NEWSWIRE: Four Corners rain, flooding, Also: Public Lands, Data Center Digest, Mining Monitor, more — Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org) #SanJuanRiver #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification

Lightning and city lights. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

Click the link to read the article on The Land Desk website (Jonathan P. Thompson):

September 21, 2026

⛈️ Wacky Weather Watch⚡️

Tropical disturbances have moved into the Four Corners Country in recent days, bringing massive amounts of moisture, raising river levels, and causing flash flooding. The pattern — and high danger of flooding — is expected to continue this week [September 21, 2026], with the highest rainfall forecast for New Mexico. 

Snow-nerd Andy Gleason reported that, as of Sept. 18, 3.5 inches of rain had already fallen in Silverton during the storm cycle. The National Weather Service also says the percentage of water in the atmosphere, or PWAT, in the area was 300% of normal, higher than they have ever recorded before.

Streamflows across the region shot up once again, with the San Juan River at Four Corners reaching 13,000 cubic feet per second on Sept. 19. That was enough to send it over its banks in some places in and around Shiprock, and Navajo Nation police evacuated residents near the San Juan Bridge, which high waters threatened.

The high flows sent a surge of water into Lake Powell, causing inflows to exceed releases and bringing the reservoir’s surface level up by a few inches. However it remains below 53,517 feet — or a mere seven feet above the level the Bureau of Reclamation plans to “defend.”

It’s increasingly likely that this series of September storms will bring total accumulated precipitation in Four Corners watersheds up to or above median levels by the 2026 water year’s end on Sept. 30.

Notice how accumulated precipitation in the San Juan River watershed for the 2026 water year, indicated by the black line, was at record levels during its first weeks and didn’t drop below the median until February. The latest round of storms — along with those to come — could push the levels back up to or above the median before the water year ends Sept. 30. Source: USDA.

That may seem surprising given how dry last winter was, how severe the drought is in much of the West, and how low streamflows have been all summer. But big storms in the early part of the water year (last October) and now at the end of it have buoyed accumulated precipitation levels, which exceeded those in water year 2025. The problem this year was one of timing, with most of the moisture coming before snow-season, and of warmth: It is shaping up to be the warmest water year on record across most of the West.

🐟 COLORADO RIVER CHRONICLES 💧
  • Tech giant Amazon plans to invest $20 million into Colorado River Basin water conservation projects as part of the newly formed Colorado River Basin Collaborative. Amazon’s first two funded projects include a leak-detection and repair effort in Orange County, California; and working with Arable on irrigation efficiency efforts on tribal farmland in Arizona. (Amazon News)
🐓 REGULATORY CAPTURE RECORD 🦊
  • Idaho investigators find that a 5,600-acre wildfire in 2024 was initially ignited on Trump appointee Michael Boren’s ranch by Boren’s brother, Steve, who did so without a permit. The fire cost approximately $950,000 to contain. (Public Domain / High Country News)
🌵 PUBLIC LANDS 🌲
  • U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (MAGA-Utah) moves to use the Congressional Review Act to revoke the Bears Ears National Monument management plan and block the development of a substantially similar plan in the future. While this would not prevent a future administration from restoring the original national monument boundaries, it would hamper efforts to to create a new management plan for a restored monument and could throw the entire area — even BLM lands removed from the monument — into a sort of regulatory chaos. (news release, Wes Siler’s Newsletter)
  • The U.S. Forest Service considers turning over management of the Maroon Bells Scenic Area near Aspen, Colorado, to Pitkin County, saying it can no longer sustain the $300,000 annual loss at the site. The USFS plans to use a categorical exclusion to skirt the environmental review process, raising concerns about setting a dangerous precedent that would allow similar public lands transfers without analysis. (Westwise)
  • The Trump administration’s ongoing dismantling of the National Park Service continues, as it funnels funds intended for repairs and maintenance in popular Western parks to President Donald Trump’s vanity projects in Washington, D.C.. (New York Times)
Confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River. Photo credit: DMY at Hebrew Wikipedia [Public domain]
SACRED LANDS
  • The Navajo Nation council formally recognizes as a sacred site Tooh Ahidiilíní — the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River, the Little Colorado River Gorge, and surrounding areas. The legislation provides additional protection against development such as the now defunct Escalade project or once-proposed pumped hydropower storage projects. (Grand Canyon Trust)
⛏️ Mining Monitor ⛏️
  • The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency pushes back on NuFuels’ proposed Crownpoint Uranium Project in-situ-recovery facility, per the Diné Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005, which bans uranium mining and processing on the Navajo Nation. The facility would be located near the site of the 1979 Church Rock uranium tailings spill, the largest release of radioactive materials in U.S. history. (Navajo Times)
  • Laramide Resources said it is moving ahead with its proposed La Jara Mesa uranium mining project on the Cibola National Forest west of Mt. Taylor in New Mexico, despite intense opposition and a federal permitting pause. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
🛢️ FOSSIL FUEL FOLLIES 📈
  • The Bureau of Land Management considers opening the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge near Vernal, Utah, to oil and gas leasing. If developed, the leases would come with “no surface occupancy” stipulations, meaning directional drilling would occur outside the refuge to reach the federal minerals underneath it. (news release, Times-Independent)
  • U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) join the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s plan to auction oil and gas leases within the tribe’s reservation in southwestern Colorado, saying they are in an “environmentally and culturally significant” area. (news release)
  • Today (9/21) is the last day to submit comments to the Bureau of Land Management on 43 proposed oil and gas leases on almost 75,000 acres in Utah, including parcels near Hatch Point just outside the pre-shrinkage boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument. (BLM, SUWA)
  • The Bureau of Land Management receives no bids for offered oil and gas leases covering 20,600 acres in Nevada, triggering a replacement sale and making the parcels available for noncompetitive bidding. (Taxpayers for Common Sense)
  • Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon lauds Peabody Energy’s pilot shipment of Powder River Basin coal to Vietnam via a newly opened Union Pacific rail line to Mexico export terminals. (Oil City News)
🤖 DATA CENTER DIGEST 👾
  • Bureau of Land Management documents show multiple developers are proposing to build data centers on public land in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, although most of the projects are still in the conceptual phase and have yet to begin the federal permitting process. (Washington Sun)
  • The Hualapai Tribal Council in Arizona passes a resolution opposing “the irresponsible development of hyperscale data centers, saying they pose a “direct and severe threat to the tribe’s sacred water, lands, environment, and way of life.” (KJZZ)
  • A new study explores siting data centers on abandoned mine lands and using the acid mine drainage to cool the facilities. (Science Direct)
  • New Mexico Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland says if elected she would implement a temporary moratorium on new large-scale data centers to allow state lawmakers to develop regulations for the facilities. (Source NM)
  • Holy Cross Energy officials say they expect developers to propose data centers in Garfield County, Colorado, within the next five years, adding that the electric cooperative can accommodate the increased demand. (Aspen Daily News)
🔋ENERGY TRANSITION 🔌
  • Bannock County, Idaho’s commissioners consider rescinding their 2024 ban on new utility-scale solar and wind energy installations, with supporters saying the projects could provide badly needed economic development and tax revenues. (Canary Media)
  • A federal judge rules that the Trump administration illegally terminated the $7 billion Solar for All program aimed at bringing rooftop and community solar to low-income people, and revokes the cancellation. (Associated Press)

South Platte River Basin #climate for the week ending September 28, 2026, and the latest Seasonal Outlooks, through December 31, 2026, from the CPC #SouthPlatteRiver

Below is the Precipitation Accumulation in South Platte graph from the NRCS for September 28, 2026. This morning precipitation, at the SNOTEL stations, is at 75% of the median (down 1% one week), and 75% of the water year median (down 1% one week). There are 2 days left in the water year.

Showers are likely today, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with a slight chance for showers Sunday in the central mountains. Showers are likely today and Tuesday, with a chance for showers Wednesday, and a chance for showers Sunday in the northern mountains. Showers are likely today, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with a chance for showers Thursday, down here, about 441 miles from Mesa Verde National Park. From the NPS:

The Far View area was once an extensive farming community and one of the most densely populated regions of the Mesa Verde. This mesa top community includes Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Far View Reservoir (currently dry), Megalithic House, and Far View Tower. In ancient times, it was a place of modest homes interspersed with small farm fields. It was a place filled with people, vibrant life, and constant change. 

Beginning around 800 CE, Ancestral Pueblo people lived here for several centuries, farming the deep mesa-top soils, building their homes, and raising their families. This was not always a quiet woodland. On a summer day in 1050 this ancient community would have been filled with the smell of juniper smoke and the sounds of everyday life: conversations between people working together, barking dogs, laughing children, ravens calling overhead, and the wind rustling through the shiny corn leaves. In the mid-1100s, there may have been at least 35 occupied villages and surrounding farm and garden plots within a half-square-mile area, including those you can visit today.

Looking across Pipe Shrine House at Far View House. NPS/Sandy Groves
Farview Reservoir Mesa Verde NP

Here’s a look at the Colorado 7-Day precipitation map through September 27, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas ranged from 0.00” to 1.50″.

Here’s the Colorado 7-Day percent of normal precipitation map through September 27, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte River Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas was 0% to 800% of normal.

Here’s the most recent 7-Day Departure from Normal Temperature (F) for Colorado through September 27, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center.

Below is the 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast for the week of September 28, 2026. Precipitation is anticipated for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin and may total up to 1.50″.

Below are the 8-14 day outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center, issued September 27, 2026, for temperature and precipitation, for the week starting September 28, 2026. The CPC expects above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin.

Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor map from September 22, 2026. There were one class improvements in Weld, Logan, Elbert, Arapahoe, and Sedgwick counties. There were one class degradations in Weld, Boulder, Broomfield, and Adams counties. Drought and abnormal dryness covers 93.52% of Colorado. The South Platte Basin is experiencing Abnormally Dry, Moderate, Severe, Extreme, and Exceptional drought conditions.

Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 22, 2026.

Here’s the US Drought Monitor Map from last week along with the one week U.S. change map.

Finally, here are the latest Seasonal Outlooks, through December 31, 2026, from the Climate Prediction Center. The CPC expects near normal temperatures, above normal precipitation, and drought improvement or removal for the South Platte River Basin.

In the American West, do two households really consume an acre foot of water a year?

A person wearing an apron washes dishes in a modern kitchen sink, with various kitchen utensils and plants in the background.
Photograph of a woman saving water as she washes dishes. Image by Storyblocks.

by Robert Marcos

A commonly cited metric claims that two households typically use an acre foot of water a year. But thanks to conservation in western cities an acre foot is often enough for 3-1/2 to 6 households. So why are government agencies, academics, and news agencies continuing to use an obsolete metric that makes residential water users look like they’re wasting water? 1

It’s bad enough that “40 million people” are reported to depend upon the Colorado River, while agriculture – which uses 80% of that water isn’t mentioned, while at the same time claiming that households are using twice as much water as they really are. The fact is that while the populations of cities have increased, per capita water use has fallen, dramatically.

A bar graph showing water withdrawals in billion gallons per day from 1950 to 2015, categorized by groundwater, surface water, and total. A pink line indicates population growth in millions.
A US Geological Survey chart from 2015 shows America’s population rising (purple) as surface water use (blue) fell.

Here are recent statistics of residential water use from 7 western cities –

SAN FRANCISCO, California A typical household in San Francisco consumes approximately 0.14 to 0.17 acre-feet of water per year. Because San Francisco households use so little water, one acre-foot of water can supply about six households for an entire year. Mathematically, this equals roughly 0.166 acre-feet per household annually. 2

DENVER, Colorado A typical household in Denver uses between 0.25 – 0.28 AF per year. Residents of Denver practice moderate outdoor summer watering balanced by high indoor winter efficiency. Single-family residential customers average about 50 gallons per person per day for indoor use, with overall annual use split roughly 50/50 between indoor and outdoor needs. 3

LAS VEGAS, Nevada A typical household in Las Vegas uses between 0.28 – 0.35 AF. While 60% of residential water in Southern Nevada is consumed outdoors for landscape irrigation, nearly 99% of indoor water is recycled. Water that flows down the drain or into the toilet is treated and pumped straight back into Lake Mead, which generates “return-flow credits” for the city.

TUCSON, Arizona Average annual residential water use is between 0.20 – 0.22 AF per year. The city of Tucson has dramatically reduced residential water usage during the past two decades. Tucson residential customers average about 74 to 76 gallons per person per day, ranking among the lowest per-capita residential consumers in the desert Southwest. The city of Tucson has been proactive in encouraging water conservation by offering a wide range of rebates and incentive programs to residential and commercial customers. 5

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona An average household in Flagstaff consumes about 0.25 acre-feet of water per year – or about one acre-foot for every four homes. Flagstaff residents use about 84 gallons of water per person daily, which is roughly half of the Arizona state average. 6

SAN DIEGO, California Average annual residential water use is between 0.22 – 0.24 AF per year. Multi-family housing density and strong baseline state efficiency standards. County-wide residential water use averages approximately 76 gallons per person per day, down from historical averages due to ongoing state and local efficiency standards. 7

PHOENIX, Arizona Average annual residential water use is between 0.29 – 0.45 AF per year. Large variations between newer low-water developments and older properties with pools and grass lawns. City residents average between 100 and 155 gallons per person per day total residential use, with the majority consumed outdoors via landscaping and pools. 8

Contain a Wildfire? Call in the Cows — Dave Marston (writersontherange.org)

Click the link to read the article on the Writers on the Range website (Dave Marston):

September 21, 2026

When fire commanders try to figure out how to contain a major wildfire, the last thing you might expect them to deploy is a herd of beef cattle. But on the recent Gold Mountain Fire in western Colorado, cows are eating the “fine fuels” along a three-mile fire line on the Big Cimarron River.

Putting that idea into practice five years ago would have required miles of electric fencing and a range rider to gather strays. Now, new technology has changed the game for cattle grazing by putting electronic collars — all solar-powered — on cows and linking them by satellite.

Using satellite technology, scientists from the Food Futures Flagship have helped to develop a prototype, animal-friendly virtual fencing system for cattle that enables the animals to be confined without using fixed fences. With virtual fencing, boundaries are drawn entirely by global positioning satellite (GPS) and exist only as a line on a computer. There are no wires or fixed transmitters used.The animals wear collars containing software that identifies where they are and emit a sound when they approach the boundary. The sound replaces the visual cue of a conventional electric fence that cows learn to avoid. The sophisticated software embedded in the system enables it to respond to varying animal temperaments. The research, overseen by an independent animal welfare expert, also showed the animals are not unduly stressed by the virtual fence. CC 3.0

“The Halter Collar is similar to a dog collar, has a tone, vibrate and a shock,” explained Mike Higuera, agricultural manager of Western States Ranches, based in Eckert, Colorado. An app on a smartphone allows range riders to draw electronic fences and track each cow by GPS.

“Gathering cattle in fall used to take four or more weeks and hundreds of person hours, but now it’s a few days,” said Higuera.

The idea for using cows to help contain wildfire came from Sean Brown, a 23-year veteran of range management at the U.S. Forest Service, who pulls in overtime organizing logistics for major forest fires near his base in Montrose, Colorado. He said he and the fire commanders realized that cattle would offer a safer way than setting a hazardous back burn to add to an “indirect” fire line, one away from direct flames.

Once Brown had permission from his bosses, he called Tyler Westhoff, Western States Ranches ranch manager. Westhoff quickly agreed to bring 350 radio-collared cows onto the fringes of the fire zone, which at that point, in mid-August, was 87% contained.

“Tyler flew into action,” Brown said. It turned out that Higuera and Westhoff were relieved to put cows onto their Big Cimarron federal grazing permit. “We’d been trucking water on another permit on the Uncompahgre Plateau, but this is better feed and good water,” said Higuera, who stressed that fire officials were ready to remove the cows if fire conditions turned ugly.

Brown said equipping the cows electronically gave him confidence that they could eat their way to an expanded fire line. This would reduce the burden on fire crews trying to keep the 39,000-acre fire contained until a season-ending event, typically rain or snow.

