🎙️ON AIR We're talking to @nature.org's Celene Hawkins and environmental journalists @cvonka.bsky.social and @lukerunyon.bsky.social about the record-low water levels in the Colorado River basin and what this drought could mean for California. ❓What are your questions about the drought? 📻Listen:

This story paints an accurately grim picture of the water crisis out West this year. Also, I appreciate that more national outlets are using acre-feet in their coverage. Billions and trillions of gallons is pretty meaningless. Acre-feet with context is the way! www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/u...

One thing you often hear on the Colorado River is that when push comes to shove and supplies are scarce the environment ends up being the biggest loser. Can't think of a better way to show that in practice than this Politico story: www.eenews.net/articles/tru...

New forecasts are in. Looks like we could be headed for a Wet Hot Colorado Plateau Summer.

I went on @pbsnews.org's Horizons last week to talk about the latest news on the Colorado River, and try not to be a total bummer (which is really hard to do in this very warm, very dry year we're having): youtu.be/39-z063W1WY?...

Based on this official forecast, looks spring runoff into Lake Powell is nearly done. In mid-May.

“The heat dome put an exclamation point on the worst winter in a century,” said Still. “It was the worst possible way to end the winter that was already worse than normal.” via @highcountrynews.org

This guy gets it.

I'm having a hard time believing my eyes with water data this year. The Colorado River mainstem through Grand Junction was flowing at 54 cfs last night. Not a typo. 54 cfs. Last year on this date it was flowing at 1,420cfs. Even in 2002, the driest year on record, it was at 690cfs on April 22.

"For us to have a functioning, operating plan for 2026, decisions are going to have to be made this month." Tony Davis with the best coverage of Interior Sec. Burgum's recent Arizona visit where water scarcity cast a shadow over his planned focus on mineral abundance: tucson.com/news/local/e...

"This is the worst scenario we could have." Utah's snowpack typically peaks this week. Instead, it's around 20% of normal. My latest for @kuer.org on how a poor winter and a March heat wave combined to create unprecedented conditions ⤵️ www.kuer.org/science-envi...

April 1 is a key milestone for the West’s snowpack. This year’s data paint a disturbing portrait of the historic snow drought. My latest at snow.news: www.snow.news/p/snowpack-a...

It's April 1 -- a key date for taking stock of western snowpack to prepare for the year ahead. This year, it's abysmal. Upper Colorado River snow is 24% of the long-term average. It looks more like June out there, not early April. Get ready to see some sad, weird stuff happen on the Colorado.

The astonishing rate of March snowmelt in Colorado River Basin continues, and is now well into record-low territory (even, it appears, relative to pre-SNOTEL era). And the extreme regional heatwave is only slowly fading, with unprecedented March melt continuing in meantime.

High temperatures like these across the state in March are ridiculous. The March statewide record of 96°F was tied at several locations including Campo, Burlington, and La Junta (so far, data still coming in); pretty much every other March record was broken. #cowx 1/

I opened this Colorado River snowpack graph up today expecting it to be bad, and my mouth still dropped open and I gasped. This is... so so so bad.

Honestly, this historic heat dome across the West is really hard to put into words for me. Temperatures over 110°F (43°C) in March, shattering all-time monthly records on multiple consecutive days, and not just by a little. ➡️ I can confirm this is human-caused climate change. polarwx.com/models/

What does a multi-day springtime heat dome do to an already record low Colorado River basin snowpack? We're about to find out. Temperature records are set to be smashed across Colorado and Utah this week.

Dropping Lake Powell levels are forcing one of its largest remaining marinas to relocate to stay in water. Park Service announces today that Bullfrog marina on the reservoir's north end will move entirely to the other side near Halls Crossing to remain viable this year: www.nps.gov/glca/learn/n...

If the Colorado River crisis is a slow-moving train wreck, the train is about to hit us. New federal forecasts show Lake Powell possibly dropping low enough to lose hydropower production in about 6 months or less. Even more troubling, it could cease producing power for the following *year*.

After just wrapping up its warmest winter on record, Utah appears to be at the center of the bullseye for next week’s heat wave. Not ideal.

The snowpack is below normal in every river basin in the West. This March 8 map shows that a few watersheds are above 90% (green), but all that red shading indicates less than 50% of the 1991-2020 median for snow water equivalent. www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-ini...

I spoke with author and law professor Robert Glennon about the uncertain consequences of a Colorado River court battle: "This is rolling the dice on something that is really quite profound. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to go to Vegas and play the craps." www.latimes.com/environment/...

A coalition of cities and water agencies led by the Central Arizona Project has started rolling out TV ads: "Arizona is being unfairly targeted for reductions of Colorado River water that would cripple our state." @brandonloomis.bsky.social @azcentral.com www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

The impasse among the states is pushing Glen Canyon Dam closer to the brink. "Aridification is rendering the dam obsolete, at least as a water storage savings account," @landdesk.bsky.social writes: www.landdesk.org/p/the-colora...

