Drought

As the West grapples with a megadrought, its driest spell in at least 1,200 years, rising levels of arsenic — a known carcinogen — in Colorado’s San Luis Valley offer clues to what the future may hold.

The most recent wildfire potential outlook report from the National Interagency Fire Center shows that much of the West will likely see normal or below normal wildfire seasons this year. However, a large swath of southwest Idaho, northwest Nevada and central Oregon and Washington could see above average wildfires.

Lake Powell is a boater’s dream. The nation’s second largest reservoir on the Colorado River is a maze of sandstone canyons teeming with houseboats. But climate change and unchecked demand for water sent the lake’s levels to a new record low this year. In this episode we explore changes to recreation in this popular vacation hotspot.

Federal officials say many parts of the West continue to see “massive” drought improvements, with some of the most significant changes in the Mountain West.

We hear from The Colorado Sun’s rural economic development reporter, Tracy Ross, in a discussion about ski resorts that provide housing for employees and a false correlation between increased snowpack and lower drought risk.

Despite the reluctance from farmers and communities reliant on farming, there's a growing sense that fallowing needs to be part of efforts to conserve the region's water.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a 3% drop in the country's cattle and calves inventory as of Jan. 1. The number of beef cows was down 4%, the smallest count in more than 60 years.

Across the Western bumblebee's range, populations declined 57% from 1998 to 2020, according to a study published last month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Interior Department is spending nearly $85 million to help communities in the West tackle challenges brought on by drought, and many of the projects are in the Mountain West.

New data on natural disasters in the U.S. reveals that 2022 was one of the costliest and deadliest years on record.