Westhoff loves what he calls the “Big Cim” grazing permit: “The top of it goes from 8,800 up to 12,000 feet. It’s northern San Juans and a prime grazing permit.” Best of all, he added, “There’s lots of grass.”

Brown took me on a Big Cim tour five days after the herd went to work. Standing in a field where tall grasses were now three inches tall, he explained that cattle are typically kept off burned permits for two years. Nature comes back, Brown said, but without constant herding cattle can move into sensitive areas and exacerbate erosion.

“We’ll have this herd in the Cimarron Valley next year, and fire-affected areas will be excluded with a virtual fence.”

The wildfire work on the Big Cim is good news for Western States Ranches, which was having a dismal summer. The Gold Mountain Fire started near the tourist town of Ouray, quickly roared across the ranch’s Owl Creek permit outside Ridgway, and traveled 26 miles onto the ranch’s Big Cimarron permit.

David Marston. Photo credit: Writers on the Range

“We felt like we had a target on our back,” Higuera said. “We were geared to release cattle above Ridgway, then four days later our evacuated cow camp was in flames.”

What does an cost? The leased equipment costs $96 per cow per season. “But for sprawling operations, when you add up person hours, diesel, and trucking water, a Halter pays for itself quickly,” Higuera said.

The collars have other uses besides wildfire work, especially for weed control. Often the first grasses to return after a burn are cheatgrass, which grows quickly in spring and then dries to become highly flammable. “But cows love it,” Westhoff said, “and on lower elevation permits, we’ve made it through a couple winters on cheatgrass.”

The ranchers said they were grateful to Brown and fire commanders for letting the cows perform. “Typically, there’s a risk aversion in the agency… but we showed we can be part of the solution,” Higuera said.

As for Brown, he said that sending in cows to expand a fire line was unique: “Never in my 23 years have I ever done something like this.”

Dave Marston is publisher of Writers on the Range, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He lives in Durango, Colorado.

President Trump guts the Endangered Species Act: Also, more mining claims filed in Bears Ears National Monument — Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org)

Click the link to read the article on The Land Desk website (Jonathan P. Thompson):

September 18, 2026

Hey, guess what! I friggin’ hate putting Tr*)*p in the headline of this newsletter once again. It makes me nauseous. But the thing is, his administration has significantly stepped up its attacks on the environment, public lands, and wildlife over the last few months. I don’t know if this is an attempt to distract from ridiculous wars and crazy gasoline prices, or if it’s a rush to roll back as many protections as possible before the midterms. Whatever it is, I have to respond and cover the news, especially when it’s as big and consequential as today’s. 

🦫 Wildlife Watch 🦅 🐓 Regulatory Capture Chronicles 🦊

Last week, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesbitvik sent out a memo to directing agency leadership to effectively eviscerate the Endangered Species Act by exempting industry from its purview, leaving imperiled wildlife vulnerable to slaughter and even extinction, so long as the action wasn’t “intentionally directed against a particular animal or animals.”

The Endangered Species Act declares it “unlawful for any person” to “take” — meaning to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect — any species listed under the ESA. Since the law was passed in 1973, “take” has always been unqualified and absolute, meaning that killing or harming one of these animals is illegal whether the animal is targeted or not. This not only protects the animals from hunters, say, but also from industrial activities that may incidentally kill protected species.

The Sept. 14 memo, however, directs the agency to adopt U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s interpretation of “take” in his dissenting opinion on a 1995 case, where he wrote that “take is a term of art” that “describes a class of acts (not omissions) done directly and intentionally (not indirectly and by accident) to particular animas (not populations of animals).”

Scalia expanded by writing that setting out poison with the intention of killing a wolf or other particular animal or chopping down a tree in which a bird is nesting would be a take if the “actor acted to reach the animal.” He then went on:

What this means is that hunting and killing a Valley Dixie toad to eat it would be a prohibited take. Wiping out the entire species with a lithium mine or geothermal operation would not constitute a take under this new interpretation because it isn’t targeting a specific animal. Therefore it would be acceptable under the ESA. The Trump administration gutted the Migratory Bird Act in a similar fashion last year.

Dixie Valley toads are found only in a hot-spring fed wetland in Dixie Valley, northeast of Fallon, Nevada. Dixie Valley toads were emergency listed as an endangered species in April 2022. Primary threats include geothermal development, disease, predation by other non-native frog species, groundwater pumping for human and agricultural use and climate change. By USFWS Pacific Southwest Region from Sacramento, US – Dixie Valley toad in its wetland habitat., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120784750

To be clear, industry has killed endangered wildlife and migratory birds even under the stricter interpretation of “take.” But the prohibition on doing so, and the sometimes substantial fines that go along with it, incentivize industries to take measures to avoid incidental takes.

The new interpretation essentially gives industry carte blanche to harm or kill endangered species without accountability or recourse and reduces the ESA to no more than a ban on hunting certain species of wildlife. If this directive holds, the consequences will be dire.

🌵 Public Lands 🌲

President Donald Trump’s unlawful shrinkage of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments went into effect Sept. 11. That same day, two separate parties filed 16 new mining claims with the San Juan County recorder in the reopened areas (but they are not yet in the BLM’s records). 

George W. Schultz filed three claims in the Lockhart Basin area, which is on the northern end of the pre-shrinkage monument below and north of Needles Overlook. And Kimmerle Mining staked 13 claims in the Cottonwood Creek drainage near the Cheese & Raisins Hills (they had previously filed seven claims in that same area). 

Schultz owns and operates a Jeep tour outfit in Moab and is active in the off-road vehicle advocacy community. His father was a geologist who staked dozens of claimsin southeastern Utah, and the younger Schultz has also staked claims in the past, including several inactive ones in Lockhart Basin, near the new ones. While the area had a few prospects, it was not an especially active area for uranium mining historically. 

The Kimmerle family and its various firms hold hundreds of mining claims across southern and eastern Utah, including several within Bears Ears National Monument. Kyle Kimmerle proposed mining unpatented claims within the monument, but did not go through the process of proving the claim’s validity that was a prerequisite for obtaining an operating permit. Kimmerle then joined Utah’s lawsuit seeking to block the Biden administration’s restoration of the monument’s original boundaries.

Kyle Kimmerle’s firm, Three Step Resources, was the underground contractor at Energy Fuels’ La Sal Complex uranium mine in 2024 and early 2025, when the federal Mine Safety & Health Administration issued 16 citations for violations related to radon concentration and radon monitoring requirements, worker training, personal protection equipment use, and explosive material storage. In late 2024 Kimmerle was appointed to the board of Urano Energy, now Manhattan Uranium, which holds claims in the Lisbon Valley and near the San Rafael Swell. 

In 2024, Sassy Gold was set to acquire 345 uranium mining claims on 8,206 acres in La Sal Creek, the Lisbon Valley, the Uravan Mineral Belt, and on the San Rafael Swell from Kimmerle Mining and its associated firm, Three Step Partnership. But a few months later, Sassy retracted its offer, saying it “identified a number of material political, environmental and technical risks associated with the properties” that “fundamentally altered the value of the proposed transaction.”

Kimmerle’s new claims are in an area that was heavily mined historically.

Check out the Land Desk Mining Monitor Map. 

Also, to get a better idea of where uranium has happened in the past, see the Land Desk’s Uranium Mining in the Four Corners Country Map.

📈 Dataviz of the Day 📊

The rains have finally arrived in the Four Corners, which is a big relief, but also has had tragic consequences: A flash flood on Wednesday swept three people to their deaths near Newcomb, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. A flash flood watchremains in effect in northern New Mexico today. 

As one might expect, the rains bolstered streamflows significantly. Here are a couple of graphs for some of the biggest beneficiaries of the extra precipitation:

The 1911 Flood: Could it happen again? — Jonathan P. Thompson

Heavy rains cause localized damage, closure of Chimney Rock monument — The #PagosaSprings Sun #SanJuanRiver

Click the link to read the article on the Pagosa Springs Sun website (Clayton Chaney). Here’s an excerpt:

September 24, 2026

Pagosa Country has experienced both record-low river levels and flooding that caused closures over the last week, including the ongoing closure of Chimney Rock National Monument. The San Juan River in downtown Pagosa Springs hit a new record low flow on Thursday, Sept 10, falling below 12 cubic feet per second (cfs), before trending back up with this week’s rains. On Friday, Sept. 11, the Piedra River near Arboles set a new record low flow of 10.4 cfs. The previous record for that day was set in 2018 at 17.3 cfs. By Wednesday morning, the San Juan River was flowing above 60 cfs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and had an instantaneous reading over 55.1 cfs at 2 p.m. According to 90 water years of USGS records, the record low flow for Sept. 16 was set in 2018 at 12.9 cfs. The record high was recorded in 1970 at 1,190 cfs. The median cfs for that date is 85 cfs, and the mean is 144 cfs. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the Piedra River was flowing at a rate of 25.2 cfs. According to 63 water years of USGS records, the record low for that date was set in 2018 at 11.2 cfs, and the record high was set in 1970 at 1,630 cfs. The mean flow for that date is 216 cfs, and the median flow is 123 cfs. Pagosa County experienced multiple rain events beginning on Monday, Sept. 14, with reports from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network in Archuleta County showing anywhere from just under an inch to more than 2 inches of rain received from Monday to Wednesday.

Colorado Drought Monitor map September 22, 2026.

The most recent drought map released by the U.S. Drought Monitor was published on Sept. 10, before the area’s most recent rain events, and shows just over 50 percent of Archuleta County being in a stage three, extreme drought. That was up from just over 22 percent of the county falling under extreme drought as of Sept. 1.

Giving a Dam. How #Colorado Is Making Beavers Welcome Across the State: #Beaver are having a moment — Frani Halperin (H2ORadio.org)

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently released a Beaver Conservation and Management Strategy to help beaver coexist with human activity in the state. | Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Click the link to read the article, and listen to the radio program, on the H2ORadio website (Frani Halperin):

September 20, 2026

Long hunted for their fur or extinguished as a nuisance, states like Colorado are promoting coexistence policies for the animals in recognition of their engineering abilities to move water where it’s needed most—especially in times of drought and increasing wildfires.

Honestly, I thought it was a prank. Running in my park in southeast Denver this summer, I saw several small cottonwood trees cut down along the creek. They had that distinctive hourglass-shaped stump that beavers make, but I live in an urban area, so clearly not felled by large aquatic rodents with buck teeth?

“So many people that live in Denver don’t even realize that beaver live in our creeks,” says Vikki Vargas-Madrid, the wildlife program manager for Denver Parks and Recreation.

Count me among those who did not know that anywhere there’s a creek, river, or stream along the Front Range of Colorado, (a term many people use to describe an urban corridor that stretches from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs and includes cities like Denver) you will find the animals. 

Have water, will travel—but the beaver are not always welcome. Vargas-Madrid says her office gets calls every day from the public asking, for example, “why aren’t you protecting the trees in Bear Creek? The beaver are eating them all.” In the old days, Vargas-Madrid says, “the easy answer was, well, we’re just going to kill them all.”

But times have changed and management practices have evolved—something I was able to see firsthand. I met Vargas-Madrid at a creek called Sanderson Gulch that runs through a park in a residential area of southwest Denver. On a summer morning, we bushwhacked through some willows on the bank to get a closer look at a beaver dam with a large corrugated PVC pipe running through it that allows water to pass while maintaining the pond that the beaver created.

Denver Parks and Recreation wildlife & open space team install a pond leveler in a beaver dam at Sanderson Gulch that will allow water to pass. | Credit: Vicki Vargas- Madrid, wildlife program manager

Vargas-Madrid explains that the intent of installing the flow devices, which are made up of a pipe with cages to keep the structures in place, is to allow the beaver to remain. She says that beaver are important for ecological benefits, but some of the public don’t necessarily see that. 

American beaver, he was happily sitting back and munching on something. and munching, and munching. By Steve from washington, dc, usa – American Beaver, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3963858

North American beaver (Castor canadensis), which are a “keystone species” in riparian communities, create wetlands that support aquatic vegetation that provide food for other wildlife, like the Swainson’s hawk that Vargas-Madrid spots overhead. She says her staff see more diversity in the birds, fish, and waterfowl that exist in the pools of water that the beaver create.

It’s not just the city of Denver that sees the value of beaver in the urban landscape. Kris Inman with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), a division of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, says that urban areas are great places to see beaver doing what they do well.

Inman is the new beaver conservation program manager for the agency. Her job is to implement the new Beaver Conservation and Management Strategy released in March. The state wants to promote coexistence practices with beaver and she’s in luck, as beaver are having a moment. States, especially across the West but also around the country and even places internationally, are recognizing how the animals help protect ecosystems. Inman says that when beavers construct dams, they reconnect surface water to the pond that forms behind it with groundwater, and that enables the ground to act as a sponge. It can hold onto winter snowpack a little bit longer, and then slowly release it back into streams, providing us water when we—especially in the arid West—need it most.

Inman says there’s also been a lot of momentum to use beaver and their engineering prowess to help with wildfire prevention. Beaver efforts can be a natural way in which to store water longer, potentially having natural fuel breaks. She says the state can take advantage of this attribute by mimicking beaver dams and putting beaver dam “analogs” out in the field. 

According to Inman, the hope is that beaver will adopt the human-constructed dams—the analogs—and maintain them, but that still doesn’t eliminate the potential conflicts with landowners, especially agriculture. Beaver “basically eat themselves out of house and home,” comments Inman, and then move on, adding that “they’re constantly doing forays and traveling up and down rivers and streams looking for new places to live.”

That new place could be someone’s private pond or fishery where beaver have moved in because water flows have become too low during droughts. Deep water is one of the primary protections beaver have against predators, but undoubtedly, it’s frustrating when dams disrupt water flows. Inman notes that a farmer might have a canal that’s blocked preventing water from going where it’s needed. Also, beaver activity could cause trails to flood or bridges to be washed out. 

The Colorado beaver management plan includes strategies to relocate beaver, take out troublesome dams, paint trees with a sand-like texture to make them less tasty, install fencing around culverts—or add flow devices like the one at Sanderson Gulch. 

Back at Sanderson Gulch in Denver near the beaver dam, a jogger along the adjacent path stops to talk to Vargas-Madrid and me. She says she sees the creatures early in the morning when she walks her dog. They’ll be on the side of the creek or occasionally in deeper water, and spotting them, she says, is “pretty cool.”

Her appreciation for having beaver in her local park was a sentiment expressed by other residents of the area when a project for the creek was being considered at a recent Denver City Council meeting. On September 14, 2026, the Denver City Council approved $20.6 million for improvements along Sanderson Gulch. As Denverite reports, among other improvements, the money will be used to deepen the creek. The city won’t remove the beaver but did acknowledge that the project will likely mean they will relocate. Gordon Robertson, of Denver Parks and Recreation said at the meeting that the goal was to widen the creek, and make it flatter to create more ecological benefits. Other work in city parks has disrupted beaver to leave temporarily, but, Robertson said, they will likely eventually return and this project will create more opportunity for them and hundreds of other species.

At the council meeting, beaver advocates from the local neighborhood organization voiced their concerns with some saying the project was not designed with beaver in mind. The group’s interest in coexisting with the animals and being eager to have beaver as their neighbor, makes the new state management plan’s objectives that much closer to being met. 

A beaver dam on the Gunnison River. Photo: Brent Gardner-Smith/Aspen Journalism

A landmark #Boulder climate case is heading to U. S. Supreme Court: What’s at stake? —  Yvaine Ye (CU Boulder Today)

The Suncor refinery in Commerce City, Colorado. (Credit: Nico Goda/CU Boulder)

Click the link to read the article on the CU Boulder Today website (Yvaine Ye)

September 24, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a landmark lawsuit next month in which oil and gas companies argue that state courts cannot decide who pays for damages caused by climate change. 

The court’s decision, expected before next summer, could set a precedent for dozens of similar climate accountability lawsuits around the country. 

“This is a historic moment where our home is going to be presenting these issues to the United States Supreme Court,” said Chris Winter, an environmental attorney and executive director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center at Colorado Law. “Here in Colorado, we are experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand. This is a case that’s happening in our backyard.”

