Shannon Mullane
Shannon Mullane writes about the Colorado River Basin and Western water issues for The Colorado Sun. She frequently covers water news related to Western tribes, Western Slope and Colorado with an eye on issues related to resource management, the environment and equity.
Born in East Tennessee, Shannon has been in Colorado for about a decade and is based in Durango in southwest Colorado. Before joining the Sun's team, she contributed award-winning reporting on government, environment, health and more as a staff writer for The Durango Herald and as an intern for the Colorado Independent. She has also contributed reporting and photography to High Country News, The Salt Lake Tribune, ProPublica and Collective Colorado.
During her master's program at the University of Colorado Boulder, she focused her studies on environmental issues in Colorado and the West. Shannon attained a conversational fluency in French while working as an English language teacher in southern France.
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Colorado just experienced its worst winter on record. The state could get moisture from a super El Niño later this year, but experts say to watch for a summer monsoon first. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Mullane and then read the entire article at the link below. -
A resolution that may be “wishful thinking” calls attention to water priorities for the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribes. -
Four states, including Colorado, came up with a plan in 2019 to dodge dangerously low reservoir levels at Lake Powell. That plan expired Dec. 31. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this article with Colorado Sun Editor David Krause and then read the entire story at the link below. -
The state’s snowpack, a vital water supply, is the worst on record for this time of year. Water managers expect to cling onto every last drop come summer. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Mullane and then read the entire article at the link below. -
The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute alleged the state was freezing tribes out of the online betting market. The court’s decision homed in on a central legal conundrum in the case, one that arrived with the rise of the Internet age. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Mullane and then read the entire article at the link below. -
Adult zebra mussels were recently discovered in the Colorado River and a nearby lake in Grand Junction on the Western Slope. Wildlife officials have officials designated that area of the Colorado River as “infested.” Shannon Mullane is a reporter for the Colorado Sun . She discussed zebra mussels with KUNC's Desmond O'Boyle -
Colorado water officials this week (September 5th) will weigh in on whether a pair of Colorado River power rights can be used to benefit the environment. Allowing the state to use Shoshone’s water rights could save fish and improve the aquatic environment in the watershed. The Colorado Sun's Shannon Mullane discussed the topic with KUNC's Desmond O'Boyle -
Western Slope communities, led by the Colorado River District, want to buy the historic Shoshone Power Plant water rights to support their economies. Front Range water providers worry their water supplies could be harmed. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Michael Lyle, Jr. discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Shannon Mullane and the read The Colorado Sun story at the link below. -
Residents of Westwater, a small Navajo subdivision in Utah, set their sights on water in the early 2000s. Now, after years of effort, their dream is turning into a reality. -
Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute officials are willing to forgo future water use to help conservation efforts in the overstretched Colorado River Basin if they’re paid for the effort. Listen to our host Michael Lyle Jr. discuss this story with The Colorado Sun reporter/editor Shane Mullane and then read The Colorado Sun story at the link below.
