Water

Decades of drought and overpumping are draining groundwater tables across the West. Now, some states are buying farmers’ water rights to free up supplies – and plenty of farmers are ready to sell.

Judges at an annual competition in Keystone picked Denver's water as the best tasting. Louisville and Broomfield were also on the podium.

The restrictions will run throughout the Labor Day holiday when hotels are near or at capacity. It's an unprecedented move, even for a water line that has experienced frequent failures.

A controversial 53-year-old plan to build a major dam above Lyons is drawing renewed attention as a northern Colorado water district seeks to maintain its right to use the water associated with the long-dormant project.

Over the last 30 years, concentrations of toxic metals like zinc and copper have doubled in some of Colorado’s high mountain streams. Researchers blame climate change.

Colorado’s waters have been deadly so far this year. The state Department of Parks & Wildlife reports at least 33 water-related deaths -- 17 of those in reservoirs and 15 in moving water. The agency has tried to stop the trend with increased messaging on safety. And they've been issuing hundreds of tickets to recreators not wearing life jackets. Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins joined KUNC's Michael Lyle, Jr. to get more on this troubling situation.

Negotiations over the water supply for 40 million people are hinged on how you interpret the words "will not cause," written into the century-old Colorado River Compact.

The federal government is spending nearly $5 million to improve drought monitoring and forecasts in the West to help states, communities and farmers better plan and prepare for droughts.

A new study shows just how much climate change is shrinking water supplies for Western farmers. But its authors also have some ideas of what they could do to adapt.

Farming and ranching in the Western U.S. sucks up 75% of the Colorado River basin’s water supply. A new analysis shows the federal government is paying these farmers billions in crop insurance, but not helping them adapt to climate change.