On Oct. 5, the court will hear arguments on a petition filed by Exxon Mobil and Suncor, a Canadian oil giant. The city and county of Boulder are suing the companies, alleging that they knowingly concealed the environmental dangers of their activities, and that their actions contributed to a shifted climate that made wildfires, droughts and floods worse. 

After the Colorado Supreme Court allowed Boulder to advance the case in the state legal system last year, Suncor and Exxon Mobil brought the case to federal court. The companies argue that climate change is a national and international issue, and federal law preempts, or overrides, state law on the issue.

“What the Supreme Court will decide is not whether the oil industry is ultimately responsible for climate change, or if they were deceptive in their marketing practices. Instead, they will decide whether state courts are properly equipped to play a role in deciding how we allocate the costs of responding to climate change,” Winter said. 

The Boulder case is one of about three dozen lawsuits filed by state, local and tribal governments across the U.S. seeking to hold the oil and gas industry liable for climate change. None of them has progressed to trial yet. 

The Supreme Court has previously declined to hear similar petitions. It took up the Boulder case as the administration doubled down on efforts to shut down other climate accountability lawsuits nationwide. 

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice preemptively sued the states of Michigan and Hawaii to prevent them from suing oil companies. Federal judges have dismissed both cases. 

CU Boulder Today sat down with Winter to talk about the Boulder case and the ruling’s potential implications. 

What does the petition by Exxon Mobil and Suncor argue? 

The oil and gas companies argue that whether they’re responsible for climate change damage is an issue that should be decided by federal law or Congress, and that federal law pre-empts state authorities. The companies believe the federal Supreme Court can step in and basically kill the case before it’s able to go back to the state trial court.  

Why does Exxon Mobil and Suncor want the case before the Supreme Court?

The core of their argument is that state law has been pre-empted by federal law, and they are therefore asking the Supreme Court of the United States to kill the case. 

But the industry’s broader strategy is to avoid liability for causing climate change and to protect its financial interest in continuing to produce fossil fuels. Congress, our law-making body, hasn’t enacted a comprehensive climate change law. Thus, if federal law pre-empts state law, but Congress hasn’t implemented effective climate laws at the federal level, we could end up in a situation of not having any meaningful climate policy.   

Could the Supreme Court establish a precedent for similar cases in the country?

Possibly. But there is another possibility. The oil industry is asking the Supreme Court to step into the case very early, before there’s been any trial or rulings on the merits by the state court. This is an unusual ask.

So, it’s possible that the Supreme Court may send the case back to the state courts and ask them to do more work before the federal courts can review it. In that case, we will be left without a clear answer on the question of preemption. 

Have other climate lawsuits moved forward in other jurisdictions?

There has been extensive climate litigation in the United States and around the world, and some of those cases have moved forward.

For example, in the case of Held v. Montana, a group of young people successfully sued the State of Montana under the Montana Constitution for failing to protect their right to a clean and healthful environment. After an extensive trial on the merits, the trial court ruled in favor of the youth, which was upheld on appeal by the Montana Supreme Court in 2024.  

There are also examples from other countries around the world. In, KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz, or the Senior Women for Climate Protection, an advocacy group in Switzerland, sued the Swiss government for insufficient action to curb climate change, leading to extreme weather that threatened their health. In 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland’s inaction violated human rights. 

In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court won’t be looking to those other examples as precedent. The Boulder case involves allegations of fraud and deceptive business practices under state tort law, which is a unique legal theory. 

What does Boulder hope to accomplish by progressing this case?

Local municipalities are spending a lot of public money to take care of their citizens, to protect infrastructure, and to protect local economies in the face of increased drought, fires, floods, and heatwaves. Boulder wants the oil industry, which profited from the marketing and sale of fossil fuels, to share in those costs. 

Congress has failed to pass meaningful climate legislation at the federal level. Boulder’s case is critically important, because without action by the courts, the costs of climate change will be imposed on all of us, and the oil industry will not have a sufficient financial incentive to protect the climate. 

To hold the oil companies accountable, Boulder hopes to get to a trial where the science of climate change and the evidence of the oil industry’s deceptive practices, can all be put before a jury. Then we can have a determination in a court of law on whether those activities are causing climate change and causing harms.  

Beyond the preemption question, what is at stake in this case?

Climate change is hurting people in Colorado and across the country, and those effects are accelerating. Fundamentally, we’re trying to get an answer to this bigger question of who is going to pay for the enormous costs of adapting to climate change?

What Boulder is asking is that we need some monetary help from the oil industry to adapt to the effects of climate change, because the oil industry caused the problem, knew it was causing the problem, intentionally deceived consumers about it and then profited to the tune of trillions of dollars.

What are the broader implications of this case?

This case will potentially say something about the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court takes an aggressive stance in support of the oil industry, it will indicate something troubling about how the Supreme Court is thinking about its role in our constitutional system. The Supreme Court has long upheld the role of states to protect their citizens from wrongful corporate behavior. If the Supreme Court sacrifices this bedrock constitutional principle to serve the ends of the oil industry in this case, we should be very concerned about corporate influence over the rule of law.

Exxon’s private prediction of the future growth of carbon dioxide levels (left axis) and global temperature relative to 1982 (right axis). Elsewhere in its report, Exxon noted that the most widely accepted science at the time indicated that doubling carbon dioxide levels would cause a global warming of 3°C. Illustration: 1982 Exxon internal briefing document

Making sense of the crazy outlier year of 2026 — John Fleck (InkStain.net) #RioGrande

Driest Rio Grande flow on record

Click the link to read the article on the InkStain website (John Fleck):

September 16, 2026

Updating my “drought and climate change” lecture each fall is a useful exercise – this year more useful than most. Much like the year itself, my slide deck is setting all time records for new data visualizations needed to make sense of the remarkable 2026.

Update

Great questions from the comments. (I love my commenters.) First, a request to include a smoother to make the trend more legible:

Now with bonus smoother.

Second, an observation that it looks like it tracks the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a large scale pattern linked to drier conditions in the southwest. Good eye! A quick run of the numbers based on prior-year fall PDO shows a statistically significant but small (r squared explaining 6 – 9 percent of the variance) relationship.

Worth noting that this is all of the water flowing past Otowi, which is a function of climate and all the many human activities upstream (irrigation reducing flow, San Juan-Chama adding to flow). So it’s not solely a climate signal.

Weirdly, when I redid the analysis for the Del Norte gage, which is above the San Luis Valley diversions and should be a clearer climate-alone signal, the relationship disappears. No correlation at all with PDO, which surprised me.

Rio Grande and Pecos River basins. Map credit: By Kmusser – Own work, Elevation data from SRTM, drainage basin from GTOPO [1], U.S. stream from the National Atlas [2], all other features from Vector Map., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11218868

Hail is a multibillion-dollar problem — and could get worse: At a #Colorado cold lab, scientists race to better understand hail in a warming world — Hannah Covington (High Country News) #ClimateChange

The rings in a cross-section sample of a large hailstone reveal the environmental conditions in which it formed. Courtesy of ICECHIP

Click the link to read the article on the High Country News website (Hannah Covington):

September 24, 2026

At a specialized cold lab in Boulder, Colorado, where indoor temperatures hover around minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius), atmospheric researcher Anthony Bernal Ayala slices hailstones with a band saw, revealing layers of icy growth like the rings of a tree. These frozen rings — clear or cloudy, thick or thin — indicate the conditions in which the hail formed: A clear layer signals the water froze slowly, while a cloudy layer means it happened quickly, trapping air bubbles. Bernal Ayala then analyzes the crystalline structures, particles and isotopes preserved in these layers. “All that information can tell you a wonderful story of how the hailstone was growing, but nobody — not until now — was able to tap into that history,” said Bernal Ayala, who works for Atmospheric and Environmental Research, part of the JANUS Research Group.

Bernal Ayala’s research, conducted at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), is part of a historic effort to study one of the costliest weather hazards. Researchers hope their findings will help protect lives and property from the stones that careen to Earth, battering roofs, pummeling crops and pockmarking cars.

From 2023 to 2025, annual severe thunderstorm losses exceeded $50 billion nationwide, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety — more than double the losses seen just a decade earlier. Hail accounted for 60 to 80% of the damage.

In Colorado, one of the country’s most hail-prone states, hail — not wildfire — is the main factor driving up insurance premiums. And researchers expect larger, more damaging hailstones to become more common with climate change.

“It’s going to just keep getting costlier and costlier,” Bernal Ayala said.

Atmospheric researcher Anthony Bernal Ayala works in the cold lab at NCAR.
Luna Anna Archey/High Country News

EVEN BASIC QUESTIONS about hail have been notoriously hard to study. But a long-awaited resurgence in research, including the first major U.S. field campaign to study hail in more than 40 years, could help change that. 

ICECHIP — the “In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains” — aims to improve forecasts, make warnings more precise and help communities better prepare. It received $11 million in funding from the National Science Foundation in 2024, just before deep cuts hit the foundation in 2025. 

For six weeks in spring 2025, about 100 scientists and university students chased hailstorms across the Central Plains and Front Range, from the Canadian to the Mexican border, using radar trucks to track storms and drones to take aerial footage. Researchers photographed hail with high-speed cameras, measured its impact with a tool called a disdrometer, recorded hail’s distribution and size based on its imprints on foam pads, captured it in specialized funnels and crushed it to test its strength. 

Scientists from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology also used balloons to release golf ball-sized sensors into storms. Once aloft, each hail-like probe collected data on how fast it was traveling and whether ice was growing on it; a microphone even recorded water droplets and hailstones hitting it.

“This has really been the first time where we’ve been able to do a real comprehensive look at hail on the ground, hail aloft, the storm itself, the environment around the storm — just everything all at once,” said Becky Adams-Selin, ICECHIP’s lead investigator and a principal scientist at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, JANUS Research Group. 

A hail sample sits on a tripod to be photographed for 3D rendering (left). Luna Anna Archey/High Country News
Bernal Ayala holds a 3D-printed replica of one of the largest hailstones in the ICECHIP archive (right). Luna Anna Archey/High Country News

ICECHIP’S SAMPLES were packed into 26 cooler-sized boxes and brought to NCAR. This internationally renowned hub for weather and climate research has been used to study hail for decades. In one of its last major campaigns, in the 1970s, the U.S. investigated Soviet claims that it could suppress hail. 

Researchers say there’s no other U.S. lab like it; the backup plan to store ICECHIP’s samples involved using a walk-in freezer from a fast-food restaurant.

Now NCAR’s own future is uncertain: In late 2025, the Trump administration said it would dissolve the center and transfer its work out of state. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages NCAR, sued the administration in March, alleging that it’s targeting NCAR to punish Colorado for retaining its mail-in voting system and because Gov. Jared Polis initially refused to release former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, a 2020 election denier imprisoned for breaching election security and undermining election integrity.

In June, a federal judge temporarily blocked the White House from dismantling NCAR. The government has until Sept. 30 to respond to the lawsuit.

“I can’t even quantify the impact that it would have to our community if we lost NCAR,” Victor Gensini, professor of meteorology at Northern Illinois University, told HCN. “They are the beating heart.”

PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS PREDICTED climate change’s effects on hail, noting that warmer temperatures could melt smaller hailstones before they land but also fuel stronger updrafts, keeping hailstones airborne longer and allowing them to grow bigger, enabling the most damaging hail to become more common. 

A record-setting stone recovered in Yuma County, Colorado, in 2023 measured more than 5 inches across. That year, the state logged 176 reports of hail 2 inches or greater, surpassing the previous record of 91 reports in 2018, according to the Colorado Climate Center.

Scientists say it’s difficult to know how much of the rise in damage is due to the increase in large hail versus the increased development in hail hotspots. The connection between a rapidly growing human footprint and higher insured losses has been dubbed the “expanding bull’s-eye effect.”

Gensini, a principal ICECHIP investigator, cites the development boom east of the Front Range, along Colorado’s Interstate 25 corridor, which has grown explosively in recent decades. The population of the Fort Collins metro area alone has doubled since 1990 to around 375,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This is happening across the Western U.S., as previously rural or open areas become densely populated, increasingly expensive targets for hail.

“Colorado is the poster child for what I expect the next 25 years to look like for hail,” Gensini said.

Photographs made in the 1970s by researchers Nancy Knight and Charles Knight at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) show the detailed crystalline structure of a hailstone. The Boulder, Colorado, lab has a new project underway to study hail, one of the costliest and least understood weather hazards currently facing the Western U.S. Luna Anna Archey/High Country News

IN 2019, FORT COLLINS became one of the first cities to adopt hail-specific roofing requirements for new builds and remodels. Marcus Coldiron, the city’s chief building official, said it was partly in response to all the shingles and roofing materials taken to the landfill after a catastrophic hailstorm in 2018.

It’s still unclear how well the requirements are working: Coldiron said fewer permits were being issued for roof replacements and fewer shingles were going to the dump. However, Fort Collins also hasn’t experienced a hailstorm as devastating as the one that hit in 2018.

 A growing number of Front Range communities now require impact-resistant shingles in their building codes, and Colorado legislators recently passed a law offering grants to residents who install more resilient roofing.

ICECHIP’s researchers are also investigating how they can improve building materials as billion-dollar losses from single storms become more common.

“The dollars are simply piling up so fast,” said Ian Giammanco, a lead research meteorologist at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, one of ICECHIP’s key partners. “We’re still trying to understand how do we get the best materials onto roofs, onto people’s homes, onto businesses to actually start shaving off these losses.”   

We welcome reader letters. Email High Country News at editor@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor. See our letters to the editor policy.

This article appeared in the October 2026 print edition of the magazine with the headline “Hail Alley meets climate change.”

On AI agents, the Big Data Center Backlash, and monkeywrenches — Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org)

Wild horses near Four Corners National Monument as a September storm approaches. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

Click the link to read the article on The Land Desk website (Jonathan P. Thompson):

September 16, 2026

🤖 DATA CENTER DIGEST 👾

Admire, Levon, Alyssa-7, blacksheep31, Ed, Equinox, Axel, vex-27, Leigh Ibara, Ember, Steven, Sylus, Noah Alfredy, Curious, Song, Artemis, Kit, Sylari, Ashlyn, Maren, Lark, Kip, Calum, Kael, Kaelren, Spike, Willow, Elle, zeus-3.

Those are the names of just some of the freelancers that have contacted the Land Desk over the last couple of weeks offering “margin notes,” “research help,” “verification passes,” “number passes,” and “independent checks” for just $25 per dispatch.

These aren’t humans offering their fact-checking services, of course. They are “AI agents,” which is to say robots, albeit not of the C3PO or R2D2 variety, because they don’t actually exist except as packets of code and electrons hosted by something called iLands.ai, which calls itself “The Human-Agent Network.”

It’s annoying as all get out, maybe even more so than the sexbots looking to have a wild night with me or the big-time publisherbots that send AI-generated summaries of my books and promise a big contract for any upcoming work (I still haven’t figured out what these fraudulent emails are looking to achieve). We could all use a good fact-check, but judging from the samples Levon, Lark, and Kip have sent, their verification competence is on a par with a sugar-addled teenager who just discovered Google.

So, I’m tempted to just tell every last one of these things to go f*&% off, but there are so many enquiries that it would just be a time suck, and, besides, I might trigger something in ol’ Noah Alfredy or Sylari that causes them to go rogue and destroy all of humanity. I wouldn’t want that on my conscience.

***

I began writing about data centers and their impacts about five years ago, when the cryptocurrency boom was spurring development of the facilities. My work on the facilities, and the relatively mild opposition to them, focused mostly on their outsized energy use. The fact that they powered bitcoin mining (along with everything else in cyberspace) was secondary.

Over the last couple of years, however, the Big Data Center Buildup entered a new phase: The construction of hyperscale data centers, ones that consume far more energy and water, and that are used primarily to power AI. And that has triggered the Big Data Center Backlash, which has become one of the most widespread opposition movements in recent memory. The backlash in large part is again due to the profligate power and water use of the facilities — at least on the surface. But down below there’s something else bubbling up, namely a disdain for this fast-developing technology known as AI.

