Thinning effort to restore ponderosa forests to their natural state inches forward
FLAGSTAFF – For decades, land managers and ranchers in northern Arizona dealt with forest fires in a way that led to an overpopulation of trees. Now, agencies are working to fix that — but the sheer number and high cost of doing so is one hurdle they’ll have to overcome.
The cost of drought: Less water from Lake Mead in 2020, higher rates for consumers
LAKE MEAD – Access to one-seventh of Arizona’s share of water from Lake Mead could evaporate by 2020 if drought if lake water levels continue to drop. And that could cost consumers.
‘Our fish’: Dedicated biologists scour Colorado River to help endangered species survive
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Wildlife officials use electrified rafts to momentarily stun fish and pull them out of the water. They remove non-native fish – such as smallmouth bass – and eventually discard them in a local landfill.
U.S.-Canada trade deal gives AZ dairy farmers hope, but worries about Mexico tariffs remain
MESA – Mexico-Canada Agreement gives farmers more access to Canada’s dairy markets but two Arizona experts say farmers have been suffering from retaliatory tariffs Mexico imposed on U.S. agriculture.
‘Somebody’s going to have to use less’: Colorado River managers grapple with drought plans
PAGE - The seven states along the Colorado River are trying to find a solution to preserve the declining river, which provides water to 40 million people.
Intel, hoping to become ‘water neutral,’ funds Nature Conservancy project on West Clear Creek
PHOENIX – Intel announced a water restoration goal last year: Restore 100 percent of its direct global water use by 2025. Water is a growing concern for many companies, many of which want to become 'water neutral.'
Oops or Shine On? Phoenix program helps residents recycle better
PHOENIX – A recycling program launched this month gives residents individualized feedback on what they can and cannot recycle.
Kroger to phase out plastic bags at all its grocery stores over 7 years
PHOENIX – Kroger, which owns Fry’s Foods, will phase out plastic bags by 2025. It’s the most recent company to respond to the backlash against single-use plastics.
Water thieves, beware: This Colorado ‘water cop’ is on the case
CORTEZ, Colo. – Dave Huhn is a sheriff’s deputy for Montezuma County, Colorado, a stretch of sagebrush mesas and sandstone cliffs bordering Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Unlike other local law enforcement throughout the West, Huhn specializes in the complex world of water law.
Beach cleanups help keep plastic out of Great Pacific Garbage Patch
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Santa Monica volunteers gather at the Pier North beach each year to collect trash littered on the coast. Through the nonprofit organization, Heal the Bay, their efforts help to address the constantly growing Great Pacific Garbage Patch between California and Hawaii.
Hydrologists fan out across metro Phoenix to gauge flooding left in Rosa’s wake
PHOENIX – Following record-setting rain, the United States Geological Survey spent Tuesday measuring the impact of flood water on Phoenix’s waterways.
Treatment plant battles leaking sewage pipe, heavy metals that kill key microbes
NOGALES – A 70-year-old pipe that brings wastewater from Mexico to the U.S. is causing concerns for health and the environment.