Even after last week's wallop of winter snow, Upper Colorado River basin snowpack is still at a record low. The March forecast is looking warm and dry across the Southwest and southern Rockies. Wouldn't be surprised to see water supply forecasts approach record lows too.

New projections out today show Lake Powell -- nation's second largest reservoir -- careening toward a loss of hydropower production as early as July 2026. Even the more optimistic model shows it losing power in December. Meanwhile, the basin's leaders today admit failure on crafting new policy.

Past Colorado River agreements have been pushed over the finish line due to federal pressure and real threats. But the Trump administration, which uses threats to spur action on nearly every other policy front, has taken an uncharacteristic back seat in this current round of talks:

Still a day away from the federal deadline for Colorado River states to submit a detailed plan for cuts, but hopes for any last minute deal are gone. Nevada's negotiator John Entsminger is calling it: "The basin states have failed."

State water officials are asking towns and industry along the North Platte River to assess their water rights and whether they might have to tap into an emergency water bank. For now, those with "junior" rights must shut off their spigots, with little snow and water relief in the forecast.

It's not just the WaPost, @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social writes: "It reflects a wider weakening of the institutions responsible for producing and maintaining a shared factual record, particularly on subjects that are politically contested and structurally complex." news.mongabay.com/2026/02/what...

Still lots of uncertainty in how spring snowpack accumulation will shake out, but it's possible the Colorado River into Lake Powell could be heading toward a new record low flow this year, per @nws.noaa.gov's Colorado Basin River Forecast Center:

Given the latest NOAA CBRFC inflow forecast for Lake Powell, I dusted off this plot from my Twitter days and updated it. The Feb 1st outlook for Colorado River flows hasn't been this poor in >35 years. Even if wetter weather ahead, bottom-10 outcome likely. h/t @glenwoodrek.bsky.social

More grim news about the West's snow drought: 🛰️ Lowest Feb. 1 snow cover in the satellite record (since 2001) 📉 Record-low Feb. 1 statewide snowpack in Oregon, Colorado, and Utah ⚠️ “A Dry, Warm January Leaves the West With the Worst Snowpack in Decades” www.drought.gov/drought-stat...

How failing negotiations could spiral into a bitter fight over the Colorado River As the deadlock persists, the chances of a court battle are growing. Arizona's negotiator says without a deal, a lawsuit is likely. I spoke with Colorado's governor about the impasse: www.latimes.com/environment/...

Collapse of the Colorado River system is almost inevitable at this point, and a deal to stop it looks unlikely as Arizona and Colorado ramp up talks of settling their disputes in court. My latest with @jakebolster.bsky.social. insideclimatenews.org/news/0402202...

Utah's statewide snowpack level is now at a record low for this time in early February. That's based on data from the state's network of snow survey sites, which began in 1980.

“I’m hopeful — and maybe it’s wildly delusional — that these new voices are going to be thinking bigger picture." Western governors head to Washington to wade into messy water battle, from @byscottdance.com:

The Colorado River's biggest reservoirs are in rough shape. Snowpack in the headwaters is at an historic low point. The policy and guidelines to manage the river are inadequate. And no one in power can say they didn't see it coming. Really the most meaningful shortage is of political will.

Even with the weekend snows, Upper Colorado River basin snowpack is still at a record low with barely a flake in the 10-day forecast.

Op-Ed: “There is no time to wait.” @ronrudolph.bsky.social says the Bureau of Reclamation should begin engineering and environmental studies to modify Glen Canyon Dam so water can reliably and sustainably get through or around it. www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2026/01/op-e...

The Winter Storm Severity Index for the next 3 days shows the huge footprint of this dangerous weather system. WSSI highlights areas where travel and daily life may be disrupted by snow, ice, and wind. www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/wssi/wss...

With Colorado River negotiations at an impasse, the Trump administration has called the governors of seven states to a meeting in Washington to try to hash out a consensus. www.latimes.com/environment/... @latimes.com

*opens laptop to check in on Colorado River negotiators* "After four days of talks, 'we got tired of each other.'" *closes laptop* utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/01/20/c...

Another climate feedback loop: Snowpack has trouble sticking around after forests are burned in megafires www.circleofblue.org/2025/water-c...

As of today we have a new record low snowpack for the Upper Colorado River basin for late January.

BREAKING: Two members of Congress have asked federal officials to investigate Wyoming lawyer Karen Budd-Falen for possible corruption while serving in President Trump's Interior Department. The embroglio involves a Nevada lithium mine and a water contract with her family ranch.

A quick Colorado River 2026 snowpack check: -currently trending below 2002 (lowest runoff on record) -about to tie 2018 (lowest snowpack on record for late January) -warm and dry conditions predicted for February, March, April across the Southwest

Went on Living on Earth this week to discuss the current dire hydrology and policy stalemate on the Colorado River: www.loe.org/shows/segmen...