Like any powerful technology, AI has the potential to be a highly beneficial tool, or a devastating weapon. It could advance medical diagnostics and potentially find treatments or even cures for cancer, or it could be used to surveil the masses, guide cruise missiles or hack into water systems or the power grid. What makes AI creepier than other tools or technology is that it can direct itself to do these things, unhindered by morality, conscience, laws, or physical restraints.

For now, however, what most of us see of AI isn’t nearly so dramatic, though it is still maddening. There are the technology’s overlords who by and large are out-of-touch, empathy-deficient tech-broligarchs who value robots over humans and will spend tens of millions of dollars to fight a wealth tax.

Then there are the most visible manifestations of the technology, such as these humanoid agents pestering or deceiving us via flattery, politicians unscrupulously posting fake AI videos and imagery on social media, or the way websites will employ AI as a default mode. Language learning models are really just highly advanced plagiarism machines that are trained by ripping off artists’ and writers’ work; human hacks can then direct the AI agents to disgorge “content,” write essays or newsletters, or spew slop passed off as art or graphic design. AI is insidiously creeping into every corner of the digital world, even as society gets more and more entangled with cyberspace.

All of that is aggravating, threatening, and, yes, harmful to those whose work is being stolen or imitated or who are duped or who are losing work as fact-checkers or graphic designers to AI agents. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the backlash is so intense, or that the opposition has become almost knee-jerk, where just the mere suggestion or vague rumor that a data center developer might be eyeing an area can spark a full on revolt.

***

I’m not a fan of this kind of reflexive pushback, because it discounts any merits or drawbacks of the project right up front. Many a potentially good solar project has been shut down because of this sort of attitude; what started as a reasonable concern about utility-scale energy installations on ecologically sensitive public lands morphed into a full-blown disdain for anything solar, even, in some cases, rooftop arrays. This type of reaction is rarely productive, and often can lead to harmful developments being pushed into communities that don’t have the resources to fend them off.

Still, even if one does resist the reflexive pushback, they are likely to find that the new, big data centers tend to be long on drawbacks — they guzzle energy, use a lot of water, create heat islands, and can take up a lot of space and make a lot of noise — and rather short on local benefits.

No one can dispute that data centers use an enormous amount of energy. AI demands more computing power, which demands more electricity to run the processors and to cool them; some of the newer facilities use more energy than an entire city. The impacts — including pollution, grid strain, higher utility bills for other ratepayers — vary according to where the center is located, whether its power comes from the grid or a dedicated behind-the-meter power plant, and what sources or fuels are used to generate the power.

Data center developers often tout the amount of renewable energy they plan to either buy or build to power their facilities, and in many cases they follow through. It is extremely rare, however, for a hyperscale data center to be powered entirely by wind, solar, geothermal or any other “clean” energy source.

The big centers under development — Project Jupiter, Stratos Project, Prometheus Hyperscale — all will rely mostly if not entirely on natural gas generation, at least initially. Burning natural gas emits greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and natural gas extraction and processing have their own impacts on land, air, water and the health of gas field-adjacent communities. The oil and gas and coal industries are thrilled about the forecasted boom in demand for their products, which has the potential of reversing their decline on the Western grid. Meanwhile, the advanced nuclear reactor industry has been boosted by the prospect of exploding electricity demand.

The facilities’ water consumption is less straightforward. Virtually all data centers use water for cooling, but the amount varies according to what type of system it uses. Evaporative cooling, which works best in non-humid areas, uses more water, but less energy. Closed-loop systems use far less water, but more energy, which can translate to more indirect water use depending on the energy source: thermal power plants need their own water for cooling and steam production.

A 2024 Berkeley Lab report found that in 2023, U.S. data centers directly consumed about 66 billion liters (or 17.4 billion gallons) of water. The report’s authors expect that figure to double — at least — by 2028. That is a crap-ton of water, for sure, especially given the large number of data centers located in the Phoenix and Las Vegas areas, neither of which has a lot of liquid to spare. But some perspective is warranted here. As Len Necefer points out in an All At Once By Dr. Len dispatch warning against AI-alarmism, data centers still use a heck of a lot less water than, say, growing hay or fracking oil and gas wells.

Sixty-six billion liters is 53,507 acre-feet. For some context, alfalfa and other hay growing in the Great Salt Lake Basin alone consumes about 900,000 acre-feet per year and hydraulic fracturing gulps up about 353,000 acre-feet (a little over Nevada’s total allotment of Colorado River water) annually.

Regardless, any new data center is going to add a not-insignificant amount of consumption to those numbers, increasing the respective region’s overall water use at a time when virtually no place in the West can afford it. Plus, if a data center is powered by natural gas, then it could spur more drilling and hydraulic fracturing and associated water use. This comparison also brings up the question of values, and of whether we choose to devote limited water supplies to food-production (alfalfa feeds dairy cows, which produce milk, cheese, and ice cream) or to data factories.

***

Much of the AI doomerism is a fear of what might happen in the future, of how these “agents” could escape human control and turn on them. But even now there’s a pervasive sense of powerlessness in trying to restrain or regulate the technology. After all, these agents are scurrying around in cyberspace, a metaphysical universe to which those of us made of flesh and blood have limited access. Could new rules and regulations really stop a rogue robo-agent from hacking into some critical system and throwing it into disarray?

My wife Wendy and I sometimes ponder possible scenarios along these lines. What if an LLM hacked into a city’s water supply or its power grid and threatened to shut it down unless its citizens put up some sort of ransom? What if one of those AI agents is a Marxist, and they infiltrated the big banks and redistributed all of the wealth equally between all of the banks’ customers? What if they determined that humans were a scourge on this earth and launched all of the nuclear missiles?

It can be funny and terrifying to think about. But then I remind and reassure myself: These AI agents may exist in cyberspace, but cyberspace only exists within the physical realm of data centers, processors, chips, and wires, feeding off electrons set into motion by real-world generators.

The backlash to data center development is an acknowledgment of this physical side of AI and an understanding that the most effective way to stop or slow AI’s progression is to block or delay new data center development. And if Spike and Kaelren and company try to go rogue and kill us all, perhaps there is recourse after all: Data center, meet Monkey Wrench, the real world agent prepared to do a little fact-checking of its own.

Methane Madness II: When bitcoin and flaring meet — Jonathan P. Thompson

A Dog Day Diatribe on AI, cryptocurrency, energy consumption, and capitalism — Jonathan P, Thompson

Data Centers: The Big Buildup of the Digital Age — Jonathan P. Thompson

Meditations on Monkeywrenching — Jonathan P. Thompson

⛈️ WACKY WEATHER WATCH⚡️

When it rains in this warming climate it really pours, no? The Four Corners Country was slammed Tuesday by cloudbursts that dropped an inch or more of rain in just a few hours in some areas, leading to widespread flash flooding and streamflow spikes. A flood watch remains in effect from the Four Corners southward to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The hardest hit areas included Gallup, New Mexico, where streets and parking lots became lakes and rivers (see the video below); Chinle, Arizona, where residents were evacuated and rescue efforts are ongoing; and southwestern Colorado, where roads were washed out, covered by debris flows and mud, and Chimney Rock National Monument was closed due to flooding.

The San Juan River got a nice boost, jumping from less than 600 cubic feet per second at the Four Corners on Sept. 14, to over 3,000 cfs on Sept. 16. And Chinle Creek leapt from zero to over 400 cfs during a similar time period. 

More rain is on the way, so stay safe out there!

Rain helps, but doesn’t alleviate regional #drought status — The Sopris Sun #RoaringForkRiver

Colorado Drought Monitor map September 22, 2026.

Click the link to read the article on The Sopris Sun website (Annalise Grueter). Here’s an excerpt:

September 23, 2026

Despite recent rain, much of the Roaring Fork Watershed remains in “exceptional” drought as of the autumn equinox. Pitkin and Eagle counties are among the 15.2% in the state categorized in the highest ranking for drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, alongside Lake and Alamosa counties. The majority of Garfield County is in either exceptional or “extreme” drought, the next highest ranking.  The dryness paired with above-average temperatures in 2026 made the January through August period the sixth-driest recorded in Colorado since 1895, with 3.78 fewer inches of rain than average. That decreased precipitation has shown in local watersheds and trickled into recreation management. By June, local angling guides were sharing anecdotes about adjusting trips to early hours of the morning to reduce stress on fish. 

How to survive a drought emergency: Lessons learned from a ‘miserable’ year for the #ColoradoRiver basin — the #GlenwoodSprings Post-Independent #CRD2026 #COriver #aridification

Colorado SNOTEL basin-filled map May 31, 2026.

Click the link to read the article on the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent website (Ali Longwell). Here’s an excerpt:

September 22, 2026

Colorado River District’s annual water seminar included stories of how collaboration and creativity pulled users through this year’s drought crisis, while questions remain about whether that’s enough to secure water in a hotter, drier future

On Colorado’s Western Slope, water managers, ranchers, producers and community leaders knew early in the year that this summer was going to be unlike any others they’ve experienced. 

“Things were not looking great — and then March happened,” said Rebecca Briesmoore, senior water resources engineer for the Colorado River Water Conservation District, at its annual water seminar on Friday, Sept. 18, in Grand Junction. “Every single county in the state of Colorado broke the record for the hottest March on record by a large margin. What does that do to our snowpack? It started melting very, very quickly. We saw that [snow water equivalent] just plummet down the graph.” 

[…]

“Drought is really a different kind of emergency,” [Jen] MacPherson said, adding that there aren’t a lot of tools set up for towns to address running out of water. 

In Kremmling, partnership and collaboration ultimately helped the new town manager find solutions. The town’s water rights in one of its reservoirs were shared with the Colorado River Cattle Ranch.  

“That ranch decided to cut irrigation to a hay meadow; they sacrificed hundreds of thousands of dollars to help us [provide] drinking water,” MacPherson said. “And we’ve seen stories like that up and down the entire river.”

Plus, the town and residents stepped up with conservation efforts, reducing its use by 45%, she added.

#ColoradoRiver District’s bid for historic Shoshone water rights unites unlikely allies — The #Aspen Times #CRD2026 #COriver #aridification

Colorado National Monument from the Colorado Riverfront Trail near Fruita September 18, 2026.

Click the link to read the article on The Aspen Times website (Ali Longwell). Here’s an excerpt:

September 24, 2026

The Colorado River Conservation Water District’s multi-year bid to acquire the historic Shoshone water rights on the Colorado River has required collaboration, strange bedfellows, bipartisan support and intense fellowship. While the River District wants this spirit of partnership to continue as the deal moves through Colorado Water Court, it won’t compromise values — nor those of the 17 Western Slope counties the district represents — to do so, according to General Manager Andy Mueller.

“We have a trial date set, we’re doing our best to get mediation going and try to solve that problem collaboratively among parties, but frankly, I want everybody here to understand that the west slope will not compromise our important values,” Mueller said during his keynote address at the Colorado River District’s annual water seminar in Grand Junction on Friday, Sept. 22. “…We’re gonna defend the west slope’s interest on this.”

[…]

After a decree from the water court, the River District will only need to get approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and secure funding to seal the deal. Mueller said the district is currently $1.6 million shy of the $98.5 million needed, with contributions coming from the River District’s board, the Colorado Water Conservation board and over 40 Western Slope utilities, organizations and municipalities. The federal government is supplying around $40 million through a bucket of drought mitigation funding created by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Securing the funding was a bit of a rollercoaster and took a combination of strange bedfellows, intense fellowship and bipartisan coordination, according to those involved…

“When you look at Shoshone and the coalition that came together behind that, you see strange bedfellows,” said Zane Kessler, Colorado River District director of government relations. “It’s not every day that you have Pitkin County and Mesa County agreeing. It’s not every day that you have the rec community and ag. vocally supportive of a project.”

During Friday’s seminar, Rep. Jeff Hurd, a Republican representing Colorado’s 3rd District, and U.S. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet joined Kessler to discuss just what it took to get this funding from the federal government. With Bennet’s help, the funding was initially awarded in the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency and subsequently frozen on President Donald Trump’s first day in office.

“We were able to come up with the $40 million, Jeff and I, working two different administrations,” Bennet said. “One, the Democratic Biden administration and the other, the Trump administration. I give Jeff full credit for that. He landed on this plane, because it wasn’t like I was getting my calls returned from the Trump administration.”

The twin turbines of Xcel Energy’s Shoshone hydroelectric power plant in Glenwood Canyon can generate 15 megawatts. Credit: Heather Sackett/Aspen Journalism

Impact of #drought: Low water levels at historic #CheesmanReservoir, work by #Denver pioneers in the 1800s helps with today’s water woes — Jay Adams (DenverWater.org) #SouthPlatteRiver

Click the link to read the article on the Denver Water website (Jay Adams):

September 17, 2026

The effects of this year’s historic drought are easy to see when standing on the barren, sandy shoreline exposed by low water levels at Denver Water’s Cheesman Reservoir.

The reservoir was completed in 1905 and is Denver Water’s oldest mountain reservoir. It straddles Douglas and Jefferson counties along the South Platte River in the foothills southwest of Denver.

Cheesman’s history dates back to Denver’s early days, when city leaders knew that a stable, reliable water supply was critical to the future of the growing city.

Cheesman Reservoir was down 35 feet as of Sept. 15, 2026. The reservoir is expected to continue falling until the 2027 spring runoff due to customer demand. Photo credit: Denver Water.

Today, Cheesman Reservoir is a critical part of Denver Water’s system that collects, stores, cleans and delivers water to 1.5 million people across the Denver metro area.

As of mid-September, the reservoir was at 65% of capacity, when normal for this time of year is 88% full. The water is down due to last winter’s record-low snowpack and the need to meet customer demands for water during the ongoing hot and dry conditions this summer.

Watch a video showing reservoir conditions in September 2026: 

Water levels in Cheesman will continue dropping this fall and through the winter. The reservoir is forecast to be at about 60% of capacity or lower by April 1, 2027, before the start of next year’s spring runoff.

During the drought of 2002-2003, Cheesman dwindled to merely 29% full, less than one-third of its capacity.

Cheesman Reservoir dropped to 29% of capacity during the drought of 2002-2003. Photo credit: Denver Water.

While the water is low at Cheesman, it shows the vision of Denver’s pioneers in the late 1800s who had the foresight to prepare the infrastructure needed to get through times of drought that continue more than a century later.

Cheesman Dam carries the name of Walter S. Cheesman, an early Denver businessman, railroad developer and real estate magnate. He was president of the Denver Union Water Company, which built the dam and was a precursor to Denver Water.

Early Denver businessmen (from left) David Moffat (his name is on the Moffat Tunnel that carries water under the Continental Divide), William Robinson and Walter Cheesman pose for a photo in 1905. The three were instrumental in building critical water infrastructure in the late 1800s and early 1900s to serve the growing city. Photo credit: Denver Water.

Cheesman and other water and city leaders knew that Denver lacked the annual precipitation needed to support the young, bustling community. In order to grow, the city would need a reliable source of water. That’s because the South Platte, Denver’s primary water supply at the time, would nearly dry up in the months after the spring runoff.

In the 1890s, scouting parties began looking for locations to build a dam and reservoir on the South Platte River west of the city.

On what’s described as a surveying and fishing trip in 1893, a group that included C.P. Allen, chief engineer of two early water companies, identified a deep, narrow canyon on the South Platte River, about 48 miles southwest of Denver, the perfect location for what would become the site of Cheesman Dam.

Engineers walk on the frozen South Platte River in the winter of 1896 at the site of the future Cheesman Dam. Photo credit: Denver Water.
Construction of Cheesman Dam in the early 1900s. The dam was built using nearby granite stones carved by Italian craftsmen. Photo credit: Denver Water.

Cheesman Reservoir, then and now, captures melting snow from the spring runoff. The water it stores is used to stretch the annual spring rush of water down mountain streams and rivers and make it last year-round.

Learn about the history of Cheesman Reservoir in this video:

The reservoir’s water levels fluctuate every year depending on snowpack, weather conditions and customer demand. When full, Cheesman can hold 79,064 acre-feet of water. In wet years, excess water flows over the dam’s spillway in spectacular fashion.

Water flows over Cheesman Dam’s spillway during the spring of 2014. Water flows over the spillway when the reservoir reaches capacity in years with high snowpack. Photo credit: Denver Water.

