Lake Powell drops to record low as demand continues to outpace drought
The nation’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell, is fell over the weekend to 3,555.1 feet above sea level, the lowest point since it was filled in the 1960s. It joins downstream Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir, which also fell to a historic low level this summer.
Plumbing the Rockies: Vast infrastructure gets water where it’s needed
In Colorado, most of the water is in the western part of the state, but 80% of residents live east of the Rocky Mountains. A complex network of tunnels and canals supplies those cities, but is that system still viable in a warming, drying West?
Hydropower worries grow as Colorado River reservoirs continue to dry up
Water to drink also is water for power production, and planners are worried as the current megadrought in the Colorado River Basin strains the operation of Lake Powell’s Glen Canyon Dam.
Colorado River Basin reservoirs begin emergency releases to prop up a troubled Lake Powell
Emergency water releases from reservoirs upstream of Lake Powell began Thursday to preserve its ability to generate hydroelectric power.
Hiking trails on Piestewa, Camelback will close during extreme heat
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board approved a pilot program which restricts access to hiking trails from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when an excessive heat watch is in place.
Lucky sucker: Endangered fish’s status improving; critics not so sure
WASHINGTON - Federal officials said the endangered razorback sucker has made enough of a comeback that it is time for the status of the Colorado River fish to be upgraded from endangered to threatened.
Drier springs produce hotter summers in the withering Southwest, study says
Warmer air holds more moisture, but over the past decades in the U.S. Southwest, humidity has decreased as temperatures have risen, which robs soil of its moisture. A new study by UCLA researchers paints a grim picture for the future.
‘You feel like you can’t get a break’: The Colorado River struggles to water the West after two decades of drought
After another dry year, the waterway that supplies 40 million people is parched as climate change upends the water cycle in the Southwest. Scientists say the only way forward is to rein in demands on the 1,450-mile long Colorado River’s water to match its decline.
Black-footed ferret on the way back, but hurdles remain, experts say
WASHINGTON - Federal officials want to greatly expand habitats for black-footed ferrets in Arizona and possibly into neighboring states, but the endangered animal, once thought extinct, still faces several hurdles, experts say.
Traffic stop: Commuting times, costs fell sharply during pandemic year
WASHINGTON - The COVID-19 pandemic led to sharp drops in commuting last year, with cities in Arizona and across the U.S. seeing drops of 50% or more in the number of hours and dollars they wasted, and the gallons of gas burned, while stuck in traffic, a new report shows.
After the flames: Santa Catalina Mountains rebounding from Bighorn Fire a year ago
TUCSON – A year later, plants and wildlife are returning to the Santa Catalina Mountains after one of the state’s largest wildfires destroyed nearly 120,000 acres.
AZ goes EV: Rate of electric car ownership relatively high in Arizona
WASHINGTON - Arizona had 28,770 registered electric vehicles in June, government data shows, the seventh-highest number among states. When ownership is measured per 1,000 residents, Arizona inches up a notch to sixth place, with just over four EVs per 1,000 people.
