation program

Colorado River states are facing a deadline to cut their water use.
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Fort Huachuca receives $2.8M for water and environment conservation projects

The Army post is working with partners in Sierra Vista.
Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

Governor signs $1.2B water plan as Arizona faces cutbacks

A $1 billion fund will help get new water supplies into Arizona, including a possible desalination plant Ducey has touted.
The Central Arizona Project moves water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona. July 2021

ASU online water tool updates help Arizonans learn about waterways

The project covers shortages, farmland data, pollution levels and other aspects of water usage.
Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

Under federal pressure, Colorado River water managers face unprecedented call for conservation

States have 60 days to craft a deal.
Anastasia Rabin owns land in the Douglas Basin and says she knew water scarcity could be a problem when she moved here, but didn't realize it would become such a big problem so soon.

Residents in Cochise County organize vote to establish water regulation

Many in the Douglas and Willcox Basins say their wells are going dry as big business moves in around them
Former Mexican Security Secretary Alfonso Durazo was elected governor of the state of Sonora in June 2021.

Sonora governor: Desalination will have to be part of state water supply

With at least a dozen neighborhoods in Hermosillo already experiencing water shortages this summer, the state is confronting a future without enough water for residents.
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.
Snow hangs in Colorado's Elk Mountains in May 2022. The Colorado River gets the majority of its water from high-altitude snowpack, and climate scientists say it's likely that less water than normal will make it into rivers and streams.

For this summer's water forecast, climate experts are looking back to winter

Snow is the key to water in Arizona and other the Colorado River Basin states.
Many Southern Arizona residents employ water-saving techniques, like rainwater harvest.

Making the most of water in Tucson

As the monsoon approaches, The Buzz focuses on rainwater harvesting.

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