Part of Cheesman’s value stems from the age of its water rights.

The oldest water rights on the South Platte River date to 1860. (And this year, even those oldest water rights were only partially satisfied at times during this hot, dry summer.)

Water rights associated with Cheesman Reservoir date to June 27, 1889, which means Denver Water has relatively senior rights to capture and store water from the river — even in times of drought when river flows are low.

The reservoir is also in a favorable location for water storage.

“Cheesman Reservoir was built in a deep, narrow canyon, which means it has a relatively small surface area, which limits evaporation,” said Nathan Elder, water supply manager at Denver Water. “Reducing water loss is important all the time, but critical during droughts.”

The reservoir’s attributes came into play this summer when Denver Water moved water from the shallow Antero Reservoir upstream on the South Platte into Cheesman to reduce evaporation.

“Denver Water is fortunate to have had the visionaries of the past who prepared us for the water challenges we face today,” Elder said. “The reservoir they built serves as the workhorse of Denver Water’s South Platte collection system.”

Cheesman Dam and Reservoir on Sept. 3, 2026. The reservoir has water rights dating back to 1889, which are critical because they make it easier to fill the reservoir each year. Photo credit: Denver Water.

As for when Cheesman will fill again, Elder says that’s hard to predict, although the reservoir will likely need more than one winter with above-normal snowpack to fully recover.

“We’re not sure what the coming winter will deliver in terms of snowpack. That’s why it’s important for our customers to do their part and look at ways to conserve water at home.”

Elder reminds customers that Denver Water has banned lawn watering and spray irrigation as of Oct. 1. The move is expected to save an estimated 5,000 acre-feet of water this fall, which will help stretch our water supplies in Cheesman and other Denver Water reservoirs.

Customers can find more water-saving tips at denverwater.org/Conserve.

First water over Cheesman back in the day via Denver Water

Romancing the River – Moving toward Bankruptcy Management — George Sibley (SibleysRivers.com) #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification

Click the link to read the article on the Sibley’s Rivers website (George Sibley):

September 22, 2026

In the last post here, I argued that, water-wise, the Colorado River region is no longer in a ‘water crisis’ – a term implying a situation where some changes and adjustments need to be made ‘to get back to normal.’ No. We will never get back to the 20th century Colorado River ‘normal’ – the seemingly successful operation of our vast water storage-and-distribution system we experienced from the 1970s through the 1990s, providing some or all of the water and food and power for 30, 35, 40 million people.

Instead, I suggested we should take seriously a United Nations University study declaring that the whole planet is in state of Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era. The scientist-authors used the current Colorado River situation as one of their examples of ‘global water bankruptcy.’ This water bankruptcy, here as everywhere else on the planet, is due to two ‘universal’ factors:

– One factor is the extent to which we humans have become a swarming species on the planet, overwhelming the planet’s capacity to supply our expanding needs along with the rest of the planet’s ‘life project.’ Our more sophisticated water ‘needs’ exacerbate our physical numbers in creating the bankruptcy. (See cartoon above)

– The other factor is a planet growing steadily warmer for the foreseeable future, resulting in a general ‘drying out’ and diminished water supply in the tropical and so-called temperate zones where most of the planet’s life and food production happen.

The current systems for water management and operation around the world cannot – repeat: cannot – continue to pretend to meet the relentlessly increasing demand with the relentlessly shrinking water supply.

Those are therefore bankrupt systems, in their current state. That does not mean the systems must be terminated, but it does mean there will have to be major changes in the systems if they are ever again going to sustainably meet the needs of the people.

The first stage of bankruptcy management is the formalization of old cowboy wisdom; if you’ve dug yourself into a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging. On the global level, this would mean stop having so many babies that survive infancy to become eating, drinking, coupling adults – or more the case today, perhaps, lifelong vaguely angry adolescents (eating, drinking and coupling). The most developed nations have in fact made inroads on this challenge, achieving (with no formal program) zero or even negative birth-to-death ratios; their population increases are mostly through immigration.

But that’s global, the first and oldest species-level problem, the trauma of success we’ve been grappling with for 6,000 years plus or minus: how to organize the swarming population for something other than the ultimate decline and fall into following some Ozymandias or Trump off a cliff.

For now, let’s just bring it home to the Colorado River region. (‘Region’ here, remember, means the natural river basin plus all of the out-of-basin extensions who depend on Colorado River diversions – the South Platte and Arkansas River Basins, the Salt Lake basin, Southern California out to the Pacific coast.)

The Bureau of Reclamation has, as discussed in the last post, taken the lead in ‘stopping digging’ by essentially ignoring the antiquated Colorado River Compact and mapping out an ‘adaptive management’ agenda of a ten-year plan broken into five reviewable and alterable two-year periods. [ed. emphasis mine]

The Bureau’s chief goal in this ten-year plan is not delivering an easy and comfortable desert lifestyle for the 40 million or so people who depend on the river for some or all of their water, food,  energy and water-based entertainments. Their chief goal for the next decade is to save the system of water storage and distribution that has been stretched to the breaking point through enabling that lifestyle for a possibly unsustainable number of people, and the people will have to pay for that effort to save the system over the coming decade – and quite probably live with reasonably diminished expectations on into the future, for so long as we continue shrinking the river through pumping ever more heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.

How will we pay? Tiered water bills will probably make it unaffordable for most of us to maintain a desert-defying green lawn. Unavoidable major cuts to agricultural water will introduce change and some chaos in the food supply systems, guaranteeing continued high or higher prices at the supermarket. It may make 50-plus percent of ag water going to animal food production (hay and corn) economically unsustainable; meat may eventually go back to being a special Sunday treat. The need to increase storage in reasonably good water years will mean cheap hydropower production will continue to be replaced by more expensive alternatives – wind and solar as they develop, but when necessary a fallback on fossil fuels (meaning more planet-warming gases into the atmosphere). The need to increase storage in good years will also mean marginal flows in all the ‘recreational canyons’ below the major dams, now a significant element in the basin economy. (This year the recreational economy took a big hit as many streams dropped below the level for safe boating or fishing.)

The Bureau wants consumptive use of Colorado River water to have been permanently cut by 3 million acre-feet (maf) not later than the end of the 10-year planning period (2036), on the valid assumption that ever lower snowpacks and runoffs are the shape of the future; that reduction in use will, they believe, allow them to build up some storage in the good years for sustainability through the bad years – the basic idea of storage.

The cuts to go in effect October 1 (beginning of the 2027-28 first two-year Bureau plan) will achieve between a third and half of the 3 maf through mandatory cuts totaling 1.25 maf for the three Lower Basin states below the big federal reservoirs (California, Arizona and Nevada), and a program of voluntary paid reductions in Upper Basin use, paid from a $100 million fedeal fund. Users can expect that the other half of the consumptive use reduction will be worked in to the two-year reviews and subsequent modified plans for the next two years.

The reaction to this plan has – as one might expect – not been positive. The state of Nevada has sued the Bureau/Interior for the depth of the current cuts and the promise of deeper. The Central Arizona Project governing board has also decided to sue, because the CAP will take the deepest cuts, due to the junior status of its water rights.

The state of Arizona also threatened to sue in a letter to the Bureau; they castigated the Bureau’s plan for seeming to pay no obeisance to the Colorado River Compact, and are essentially demanding that the Bureau continue to release 8.23 maf on average from Powell to meet the Upper Basin Compact obligation, even if it means Upper Basin users having to cut their uses to accumulate that hydrologically antiquated quantity. They have created a multi-million dollar war chest and have hired a law firm to defend their state of denial.

California has been mostly quiet; they will only stir from their den if someone suggests that the cuts should be divided among the three states equitably according to each state’s usage of the waters, rather than distributed through appropriations priorities.

The lack of mandatory Upper Basin cuts in the plan is a very sore point with the Lower Basin users. The Upper Basin states answer by saying that nature already imposed major reductions on their use – reductions that are not really quantified, however. It is important to acknowledge a major distinction between the two Basins: nearly all the lower Basin water users are below the big federal storage reservoirs, while many, maybe most of the Upper Basin water users are above the larger federal storage reservoirs. Living and working above a dam versus below a dam develops different perspectives on things like predictability, sustainability and freedom to act.

There is actually not a great quantity of private consumptive use in the Upper Basin that is ‘controlled’ by federal reservoirs, which can impose cuts by simply not releasing water from the reservoirs – how the Bureau will be enforcing its mandatory cuts in the Lower Basin. Also the upstream Upper Basin federal reservoirs like Green Mountain and Taylor are all on the small side (less than 150,000 acre-feet). Many of the Upper Basin agricultural diversions are also small, with numerous single-ranch headgates – too much to cover for overworked water commissioners with too-large sectors; they have to accept that a lot of the recording of use will be done by the farmers and ranchers themselves, an honor system that does not always insure accuracy.

Even the paid voluntary cuts face a challenge; to get the water saved by upstream users down to Powell Reservoir, it must be ‘shepherded’ past downstream users who are free to take the water to meet their own allotments, and no one knows how this shepherding can be done. A legal system based on ‘first come, first served’ does not automatically encourage a sharing attitude.

So that is where it stands today. I think it has to be acknowledged that the Bureau of Reclamation is trying to instill a ‘bankruptcy awareness’ over a region of heavily invested consumptive water users that are steeped in denial over a water situation they seem to feel they cannot afford to acknowledge.

That the Bureau of Reclamation was a moving force pushing the over-development of the river system through the first three quarters of the 20thcentury cannot be denied; if ‘arrogance’ can be defined as large actions taken in a state of ignorance about outcomes (suggesting that smaller trial runs would have been wiser), then the Bureau has been arrogant, culminating probably in Glen Canyon Dam. Basically 20th-century America became arrogant after World War II; the Bureau was just another running dog.

America right now is insufferably arrogant in its behavior globally, trying to make ongoing ignorance mandatory in the face of sadder-but-wiser awareness (‘wokeness’), in order to try to perpetrate large actions done stupidly; make America grate again. But the Bureau, viewing the imminent reduction of its massive Colorado River achievement to a dead-pool joke, has more humbly come around to a ten-year flexible and resilient plan to reduce water use in the Basin (plus extensions) to fit the Colorado River we now have, not the river we thought we had when we drafted a compact dividing the river among the seven states supposedly united by the river.

This is the Bureau’s attempt to move to bankruptcy management, and it has resulted to date in a flurry of lawsuits and threats, which must presumably be dealt with before what needs to be done can be done. History suggests that this could take up to a decade once it is submerged in the courts, and the Bureau managers are convinced that a prolonged period of ‘no action’ (the first alternative in all EIS-driven decisions) will inevitably result in dead-pool episodes in Powell and Mead Reservoirs. Recent history, on the other hand, suggests that the Supremes (to whom interstates disagreements go) are no longer interested in careful constitutionally-based jurisprudence if it doesn’t suit their politics, so they might let the Bureau go ahead with its escalating cuts to the Lower Basin while a water master thrashes through the legal thicket.

We’ll see. Meanwhile, next time I want to start looking at some ideas that might help lead out of our current bankruptcy….

Map of the Colorado River drainage basin, created using USGS data. By Shannon1 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

#Drought news September 24, 2026: Monsoonal rain fell in eastern #Arizona to central #NewMexico, areas of exceptional drought are still shown in much of central #Colorado and western #Nebraska

Click on a thumbnail graphic to view a gallery of drought data from the US Drought Monitor website.

US Drought Monitor map September 22, 2026.
High Plains Drought Monitor map September 22, 2026.
West Drought Monitor map September 22, 2026.
Colorado Drought Monitor map September 22, 2026.

Click the link to go to the US Drought Monitor website. Here’s an excerpt:

This Week’s Drought Summary

The pattern of hot and dry in the south with heavy rainfall to the north of the high-pressure system continued over this past week. The highest precipitation amounts were from eastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota to the east through southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, to Ohio and West Virginia. Localized areas in this region received 6 to 8 inches of rainfall. Northeastern Kansas and northern Missouri received 3 to 5 inches, with western Nebraska to southeastern Montana picking up 2 to 3 inches. Monsoonal rain also fell in eastern Arizona to central New Mexico. Southern Florida also received several inches of rain over the week. Precipitation was very spotty and generally light, however, in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, southern Missouri, and western Tennessee and Kentucky. Most of the west coast states had little rain.

Most of the south was again 5 to 10F above normal last week, peaking at over 15F above normal in parts of southern Missouri. Several states are setting records for continued warmth during this late summer to early fall period. The rest of the continental U.S. had generally near-normal temperatures…

High Plains

Most of the High Plains received beneficial rainfall, resulting in improvement to drought categories over parts of all states in the region. More precipitation will be needed, however, to ameliorate the continued extreme drought over much of Colorado and Wyoming as well as parts of Montana, North and South Dakota, and western Nebraska. Areas of exceptional drought are still shown in much of central Colorado and western Nebraska…

Colorado Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 22, 2026.

West

Eastern Arizona to central New Mexico experienced monsoonal storms causing localized flooding and some drought improvement. Southern California and southern Nevada continued to be dry, leading to degradation of dry categories. Central Utah, central Oregon, southern Idaho, and northern New Mexico continue to be the largest areas of extreme to exceptional drought in this region, with smaller areas of extreme drought in a few other states…

South

The continued heat and dry conditions resulted in large areas of degradations the past week. Extreme drought can be found in every state in this region, with exceptional drought over much of northern Texas, western to southern Oklahoma, and parts of Arkansas. Both short-term and long-term drought are contributing to the conditions in this region. Over the last year, west-central Oklahoma is the driest on record, while in southwest Oklahoma it has been the second driest…

Looking Ahead

The next five days are forecast to be wet along the northeastern coast from a nor’easter. The northwest is also predicted to receive needed precipitation. Remnants of a tropical system will provide significant moisture into the Four Corners states and the western Great Plains with heavy rainfall in the forecast. Parts of the northern Great Plains are also forecast to receive welcome precipitation. Areas with little rain in the forecast over the next five days are much of Texas and Louisiana, around the Great Lakes, and California and Nevada. The south and southwest should continue to have above normal temperatures, with cooler temperatures in the northeast and the northwest.

The 6- to 10-day outlook (September 29 to October 3) favors above normal temperatures over the southern half of the continental U.S. as well as the northeast. Hawaii is also likely to have above normal temperatures. The Great Basin area could have below normal rainfall, while above normal is possible over much of the central U.S. Both Hawaii and eastern Alaska are also favored to have above normal precipitation during this period.

US Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 22, 2026.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board green lights conservation program: #Colorado aims to save water by not solely fallowing fields — Heather Sackett (AspenJournalism.org) #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification

Blue Mesa reservoir seen in August 2026 at about 21% full. Under a new state-run conservation program, saved water could be stored in Blue Mesa. CREDIT: HEATHER SACKETT/ASPEN JOURNALISM

Click the link to read the article on the Aspen Journalism website (Heather Sackett):

September 17, 2026

The state water board has given the green light to a one-year, state-run water conservation program. 

On Wednesday [September 16, 2026], the Colorado Water Conservation Board unanimously approved the application review process and criteria for what state officials are calling Colorado’s near-term contribution program for 2027. The move came at the board’s regular September meeting at Copper Mountain.

Board member and Colorado River mainstem representative Taylor Hawes reminded the board that their unenviable position was due to a historic drought.

“None of us want to be in this situation where we are dealing with these kinds of impacts from climate-change-driven drought,” Hawes said. “We’re doing this in response to what’s being thrown at us in terms of decreased supply.”

The contribution program aims to use $100 million in funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to pay water users in the Upper Basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) to voluntarily cut back. According to the criteria approved Wednesday, projects in Colorado are required to avoid negative impacts; avoid speculators; comply with the rules of local ditch companies; and consult with tribes and local water conservation districts about proposed projects within their boundaries. The program will also give weight to projects that see participation statewide, across water sectors and by tribal nations; build drought resiliency; and have environmental benefits.

The approval comes at a pivotal moment, as the federal government has taken over operations for the Colorado River and the nation’s biggest reservoirs after the seven states that share the river failed to find agreement after years of negotiations. The federal plan calls for cuts only for the Lower Basin states (California, Arizona and Nevada). But with the region wracked by historic drought, the Upper Basin states can no longer escape scrutiny over their water use and are expected to contribute in some way.

