Drought

The reservoir, which straddles the Arizona-Nevada border, has suffered due to an imbalance between supply and demand for Colorado River water.

Trout need cool water to survive. But record heat this summer has driven water temperatures to levels that can kill fish. Wildlife officials are responding by banning fishing during certain hours on rivers and streams across the U.S. West.

As communities across the West keep a close eye on water supplies and wildfire risk, a new federal drought forecast highlights where relief may be on the way, and where dry conditions are likely to continue.

The federal government just issued a new plan for states to share water from the Colorado River. So far, Colorado is spared from the steepest cuts. But some experts are skeptical that the plan does enough to help solve the river’s ongoing issues. We get details on the proposal.

Aurora officials are contemplating consequences for its largest water consumer, Niagara Bottling, which has not yet reduced its consumption despite drought restrictions imposed citywide requiring a 20% reduction in use.

The utility set a 20% reduction goal. At roughly the midpoint of the high season for lawn watering, which accounts for about half of Denver Water home use, customers have cut only about 2%. Listen to "Morning Edition" host Marty Lenz discuss this story with Colorado Sun reporter Michael Booth and then read the entire article at the link below.

The combined amount of water in Lake Powell and Lake Mead is now the lowest it has been in nearly 70 years.

UPDATES: Both of the fires grew overnight into Tuesday. Additional evacuation warnings are now in place for the larger of the two fires in Routt County.

Giving campuses an “oasis-like feel” takes a lot of water, while the region grapples with a warming climate.

This year’s already strong El Niño is strengthening, a trend with potentially significant implications for the intense – and now tragic – fire season.