Stories - AZPM

Low water levels at Wahweap Bay at Lake Powell along the Upper Colorado River Basin are shown, on June 9, 2021, at the Utah and Arizona border at Wahweap, Ariz.

Feds announce start of public process to reshape key rules on Colorado River water use by 2027

The U.S. Interior Department said it will publish in the Federal Register on Friday a call for replacing guidelines that expire in 2026.

John Farley, director of fire test operations at the Naval Research Laboratory, tests the effectiveness of aqueous film-forming foam by spraying it on a gasoline fire. The test took place at the laboratory in Chesapeake Beach, Md. Oct. 25, 2019.

ADEQ, fire departments dispose over 6,000 gallons of firefoam containing PFAS

The collaboration comes from the AFFF Take Back and Replace pilot-program

The Central Arizona Project moves water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona. July 2021

Arizona to restrict some new construction in fast-growing areas of Phoenix reliant on groundwater

Officials said the move would not affect existing homeowners who already have assured water supplies.

Arizona AG Kris Mayes sues manufacturers for PFAS contamination

The companies have known about the 'forever chemicals' for decades

The City of Tucson will voluntarily reduce its water allocations from the Colorado River by up to 110,000 acre-feet through 2025. The multi-year agreement was signed by Mayor Regina Romero, alongside the Bureau of Reclamation through the Central Arizona Project (CAP) on Wednesday, May 24.

Tucson signs agreement to use less Colorado River water

The voluntary deal offers the City of Tucson $400 per acre-foot as compensation for every unit conserved.

A pontoon boat is tied up at the shore of a recently-revealed beach in one of Lake Powell's side canyons on April 10, 2023

At Lake Powell, record low water levels reveal an 'amazing silver lining'

Water managers are under pressure to keep water flowing through hydroelectric turbines within Glen Canyon Dam, which holds back Powell.

The seven states in the Colorado River basin couldn't agree on a plan to conserve unprecedented amounts of water before a federal deadline. Meanwhile, grim projections for the future of water levels in Lake Mead have forced mandatory cuts to water for some users in the lower basin. Federal authorities are trying to prop up levels in the nation's largest reservoir before they dip too low to generate hydropower or allow the passage of water.

California, Arizona, Nevada offer landmark drought deal to use less Colorado River water — for now

The plan would conserve an additional 3 million acre-feet of water through 2026, when current guidelines for how the river is shared expire.

Beaver River

Tag along on recent efforts to reintroduce beavers to the San Pedro River in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora.

A set of four tubes known as the "river outlet works" allows extra water to flow through the Glen Canyon Dam. The flows are designed to take advantage of extra wet years and help wildlife habitat downstream of the dam.

An extra pulse of water is flowing into Grand Canyon after a wet winter

This experiment is the first since 2018 and comes in response to forecasts for an above-average spring snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains.

A canal carries water from the Colorado River to tribal land in Arizona.

Water permits for Saudi Arabia-owned farm in Arizona revoked

Attorney General Kris Mayes says her office discovered inconsistencies in the applications for the new wells for the company Fondomonte Arizona LLC.

EXPLAINER: What might Colorado River cuts mean for states?

In recent years, an imbalance between the river’s flows and how much water users are promised has forced federal officials to consider steps never taken before.

White "bathtub rings" show dropping levels on Lake Mead. The reservoir's stores have been dipping steadily, setting records for new all-time lows.

Without agreement among states, federal officials say Colorado River cuts are coming

Record low levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell prompted the federal government to look at how it might impose cuts to keep hydropower generation going at the nation’s largest reservoirs.

Glen Canyon Dam holds back Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest reservoir on the Colorado River. The lake is currently at 28% of its capacity.

Tribe, US officials reach deal to save Colorado River water

The $233 million pact with the Gila River Indian Community, announced in Phoenix, was hailed as an example of the kind of cooperation needed to rescue the river.