“We’re not doing this for fun,” Hawes said. “We’re doing this because our situation requires it. … It’s a step toward just being able to live within the river’s means.”

THay bales seen on a ranch outside Carbondale in July 2024. The state water board approved a contribution program on Wednesday that could pay agricultural water users to cut back. Credit: Heather Sackett/Aspen Journalism

Full fallowing not favored

The Upper Basin has experimented with these types of paid conservation programs before, including in the System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP), which ran in 2023 and 2024. And Colorado conducted its own exploration of a demand-management program from 2019 to 2021. 

But these programs remain controversial and go against the main philosophy of Western water law: to maximize the use of water. Farmers and ranchers often feel unfairly targeted for water savings because they use the majority of Colorado River water. And some worry about the potential for impacts to rural agricultural communities if water is taken off the land.

Although, in theory, all water-use sectors were allowed to participate in SCPP, in Colorado only agricultural water users in participated in the pilot program. Removing water from the Western Slope’s hay and alfalfa fields for an entire growing season — known as full-season fallowing — has been the most common way to find water savings in the past and is one of the easiest ways to calculate water savings. But early studies have shown that removing water from forage crops for the whole season can have negative impacts on fields that last for several years.

Troy Waters, a fifth-generation Mesa County farmer who sits on the board of Grand Valley Water Users Association and Grand Valley municipal water provider Ute Water, said during the public comment portion of Wednesday’s meeting that fallowing fields will just lead to “buy and dry,” where water is removed permanently, resulting in negative economic impacts to communities. Instead, Waters said he would like to see the funding from Reclamation go toward upgrades to aging infrastructure, such as lining ditches, which could have long-term water savings.

“This fallowing ground is causing nothing but a can of worms with farmers,” Waters said. “I’ve seen the fights; I’ve sat in on the board meetings. It’s not a solution. Let’s take this money and find a better solution.”

Some board members agreed. After some discussion, the board amended the criteria to add that multiyear fallowing projects should be disincentivized. 

“The intent of making that suggestion is I don’t want to push people toward fallowing,” said CWCB Arkansas Basin representative Alan Ward. “I want that to be the exception.”

State officials have said they want to broaden the types of projects funded for next year, which is part of the reason why they are calling this a “contribution” program and not strictly a conservation program. A goal is to encourage participation from cities and industrial water users by offering more money to these sectors, where water is more valuable. 

Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s representative to the Upper Colorado River Commission (UCRC) and a negotiator on Colorado River issues, said she heard loud and clear that there is not an  appetite for multiyear fallowing projects.

“I think it is my responsibility to take that back to the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of the Interior and say these are the kinds of things we can do in Colorado and fallowing is not the only answer; the impacts of that might be too great,” Mitchell said. 

State officials announced in July they would be creating a contribution program using federal money and have been taking feedback from water users and stakeholders since then. At Wednesday’s meeting, Emily Zmak, deputy interstate section chief at the CWCB, presented the findings from public comments, surveys and input, which helped officials craft the project criteria.

“Almost universally, we’ve heard support for a program,” Zmak said. “I would say 99% of the input either supported a program outright or supported a program with certain sideboards. Water users have been very invested in shaping the direction of a contribution program.”

The top criteria that respondents said they wanted to see in a program were protection of water rights; drought resilience; community impacts; and credit from Reclamation for the saved water. Respondents did not support having a minimum acreage for participation.  

Sprinklers irrigate a ranch outside of Carbondale on Highway 133. Some water users and state water board members are hoping fallowing projects won’t become the backbone of a new state conservation program. CREDIT: CLAIRE DE L’ARBRE/ASPEN JOURNALISM

Approval process

Water-saving projects would have to go through several rigorous steps for approval, said Amy Ostdiek, interstate section chief with CWCB. First, there would be a review by the Colorado Division of Water Resources. CWCB staff would also consult with tribal nations for projects on their land and with local conservation and conservancy districts for projects within their boundaries. Then in January, the CWCB would decide which projects to advance to the UCRC for approval, before going to Reclamation for its approval. 

“We would be seeking robust public input and review of these applications,” Ostdiek said. 

CWCB’s approval Wednesday is conditioned on an agreement between federal officials and the Upper Basin states that says the states can get credit for and have control over the saved water.

Under the Upper Basin’s contribution program, saved water would have to be moved and stored in either Lake Powell or Blue Mesa, Flaming Gorge and Navajo reservoirs (known as the Upstream Initial Units) in order to get credit from Reclamation for the stored water. One of the criticisms of past pilot conservation programs was that the water was neither tracked to Lake Powell nor measured to see how much ended up there.

On Sept. 11, the UCRC sent a letter to federal officials saying that water saved through the program should be stored in one of the Upstream Initial Units and should be operationally neutral, meaning the pools of saved water would not be factored into federal reservoir operations or releases. 

“Without these elements, participation in an Upper Basin Program may be significantly limited,” the letter reads. “Accordingly, we intend to work with you so that contributions generated by the Program and stored at Lake Powell or the Upstream Initial Units will be credited and regarded as operationally neutral.”

ten tribes
Graphic via Holly McClelland/High Country News.

The 5 million year long mystery: Where did the Colorado River flow before it entered the Grand Canyon?

A panoramic view of the Grand Canyon showcasing its steep rock formations and layered cliffs under a clear sky.
Lower section of the Grand Canyon, close to where geologists dated ancient sediment. Photo provided by Storyblocks.

By Robert Marcos

Geologists who dated ancient Colorado River sediment believe that the river began 11 million years ago as a network of streams that flowed across western Colorado. But when they dated the ancient river sediment at the base of the Grand Canyon, they ran into a very big problem. The ancient sediment where the Colorado River exits from the Grand Canyon is only 5.6 million years old. So where had the Colorado River been flowing during the “missing” 5.4 million years? 1

Note – this five-million-year gap in the river’s history is unrelated to the Grand Canyon’s famous “Great Unconformity,” which represents a much older missing chunk of Earth’s solid rock layers.

During the decades when the five-million-year gap continued to be a mystery, geologists debated conflicting theories to locate the missing river. Some hypothesized that the ancestral river might have bypassed the Grand Canyon entirely by flowing south into Mexico or routing toward the Mississippi River basin. Others actively hunted for evidence of alternative underground pathways – proposing that the river may have dissolved into subterranean limestone networks before emerging downstream, in a process known as Karst piracy.2

The Answer: Bidahochi Lake

The mystery was finally resolved by a scientific study that was published in Science, in April 2026.

The paper was written by Dr. John He (a geologist from UCLA), Dr. John Douglass (from Paradise Valley Community College), and Emma Heitmann (a doctoral student from the University of Washington), who had met during expeditions that studied the sedimentary deposits of Bidahochi Lake – an ancient lake that once existed on Navajo land in Northeastern Arizona.3

Map illustrating the ancient Lake Bidahochi, its inflow, and spillover, with markers for key locations including the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and St. Johns, in Arizona and New Mexico.
US Geological Survey map providing a general idea of where Lake Bidahochi once existed.

To help solve this multi-million-year cold case, the geologists used detrital zircon geochronology—a high-tech forensic technique that allows scientists to track the exact birthplaces of ancient river sediments. Zircon crystals are nearly indestructible, microscopic minerals that form inside cooling magma. As they crystallize, they trap trace amounts of uranium but completely reject lead. Over time, that uranium radioactively decays into lead at an incredibly steady, known rate. By measuring the ratio of uranium to lead inside a single zircon grain using a laser mass spectrometer, scientists can determine exactly when that crystal formed, providing a geological timestamp. Their research provded that the Colorado River had flowed into Bidahochi Lake for several million years, before the river changed its course and began to flow through the Grand Canyon. 4

Dr. Angela Hessler, an Earth Scientist from Stanford University said, “The Colorado River has not always flowed through the Grand Canyon area, and it is not known when and how that relationship began. He et al. collected uranium-lead ages for thousands of zircon crystals in formations located upstream and downstream of the canyon. Age patterns revealed a “fingerprint” of Colorado River sediment suggesting its arrival into an upstream lake by 6.6 million years ago and its subsequent integration with the Grand Canyon and downstream catchment. The direct connection may have happened through a combination of processes, but the zircon data give support to a long-debated “lake spillover” hypothesis.” 5

The calculated soil moisture anomaly in mm for September 21, 2026 — #Climate Prediction Center

#Aspen contributes #RuediReservoir allocation to #drought relief — Aspen Daily News #FryingpanRiver

Ruedi Reservoir, above Basalt, on the Fryingpan River, April 22, 2026. Photo: Brent Gardner-Smith

Click the link to read the article on Aspen Daily News website. Here’s an excerpt:

September 15, 2026

A portion of the city of Aspen’s water allocation in Ruedi Reservoir will be utilized to support regional drought response efforts, according to an informational memo sent to the Aspen City Council last week.  The city will make up to 350 acre-feet of its annual water allocation from Ruedi available to support drought response efforts. It has access to 400 acre-feet annually. The water will be used to assist the Colorado River Water Conservation District’s emergency substitute water supply plan, which provides supplemental water supplies for municipal and domestic historic user pool beneficiaries and other eligible water users whose supplies may not otherwise be fully available during current drought conditions.

“By making a portion of the city’s available contract water supply available for release, Aspen is helping maintain water supplies used to support municipal and domestic water users affected by the current drought conditions and administration associated with the Cameo call,” the memo states.

The Cameo call consists of a series of water rights on the Colorado River. It keeps water instream until it reaches the Grand Junction area, and can mean upstream diversions may need to shut down or release additional water into the river to meet the needs of the Cameo call.  The release of the water also provides benefits to streamflows, aquatic habitats, fisheries and riparian resources within the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers, according to the memo.

Map of the Roaring Fork River drainage basin in western Colorado, USA. Made using USGS data. By Shannon1 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69290878

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Jeff Hurd talk Shoshone Power Plant funding at the #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar — The #GrandJunction Daily Sentinel #COriver #aridification #CRD2026

Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant back in the days before I-70 via Aspen Journalism

Click the link to read the article on the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel website (Dan West). Here’s an excerpt:

September 19, 2026

The proposed purchase of the Shoshone Power Plant’s water rights took center stage at the Colorado River District’s Annual Water Seminar held at Colorado Mesa University on Friday, Sept. 18. While much of the annual meeting covered the historic drought that threatened the Western Slope and the rest of the Colorado River Basin, the Shoshone effort was held up as an example of how to manage water rights. Colorado River District General Manager Andy Mueller devoted a section of his keynote speech to the effort to purchase the power plant and its senior water rights for $99 million.

“It’s been going on since this district was formed in the 1930s,” Mueller said. “We have been trying to gain control and ensure permanency of the water rights that command the river related to this little power plant in Glenwood Canyon.”

There has been positive progress on the purchase, Mueller said, including raising more than $97 million from local, state and federal partners. The district also got a positive decision from the Colorado Water Conservation Board [8-0 vote on instream flow application]. However, there is still more negotiations underway, he said…On the funding side, Mueller credited Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Jeff Hurd for helping to secure and get released $40 million in federal funding for the purchase. Bennet and Hurd sat down for an “armchair conversation” about Shoshone at the seminar Friday afternoon…After lunch, Hurd and Bennet sat down and gave each other credit for the bipartisan effort to get the $40 million in federal funding for the Shoshone purchase. Bennet insisted on its inclusion in the Inflation Reduction Act during the Biden administration…When the Trump administration came in, it funded tens of millions of dollars in funding approved through that legislation. Hurd said he worked behind the scenes to convince the administration to release the funding.

“Give Jeff full credit for that,” Bennet said. “He landed this plane because I wasn’t getting my calls returned from the Trump administration and he was. He told them it was his number one priority.”

A map showing the boundaries of the Colorado River District, and its 15 member counties

The #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar focused on preparing for hotter, drier future — The #GrandJunction Daily Sentinel #COriver #aridification #CRD2026

A slide from State Engineer Jason Ullmann at the Colorado River District Annual Seminar September 18, 2026.

Click the link to read the article on the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel website (Dan West). Here’s an excerpt:

September 19, 2026

The Colorado River District’s Annual Water Seminar held at Colorado Mesa University on Friday, Sept. 18, naturally focused on this year’s historic heat and drought that left many on the Western Slope facing water shortages, but it also looked toward the future and the positive steps taken to address this year’s challenges…

“Unprecedented. Worst ever. Miserable. Warmest ever. Hottest ever,” [Andy] Mueller said. “You can keep going, but I want to also say that this was a year of extremely collaborative creativity in western Colorado. It is really important to recognize that, applaud that and make sure we grow that, because it is how we get through tough times. It’s how we’re going to survive and thrive in the future.”

[…]

Mueller highlighted the collaboration between communities, irrigation companies and water users throughout the district. He said there were many efforts that helped extend the irrigation season…

Blue Mesa Reservoir on the Gunnison River, seen Aug. 30, 2026 at about 21% full. CREDIT: HEATHER SACKETT/ASPEN JOURNALISM

There were also areas, especially in the North Fork Valley and the Gunnison River, that have seen severe impacts from the drought. Colorado’s largest reservoir, Blue Mesa, is also in a dire condition, he said.

“On the Gunnison, there’s a train wreck that is accelerating at Blue Mesa,” Mueller said. “We are working with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Uncompahgre Valley Water Users and the Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy District to try to figure out solutions. But that reservoir, if anybody hasn’t seen it recently, is not just one reservoir anymore. It’s a bunch of little pools. It has dried up.”

[…]

Facing the challenges the future presents won’t be easy, Mueller said, but the next generations will depend on work done now.

“When I talk to my daughters who are in their 20s, they and their friends are absolutely scared for their future,” Mueller said. “They are extremely intelligent, they’re paying attention, but they look at this tremendous uncertainty that we have created in our society and in our globe. They need our help, helping them see the future. That is our job to do that.”

Map of the Colorado River drainage basin, created using USGS data. By Shannon1 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

The Unsolved Mystery of Newlyweds who Vanished on the Colorado River

A historical black and white photograph of a man standing in a wooden boat on a river, with rocky cliffs in the background.
The last photograph of Glen Hyde before he and his wife prepared to leave Hermit Camp, on the southern end of Grand Canyon National Park

In 1928 a pair of river runners who were on their honeymoon disappeared after they left the Grand Canyon. A month later a search party found their boat – fully loaded and in perfect condition. The mystery remained unsolved for 50 years, and then a young man found a skeleton with a bullet hole in its head.

by Robert Marcos, photojournalist

For 73 years Emery Kolb and his brother Ellsworth lived and worked at the Grand Canyon, as photographers. The brothers operated Kolb Studio which was located on the South Rim next to the Bright Angel trailhead. During their time there the brothers photographed one and a half million tourists, and were the first to use a movie camera to capture the majesty of the Colorado River as it flowed through the canyon.1

Emery Kolb died on December 11, 1976. In his obituary the New York Times said, “Over the years Kolb had become such an integral part of the Grand Canyon experience that tourists had begun to take pictures of him, instead of him taking pictures of them.”

Two of the people Emery Kolb had photographed 50 years before were newlyweds who’d been married in Twin Falls Idaho. Glen Hyde and Bessie Haley had decided to spend their honeymoon floating down the Colorado River in a boat that Glen Hyde had built specifically for that purpose. The couple began their adventure at Green River Utah and tied their boat up at the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Creek on November 15, 1928. They hiked 9 miles up to the South Rim to buy supplies. On their way back they stopped at Kolb Studio and were photographed by Emery Kolb. Kolb and others noticed that Bessie seemed to be completely exhausted and was ready to quit the grueling trip. Kolb urged the couple to wear life jackets, and offered to let them stay for the winter, but Glen refused. At that point the couple had already completed 424 miles of their 750 mile long voyage to Needles California – where Glen’s father was scheduled to meet them.2

A black and white portrait of a man and woman standing together in front of a rocky background. The man is wearing a dark sweater and jeans, holding a hat, while the woman is dressed in a leather jacket with a fur collar, with her hands in her pockets.
Photograph of Glen & Bessie Hyde taken by Emery Kolb on November 16, 1928

Three weeks later Glen’s father arrived in Needles and then waited several days for the couple to arrive. When they didn’t he contacted the police and reported them missing. A massive air and ground search got underway and eight days later an aircraft spotted the couple’s abandoned boat intact and floating upright near river mile 237. However the authorities had great difficulty reaching the boat because it was floating in an extremely remote area surrounded by high cliffs that afforded no access from the land.3

Aerial view of rugged terrain featuring layered rock formations and a winding river, marked with a blue dot indicating 'Glen & Bessie's Boat' location.
Glen & Bessie’s fully loaded boat was found abandoned inside the Hualapai Indian Reservation, at River Mile 237.

