Arizona Sailing Foundation makes waves with sailing lessons in the Valley

TEMPE – The Arizona Sailing Foundation has helped people of all ages learn to sail in the desert since 1958, mostly on Tempe Town Lake and Lake Pleasant. On select weekends throughout the year, the organization teaches youth and adult classes for those yearning to become mariners. The students learn key skills such as control, patience and a capsize drill.

The Arizona Sailing Foundation teaches youth and adult classes, including a capsize drill students learn on the first of the two-day course. Photo taken at Tempe Town Lake on Oct. 14, 2023. (Photo by Sydney Witte/Cronkite News)

A 120-year legacy: Tempe’s historic Hayden Flour Mill set for revitalization

TEMPE – Tempe's historic Hayden Flour Mill, a landmark dating back to 1918, has been approved for redevelopment after standing vacant since 1998. The project includes new retail businesses, a public park, improvements to the A Mountain trailhead and preservation of the historic buildings.


An early-winter ‘snow drought’ is leaving the West’s mountains high and dry

Winter is off to a dry start across the West, with wide swaths of the Rocky Mountains seeing lower-than-average snow totals for this time of year. That "snow drought" could affect the region's water supply, but experts say there’s plenty of time to turn it around.


‘Pumped’ hydropower plans proliferate; one in particular stirs opposition

WASHNGTON - Plans for pumped storage hydropower projects - which recirculate water on a loop to generate power - are proliferating in Arizona, but one in particular, at Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation, has drawn opposition from local groups.


Montezuma Castle among Arizona national park sites combating vandalism

PHOENIX – In March, Montezuma Castle National Monument used burlap to cover the bark of six Arizona sycamore trees that had been vandalized along public trails. Vandalism has been an ongoing issue at Arizona’s national park sites.

National Park Service employees at Montezuma Castle National Monument wrap an Arizona sycamore tree with burlap. (Photo courtesy Montezuma Castle National Monument)

Winter snow could help recharge the Colorado River. But what if it doesn’t?

The snows falling in the mountains of Colorado are the first step toward recharging the Colorado River. But this winter's precipitation outlook is unclear, and how it unfolds will have an outsized impact on coming years of managing the drought-stressed river.


ADEQ proposes framework for converting wastewater into purified drinking water

PHOENIX – Recently, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality released a proposed roadmap outlining plans to convert treated wastewater into purified drinking water. The Advanced Water Purification Program roadmap establishes and explains the technical standards to which purification technology will be held.

Water drips from faucets at an artistic reclaimed water display in front of the Scottsdale Water Campus. (Photo by Kate Duffy/Cronkite News)

Some breathing room as water managers meet to weigh Colorado River’s future

The Colorado River Water Users Association meets this week, but for the first time in years, state water policy leaders see less need for short-term fixes and more time to plan long term, after a wet winter and a conservation deal bought some breathing room.


Vintage resale: Sustainable business endeavor grows for fashion enthusiasts

PHOENIX – Vintage reselling has become a popular full-time job for fashion enthusiasts in the past few years, and vintage markets have become a destination for young shoppers hoping to lessen their environmental impact by avoiding fast fashion.

When selling at pop-up markets, vendors can personalize their shops to reflect their own style. “Where I feel like a lot of people go wrong is they try to sell stuff that they don't care about,” says Isaiah Barajas, co-owner of Ivory House Vintage Shop. “Then you just fall out of love with it.” (Photo by Kate Duffy/Cronkite News)

Arizona rattlesnakes could be affected by I-11 construction

QUEEN CREEK – Arizona is home to more than a dozen rattlesnake species, the highest number in the U.S. But as the Valley continues to build transportation infrastructure with potential projects like the I-11 corridor, some of these species could be displaced.

Two black-tailed rattlesnakes sit in their enclosure at the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary in Scottsdale, on Sept. 18, 2023. (Photo by Kiersten Edgett/Cronkite News)

Arizona Game and Fish restocks lakes with fish grown in hatcheries

PAGE SPRINGS – Arizona Game and Fish grows fish to replenish the state’s lakes. This supports those who enjoy the pastime while also keeping the state’s environment vibrant.

Rainbow trout are released into Goldwater Lake on Oct. 16, 2023. Anglers at Lynx Lake eagerly await the release of the trout. (Photo by Kevinjonah Paguio/Cronkite News)

New climate report shows impact of drying on human health in Southwest

The arid West is getting drier, posing a boatload of risks to human health in the region. Those findings come from a new federal report on that says hazards brought on by changing climate patterns range from flooding to wildfires, drought to rising sea levels.