Water

Snow is beginning to fall high in the Rockies, forming the main water supply for the Colorado River.

The U.S. Department of Interior is spending another $51 million on water projects across the West. A majority of those funds – about $30 million – will flow to the Mountain West region.

Across the southwest, the amount it costs to have water piped to your homes is likely to go up. City utilities have to replace pipes and other infrastructure that's getting old, and invest in new systems that'll help them survive a drier future.

Water issues in the arid west are complex. The laws that govern our region’s rivers and reservoirs are tough to wrap your mind around, but art can provide an entry point – and create an emotional connection that helps people understand what’s at stake.

The Interior Department recently announced $180 million in new funding for large-scale water recycling programs. The money is available for local agencies looking to reuse wastewater, which officials say will make a big difference for western communities dealing with drought.

The Environmental Protection Agency has removed protections from more than half of the country’s wetlands. The agency says the change is designed to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

New research shows that in much of the world, water supplies for drinking, bathing and farming are being threatened. That includes sections of the Mountain West.

Farmers in California's Imperial Valley have the single largest water allocation along the Colorado River. They say they need to be compensated before taking cutbacks.

A new study shows that nearly half of the nation’s drinking water contains “forever chemicals” – or PFAS – that may cause cancer and other health problems. And some especially high contamination levels were detected in the Mountain West.

Though historic snowfall eased drought conditions, threats of extended dry periods don’t let up in the arid West. That’s why water managers are working on creating sustainable water supplies, including turning the water that flushes down people’s toilets into drinking water from their taps.