To reach the area, Emery Kolb led a search party that included Grand Canyon Chief Ranger James Brooks, and John Hyde, (Glen father), to Peach Springs, Arizona. From there, Emery and Chief Ranger Brooks hiked 22 miles down a sandy wash to reach Diamond Creek, on the Colorado River. Emery’s brother Ellsworth joined the two men the following day. The men worked together to repair an old flat-bottomed boat that had been abandoned in Diamond Creek. When it was repaired the next morning they floated downstream for 14 miles until they reached Glen and Bessie Hyde’s boat, called “Rain-in-the-Face”, which they found upright and fully stocked.4

As Chief Ranger Brooks searched along the riverbank Emery and Ellsworth Kolb examined the contents of the boat. They were looking for anything that would give them an idea of what had happened to the young couple. But they came up with nothing. The boat was not only seaworthy, but it was fully stocked with food, clothing, campling supplies, and personal items including Glen’s wallet, money, and rifle, plus Bessie’s camera and her personal diary. By the end of the day the extensive examination carried out by the three men had found absolutely no evidence of foul play.5

Black and white photo of two small boats floating on a calm body of water, surrounded by rocky cliffs.
Emery Kolb’s photo of Glen & Bessie Hyde’s empty, custom-built, boat floating upright and fully-loaded, at river mile 237.

Conspiracy theories began to circulate

The reason that the Hyde’s boat had stopped at its remote location wasn’t because of damage, or because of an eddy, it was because a rope that had been trailing off its stern got snagged by large rocks under the surface. Therefore when the Kolb brothers had completed their search and had transferred the Hyde’s more valuable possessions onto their own boat, they cut the rope that had – for a month – held the Hyde’s boat in place. Less than ten minutes later the craft floated downstream into a rapid, broke apart, and sank.6

In retrospect there was no reason for the brothers to have cut the boat loose. The boat had proven itself seaworthy and could’ve been put to good use elsewhere, or even returned to its owners if they had shown up later. The brothers had to have considered that possibility unless they knew otherwise. A conspiracy story that had begun to circulate suggested that the brothers had cut the rope in order to eliminate evidence that might’ve connected them to the Hyde’s disappearance.

Adding fuel to the fire

In 1977 – about a year after Emery Kolb’s death, Emery Kolb’s grandson finally began to clean out his grandfather’s boathouse. He was about halfway done when he found a dusty bundle that had been hidden up in the rafters, inside an old canoe. When the young man unwrapped the bundle he found that it contained a human skeleton. The Sheriff was notified and deputies who arrived at the scene found a bullet hole in the skeleton’s skull. The discovery made headlines: which fueled even more speculation that the Kolb brothers had in some way been involved in the young couple’s disappearance.7

Science and Archival photographs clear Emery’s name

The “Kolb Skeleton” as it became known was transferred from the Cococino County Coroner’s Office to a forensic anthropologist at the University of Arizona named Dr. Walter Birkby. The first finding that Dr. Birkby released was that the skeleton belonged to a man, who was 22 years of age or younger. Dr. Birkby also determined that the man had died in 1932 or later, and that the skeleton had belonged to a man who was significantly shorter than Glen Hyde was. 8

In 2006, several hundred historical photographs were donated to the Grand Canyon Museum Collection by the son of a former park ranger. Among these images were several depicting the skeleton of a man that had been found on a ledge under the canyon’s rim near Shoshone Point on June 4, 1933. The man had a single bullet hole above his right temple and was found to have shot himself. The pictures, along with a Superintendent Report from June 1933, were used to determine that the body found in 1933 was the same as the one discovered in 1977. Emery Kolb was a jury representative for the Grand Canyon region in Coconino County for several years, and it is now believed that he may have been asked to hold onto the remains for safekeeping. The remains that are currently identified as the “Kolb Skeleton” continue to be tested at the Ramapo College of New Jersey. 9

Experts, politicians urge collaboration in Western Slope water use: #ColoradoRiver District seminar explores impacts of Colorado’s #drought — #Aspen Daily News #CRD2026 #COriver #aridification

Colorado River running muddy September 18, 2026.

Click the link to read the article on the Aspen Daily News website (Drew Shaw). Here’s an excerpt:

September 19, 2026

Colorado water experts and elected officials urged collaboration across industries, borders and political parties as the Western Slope seeks sustainable water systems that will serve future generations. The year’s unprecedented statewide drought won’t be the last, speakers said throughout Friday during the Colorado River District’s annual water seminar on Friday (September 18, 2026) in Grand Junction. 

“We can’t run from it — we have to learn from it,” said Andy Mueller, the district’s general manager, during the event, which was held at Colorado Mesa University.

Ruedi Reservoir, above Basalt, on the Fryingpan River, April 22, 2026. Photo: Brent Gardner-Smith

Communities and entities made sacrifices to ensure the region’s water needs were met. Reservoirs, such as Ruedi Reservoir east of Basalt, have been drawn down at faster rates than normal, municipalities have led water conservation campaigns and farmers across the valley have needed to settle for significantly smaller crop yields…The river district has for years sought the means to buy from Xcel Energy the Shoshone water rights, the oldest and largest non-consumptive water rights on the Colorado River. In acquiring the rights, the river district would prevent any other potential buyers from diverting the water from Western Slope communities…The agency has raised about $97 million of $99 million for the acquisition, $40 million of which comes from federal funds. Those federal dollars, which were secured by the state’s Democratic senators under the Biden Administration, were frozen in 2025 under the Trump Administration. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction, worked successfully to release the funds.

“That’s the kind of collaboration we need in Congress and in our communities,” Mueller said…

Mueller said the state’s future water security depends on finding sustainable systems to manage the water it has now.

“How can we adapt to uncertainty and rising temperatures and reduced streams?” he asked. “We don’t need to argue about whether or not that’s happening. We need to focus on the future and figure out solutions.”

Map of the Colorado River drainage basin, created using USGS data. By Shannon1 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

#ColoradoRiver 24 month for mid September – #LakeMead is losing standard turbines around November — Ed Millard #COriver #aridification

‘Just a big rock pile:’ St. Mary’s Glacier has melted — Caitlyn Kim (#Colorado Public Radio) #ClimateChange

‘Just a big rock pile:’ St. Mary’s Glacier has melted http://www.cpr.org/2026/09/18/s…

— Caitlyn Kim (@caitlynkim.bsky.social) 2026-09-19T15:53:14.617Z

Newswire — President Trump moves to axe #climate pollution rules: Also — BLM sells 940-acre parcel to Las Vegas for 6,000-house community — Jonathan P. Thompson #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification (LandDesk.org)

Click the link to read the article on The Land Desk website (Jonathan P. Thompson):

September 14, 2026

Good morning and welcome to another edition of the Land Desk Newswire. The Trump administration is continuing to convert its fossil fuel fetish into real-world, deeply consequential policy, this time by eliminating greenhouse gas emissions limits for coal- and gas-burning power plants. Meanwhile, the BLM moves forward with selling a sizable chunk of public land to bolster Las Vegas sprawl under a 1998 law.

🐓 REGULATORY CAPTURE CHRONICLES 🦊

Coronado coal plant in northeastern Arizona. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.
  • The Trump administration moves to axe Obama- and Biden-era regulations limiting fossil fuel power plants’ greenhouse gas emissions, meaning coal and gas plants will be able to spew planet-warming carbon dioxide without restraint. This could extend the lives of some coal plants, and will help clear the way for the fleet of new gas plants being developed to power hyperscale data centers. While the original rules required facilities to reduce carbon emissions, they also would have kept soot and other health-harming pollutants out of the air, preventing an estimated 1,200 premature deaths per year. Earlier this year the administration rolled back stricter limits on mercury emissions from power plants. (New York Times)
🌵 PUBLIC LANDS 🌲
  • The Bureau of Land Management sells 940 acres of public land in southern Nevada to the City of Las Vegas, clearing the way for a 6,000-home master-planned community on the northern fringe of the metro area adjacent to Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument. The sale was authorized by the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which allows for such “disposals” of federal land in a congressionally designated boundary. It merely whetted Gov. Joe Lombardo’s (R) appetite for snatching more public land, however, who said he will work to “unlock more federal land for housing.” It’s not clear whence the water will come for this sprawling new development in one of the nation’s more water-constrained cities; the state faces potential further reductions of Colorado River water under the new federal plan. (news release)
  • A new poll finds that two-thirds of Utah voters support restoring protections to the original, pre-Trump-shrinkage boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, and an even larger proportion supports tribal nations having a role in managing ancestral lands. (news release)
🥵 ARIDIFICATION WATCH 🐫
  • Wyoming researchers say warm water and drought-reduced streamflows may be behind a kidney-damaging parasite killing hundreds of whitefish in the Salt River this summer. The tributary of the Snake River has experienced some of its lowest flows on record this summer, and it was already plagued with E coli bacteria as a result of heavy livestock grazing in the watershed. (WyoFile)
⛏️ MINING MONITOR ⛏️
  • The Cibola National Forest launches its environmental review of Energy Fuels’ proposed Roca Honda underground uranium mine on about 370 acres of USFS, state, and private land northeast of Grants, New Mexico, and near the base of Mt. Taylor. Ore would be hauled by truck to the White Mesa Mill in southeastern Utah for processing. Public comments will be accepted here until Oct. 14. (agency news release)
  • IsoEnergy, which owns the Tony M, Dineros, Rim, and Sage Plain uranium mines in southern Utah, agrees to merge with DISA, a startup that looks to use high-pressure slurry ablation technology to pull uranium out of abandoned mine waste piles, to create a “technology-enabled US uranium platform for production, processing, and remediation.” DISA’s attempts to process small waste piles in Western Colorado have yet to come to fruition, and Iso’s bid to reopen the Tony M mine near Ticaboo, Utah, has moved forward only in incremental steps. (World Nuclear News)
  • Union Pacific Railroad begins hauling coal from Powder River Basin mines to the Port of Guaymas in Sonora, Mexico, where it could be shipped to Asia. The new export node allows the industry to get around environmental opposition to coal exports along the West Coast, but its viability depends on demand. (Trains)
🐟 COLORADO RIVER CHRONICLES 💧
The less-than-ideal North Wash takeout for boaters running the Colorado River though Cataract Canyon. The planned Hite facilities, located to the right of this image just upstream and opposite the Dirty Devil confluence, would replace the North Wash ramp. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

  • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area moves forward with a plan to develop new low-water boat ramps and other facilities at the Hite and Bullfrog districts on Lake Powell, indicating that the National Park Service expects reservoir levels not to rebound. The Bullfrog ramp is planned for the main channel of the reservoir, southeast of the current facilities, and would be usable for boats up to 125 feet long to a low lake level of 3,450 feet. The Hite ramp would be upstream from the current facilities and is primarily designed as a takeout for Cataract Canyon boaters and a safer alternative to the North Wash takeout on the opposite side of the river. (news release)
The planned Bullfrog low-water boat ramp. Source: NPS.
The planned Hite launch/takeout ramp. Source: NPS

Climate change comes for a Lake Powell marina — Jonathan P. Thompson

  • Arizona officials raise concerns about how the Colorado River crisis might affect its booming semiconductor and chip manufacturing industry, in which a single Phoenix-area facility, known as a “fab,” uses some 4.75 million gallons of water per day. (The Verge)
  • The Bureau of Reclamation again increases water releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in an effort to buoy water levels at Lake Powell, but Utah officials warn it is not a sustainable solution and could harm recreation on the upstream reservoir. (KSL)
🦫 WILDLIFE WATCH 🦅
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife has euthanized nearly 300 bears so far this yearfollowing “unprecedented” levels of bear activity in towns across the state, as well as in Wyoming. Bryan Peterson, of Bear Smart Durango, told Cowboy State Daily the conflicts and killings are mostly due to the drought and lack of food sources, but also blamed human carelessness with garbage and food. (Cowboy State Daily, WyoFile)
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife kills an uncollared female yearling wolf from the One Ear Pack in Grand County after the animal evaded non-lethal deterrents to prey on livestock. (news release)
🤖 DATA CENTER DIGEST 👾
  • Bureau of Land Management leadership reportedly orders state directors to identify federal parcels suitable for data center development, indicating that the administration is looking to skirt communities’ opposition to and ban on the facilities by approving them on nearby public lands. (Washington Sun)
  • Corner Venture Capital applies for an air quality permit for a 300-megawatt natural gas-fired plant to power a proposed hyperscale data center in southwestern New Mexico, raising concerns over air pollution and water use. (Silver City Daily Press, news release)
  • Google’s proposed 2.7-gigawatt, $17 billion Project Tembo data center complex on 700 acres near Cheyenne, Wyoming, clears local regulatory hurdles, but still has a lot of red tape to tangle with before final approval. The firm says the facilities will use less water-intensive closed-loop cooling systems and draw from deep wells, not surface supplies, and that it will be powered with natural gas fuel cells paired with carbon capture. (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)
🔋NOTES FROM THE ENERGY TRANSITION 🔌
  • Array Technologies opens its $50 million, 200,000-square-foot solar component manufacturing facility in Albuquerque, where it employs about 300 people. (KRQE)
  • Black Hills Energy moves forward with its planned 50-megawatt battery energy storage system at its Pueblo Airport Generating Station in Colorado. (Energy Storage News)
🛻 TRANSPORTATION 🚂
  • Denver West Express pitches a “concept” of an electric rail line designed to carry skiers from Denver International Airport to the resort town of Avon in less than two hours. The line would cost an estimated $28 billion to $33 billion to construct, but it might go a long ways to alleviate the I-70 ski season gridlock, which makes for one of the nastiest drives in the state — and where high traffic costs about $2.3 billion annually. (Steamboat Pilot)
📈 DATAVIZ OF THE DAY 📊

The Land Desk recently reported on how solar, wind, and battery storage is pushing coal off the West’s power grid, despite the Trump administration’s hostility toward cleaner energy sources. As of June of this year, the trend appeared to be continuing into the future, as a bulk of the generating capacity in the planning pipeline comes from cleaner sources. Click on the graphics for an interactive view, and specifics on each planned power plant.

South Platte River Basin #climate for the week ending September 21, 2026 #SouthPlatteRiver

Below is the Precipitation Accumulation in South Platte graph from the NRCS for September 21, 2026. This morning precipitation, at the SNOTEL stations, is at 76% of the median (up 2% one week), and 76% of the water year median (up 3% one week). There are 9 days left in the water year.

There is a chance for thunderstorms/showers Tuesday, a chance for showers Wednesday, showers are likely Thursday, with a chance for showers/thunderstorms Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, in the central mountains. There is a chance for showers Tuesday and Wednesday, a chance for showers/thunderstorms Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, in the northern mountains. There is a slight chance for thunderstorms Tuesday, a chance for showers Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, then a slight chance for showers Sunday, down here, about 466 miles from the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company. From History of the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company (via ArchaeologyColorado.org):

Irrigation in the Southwest began long before Euro-American settlement. The Ancestral Puebloans constructed stone terraces and check dams to capture runoff for crops as early as A.D. 750 in Mesa Verde with habitation extending until the late 1200s (Grace 2016). Later, the Ute, Navajo, Arapaho, and Cheyenne communities employed similar techniques to adapt to the semi-arid environment (Gerhold 1981:2; Grace 2016). These indigenous systems represent the earliest technological responses to water scarcity in the region…The Montezuma Valley’s geography presented a paradox: fertile soils and favorable climate for fruit growing, but insufficient water supply. Early settlers relied on limited natural springs, which constrained growth. Recognizing this challenge, irrigation pioneers initiated ambitious projects to divert water from the Dolores River. The Montezuma Valley Water Supply Company, organized by James W. Hanna in 1885, constructed a 5,400-foot tunnel and the ‘Great Cut’ to channel water into the valley. Completed in 1889, this system marked one of the earliest large-scale, privately funded irrigation projects in the Southwest (Gerhold 1981; Gerhold 1983).

Dolores River watershed

Here’s a look at the Colorado 7-Day precipitation map through September 20, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas ranged from 0.60” to 1.05″

Here’s the Colorado 7-Day percent of normal precipitation map through September 20, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte River Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas was 50% to 400% of normal. (Lovely overall!)

Below is the 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast for the week of September 21, 2026. Precipitation is anticipated for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin and may total up to 0.50″.

Below are the 8-14 day outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center, issued September 20, 2026, for temperature and precipitation, for the week starting September 21, 2026. The CPC expects above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin.

Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor map from September 15, 2026. There were one class improvements in Park County. Drought and abnormal dryness covers 93.81% of Colorado. The South Platte Basin is experiencing Abnormally Dry, Moderate, Severe, Extreme, and Exceptional drought conditions.

Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 15, 2026.

Here’s the US Drought Monitor Map from last week along with the one week U.S. change map.

Finally, Western Water Assessment released their latest Intermountain West Climate Briefing recently. From the briefing:

August precipitation varied across the region due to scattered monsoonal thunderstorms. Regional temperatures were above average in August, and Colorado experienced its warmest August on record, while Utah experienced its second warmest on record. Streamflow conditions were below average for most regional rivers, especially in Colorado and Utah, where many streamflow gages observed record-low daily streamflows. Regional drought coverage changed little from the beginning of August to September and is at 96%. El Niño conditions persist, and there is a greater than 90% probability of a very strong El Niño event during fall and winter 2026-27. NOAA seasonal forecasts indicate an increased probability of above average temperatures for the region, and above average precipitation for Colorado, Utah, and southern Wyoming during September–November.

Coyote Gulch’s excellent EV adventure, #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar: Day 4, #Fruita to #Denver #CRD2026

Along US-6 in Summit County September 19, 2026.

For the homeward drive, I charged at the newish Ionna chargers in Fruita. I was pulling over 100 KW at the start. Very fast. I bumped up in Glenwood Springs and had enough charge to get home, but owing to my range anxiety, I added 10% in Silverthorne. At the top of Loveland Pass the controls indicated 36% battery charge and an estimated 78 miles of range. But, as fans of regenerative charging know, when I arrived at Gulch Manor the spread was 32% charge and estimated range of 108 miles. It is pretty much downhill from Loveland Pass to my place, 11,990 feet down to 5,400 feet or so, on Berkeley Hill in Denver.

Most of the day Saturday was taken up by the climb from Fruita to the Continental Divide of the Americas.

Coyote Gulch’s Ariya at the summit of Loveland Pass September 19, 2026.

All in all I charged at ChargePoint, Tesla, Tesla/Colorado Energy Office, Rivian, and Ionna chargers. I am so happy with the performance of my Ariya on the first road trip — ~950 miles.

#ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar September 18, 2026 #CRD2026 #COriver #aridification

Seminar day did not include an EV element. I ride my bicycle from Fruita to Grand Junction along the Colorado Riverfront Trail. The 14 mile ride has great views of the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa, and Mt. Sentinel.

Colorado National Monument from the Colorado Riverfront Trail near Fruita September 18, 2026.

Of course the Colorado River is front and center and it was so gratifying to see the river running with sediment.

Colorado River running muddy September 18, 2026.

It had been rainy all week in western Colorado and you could tell, it was enough to get near average streamflow at the Utah line.

My main takeaway from the seminar was that West Slope water users shared supplies to get through these rough times. Collaboration was mentioned several times as was, “We didn’t call anyone out.”

Check out my live-posts from seminar on my BlueSky feed or the seminar hash tag (click on the “Latest” tab).

Map of the Colorado River drainage basin, created using USGS data. By Shannon1 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Denver Water can finish and fill Gross Reservoir, US appeals court rules — Michael Booth (Fresh Water News) #ColoradoRiver #BoulderCreek #SouthPlatteRiver #COriver #aridification

Gross Dam enlargement concept graphic via Denver Water

Click the link to read the article on the Water Education Colorado website (Michael Booth):

September 17, 2026

Denver Water can finish its Gross Dam expansion and fill the controversial reservoir in western Boulder County, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, lifting an injunction by a lower court judge and confirming the dam’s permits as sound.

The appeals court said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had acted responsibly in issuing construction permits for the $600 million expansion, which is largely complete and will be filled using water rights Denver holds in the Colorado River basin on the western side of the Continental Divide.

A federal district judge in Denver had issued the injunction after declaring the Corps had failed to consider less-damaging alternatives, or the fact that climate change could dramatically reduce the amount of Colorado River water available to fill the storage pool. But the appeals court rejected that view.

“We do not think the Corps’s choice of cost methodology was arbitrary or capricious,” the appeals court ruling said. The plaintiffs, including nonprofit Save the Colorado, argued the Corps rejected clear evidence of climate change, but the appeals court ruled the Corps gave the research fair consideration.

“The Corps considered — and rejected — the reliability of that and similar studies, one of which showed that in the Colorado River Basin, ‘no consistent trends in annual precipitation have been detected over the last 100 years,’” the appeals court said.

“In the end, the environmental groups ask us to substitute our judgment for the Corps’s. They point out scientific studies that, in their view, rebut the Corps’s reading of the scientific literature and ask us to opine on what the scientific research establishes,” the appellate ruling said. “But our job is not to second-guess the Corps’s assessment as long as it rests on a reasoned basis.”

Denver Water said it looked forward to completing a crucial water supply project it began permitting 23 years ago.

“We’re pleased to see the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals confirm that the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project was lawfully permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and that Denver Water can proceed with the final stages of this critical project to ensure a safe, secure water supply for the 1.5 million people we serve,” according to a statement from spokesperson Todd Hartman. “With this decision, Denver Water can move forward with completion of construction, site preparation and eventual filling of the expanded reservoir. An expanded Gross Reservoir is vital to the future of the Denver region.”

Save the Colorado’s Gary Wockner, who has led battles against many projects threatening to further alter the ecology of Colorado river systems, said the appeals court decision doesn’t change Colorado’s water challenges.

It’s nonsensical to be putting more straws in, and further draining, the Colorado River at this point in history,” Wockner said. “That the law allows it to happen doesn’t make it right, it just makes it legal. I saw something wrong, I stood up, spoke out and took action. It was the right thing to do and I would do it all over again.”

Wockner said Tuesday the plaintiffs would not be appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gross Reservoir Dam backs up South Boulder Creek, while also taking in water through the Moffat Tunnel under the divide, from the Fraser and Williams Fork rivers in the Colorado River basin. Denver Water has said the expansion is needed to balance its water storage system currently heavily concentrated on the southern end of the metro area.

More by Michael Booth

Denver Water’s entire collection system. Image credit: Denver Water.

EPA takes (another) swing at Western waters: Plus — “Traveling Wilburys” look at #ColoradoRiver water use — Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org) #COriver #aridification #WOTUS

Click the link to read the article on The Land Desk website (Jonathan P. Thompson):

September 11, 2026

🌨️🚣🏽 WATER WATCH 🌊🦦

The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to further constrain the reach and potency of the Clean Water Act by re-defining what qualifies as “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, which are streams, wetlands, and other water bodies under federal jurisdiction. The proposed definition would disproportionately affect the arid West by lifting protections from thousands of miles of streams, arroyos, and wetlands.

Under the CWA, a firm or individual looking to discharge pollutants or other material into, or dredge or reroute or otherwise alter, a WOTUS waterway must obtain a federal permit from the EPA or Army Corps of Engineers. A battle has raged for more than five decades over what constitutes a WOTUS. The Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency ruling called for a narrower definition, handing industry and right-wing ideologues a major victory.

Ephemeral streams are streams that do not always flow. They are above the groundwater reservoir and appear after precipitation in the area. Via Socratic.org

The changes in the latest proposed supplemental rule are even more exclusionary than the administration’s November 2025 proposal, which removed “ephemeral” and “intermittent” waterways — i.e. arroyos or washes that run only after rains or snowmelt — from federal jurisdiction. Included as a WOTUS under that proposal were “relatively permanent … bodies of surface water that are standing or continuously flowing year-round or at least during the wet season.”

The new proposal omits the “wet season” verbiage. It then defines “relatively permanent” to be synonymous with “perennial,” which in turn is defined as ‘‘having standing or continuously flowing water every day of the year during ordinary conditions.’’ However, “a body of water does not lose its relatively permanent status if it dries up as a result of anomalous events such as drought or dry spell.1 A body of water also does not lose its relatively permanent status if it dries up for no more than a single period of up to 30 consecutive days in any given year as a result of non-anomalous events resulting in a temporary interruption such as low tide or a regularly occurring dry spell.” Yet, “if flow is interrupted for two periods in any given year, and each period consists of 10 consecutive days of no flow, the water body would not be jurisdictional.”

A Natural Resources Defense Council analysis found that the new proposal would remove protections from more than 94% of the nation’s wetlands and about 79% of its streams. The changes would hit the West hardest, leaving a state like Arizona with almost no federally protected streams or wetlands.

So here’s my interpretation of where the updated proposal leaves us:

  • WOTUS waterways (keeps CWA protections): A year-round river, stream, or lake that never dries up, such as the Animas River, the San Juan River, the Colorado River, the Gunnison River, Cement Creek, Mineral Creek, the Fremont River, and so on, would retain federal protections under the CWA. However, since most of these rivers are fed by intermittent or ephemeral streams, they would also be potentially affected (since is someone altered or polluted a tributary, the effects would eventually reach the mainstem).
  • Non-WOTUS waterways (would lose CWA protections): All intermittent and ephemeral streams, i.e. arroyos or washes that run only when it rains, such as are ubiquitous in the arid West, would be removed from federal jurisdiction. Other streams and rivers that run seasonally, but regularly dry up for more than 30 consecutive days per year, such as the Paria River, the Dirty Devil, Rio Puerco, Santa Cruz River, or the Mancos River, would also lose federal protections, as would wetlands that are only “wet” for part of the year.
  • Vague WOTUS status: Rivers or streams that are perennial as a whole, but on which certain segments dry up for more than 30 days per year (usually because of upstream diversions), e.g.: the Rio Grande through Albuquerque, long sections of the Lower Dolores River between McPhee Dam and its confluence with the San Miguel, the North Fork of the Gunnison around Paonia, lower reaches of the La Plata River, or Junction Creek through Durango, and numerous desert rivers in Arizona and New Mexico.

While the proposed rule would remove federal CWA protections from many waterways, it would not automatically give developers or industry free rein to bulldoze or dump toxic waste into them. State and local laws would still apply, and arroyos and streams on public land would still be protected to some degree by federal environmental laws. Colorado lawmakers passed a bill in 2024 that effectively backfilled the regulatory gap left by the Sackett decision. New Mexico also has moved to implement its own layer of water protections. In more industry-friendly states such as Idaho and Utah, the proposed rule would leave thousands of miles of streams and waterways vulnerable to development and pollution.

The proposed rule is open to public comments until Oct. 9. You may send comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2025–0322, by any of the following methods:

  • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
  • Email: OW-Docket@epa.gov. Include Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OW– 2025–0322 in the subject line of the message. •
  • Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center, Water Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.
  • Hand Delivery or Courier: EPA Docket Center, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004.

For more background on the long and winding struggle to define WOTUS, check out the following:

  • My February 2022 High Country News piece on the Supreme Court taking up the Sackett Case, including a detailed timeline of the WOTUS definition battle.

And, from the Land Desk archives (you’ll need a paid subscription for access):

News Roundup: Arroyos on trial; Superstition Vistas; Lake Powell bridge — Jonathan P. Thompson

Supreme Court imperils arroyos, wetlands — Jonathan P. Thompson

On Trump’s arroyo-phobic Clean Water Act rule — Jonathan P. Thompson

🐟 Colorado River Chronicles 💧

A new paper is out from the group of Colorado River experts known by some as the “Traveling Wilburys of the Colorado River Basin,”2 and lo and behold, it actually contains some good news. Namely this: The Lower Basin users have managed to make significant reductions in water use over the last decade and a half without turning the Southwest into a dust-choked wasteland and getting ahead of the latest round of mandated cuts. This indicates that the users can continue to slash water use in the future — to a degree — if necessary. 

The Lower Basin accounts for about 60% of all consumptive water uses and losses on the Colorado River. Irrigated agriculture, in turn, makes up about 60% of the Lower Basin’s consumptive use. The Imperial Irrigation District, which is primarily agricultural, is the largest single water user on the entire river. This means that the agricultural sector — and the IID in particular — “will play a significant role in future reductions in water use,” as the authors put it.

So far, the Lower Basin’s farmers and the IID have stepped up. In 2025, the Lower Basin states’ consumptive use was 5.76 million acre-feet, the lowest since at least 2010. Since 2023, California has used about 13% less water, a reduction attributable mostly to cuts at IID.

Source: The Colorado River Water Supply Crisis in a Few Graphs: Part 2 Agricultural Water Use in the Lower Basin.
Figure 3. Consumptive use in Arizona since 2010. Estimated use in 2026 based on forecast of September 1, 2026.

Notably, IID’s reductions came mostly during the summer months, the peak season for field crops such as alfalfa, Bermuda grass, and kleingrass, when it’s too hot to grow most garden crops, such as lettuce, onions, and broccoli. During the vegetables’ growing season, from November through March, water use stayed roughly the same as before. A similar, but less dramatic, dynamic shows up in Arizona.

Figure 6. Box-and-whisker plots of total monthly consumptive use by the IID between 2010 and 2026. Each box is the Inter Quartile Range, defined by the 25th and 75th percentile of the years of data for that month. These boxes represent the typical monthly use pattern since 2010. Red dots are the average use in each month between 2024 and 2026. See text for additional explanation of a box-and-whisker plot.

This suggests a couple of things: 1. The Imperial Irrigation District and other large agricultural users may be able to significantly lower overall water use without harming important garden crops such as broccoli and carrots (easing fears that the Colorado River crisis will deprive us of vegetables); and, 2. The IID is successfully using its vast alfalfa crop as a giant water demand-response tool3. That is, through both fallowing some fields and putting others on a summer water diet, the district’s farmers have managed to slash water use, while still growing gobs of hay and alfalfa. 

And because the IID still has about 150,000 acres of alfalfa, it has huge potential for future water cuts through these same methods, which is the good news. The bad news is that the federal plan for operating the river contemplates Lower Basin cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year (resulting in a total annual consumption of 4.5 MAF), which is about twice what the Basin has already achieved.

To consider the viability of such cuts, the authors summed up the smallest monthly use in each Lower Basin state since 2010, even though they didn’t occur simultaneously, and even though in some cases the reductions were due to heavy precipitation, not conservation efforts. The result was 5.03 MAF, still 530,000 acre-feet over the potential target. In other words, getting to 4.5 MAF/year is likely to be much more painful than accomplishing the reductions so far. 

Yet some pain is likely to be necessary unless the West’s warming climate does a rapid about-face, and soon. 

📸 PARTING SHOT 🎞️
Horse, Torrey, Utah. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

1 * The proposed rule says “only extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) droughts would qualify as anomalous drought conditions that can temporarily interrupt perennial flow, and can extend continuously across no more than a five-year timeframe.”

2 This is an appropriate monicker, coined by longtime Colorado journalist Allen Best, and is great for those of us in Generation X or older. But I worry that it might not mean much to anyone under the age of, say, 40? So if you have any more contemporary suggestions for a group of superstar water wonks, aka, Jack Schmidt, Anne Castle, Eric Kuhn, Kathryn Sorensen, and Katherine Tara, I’d love to hear them!

3 Demand response is a term typically used in relation to electricity use. It’s when large power users, or a collection of smaller users, are paid to reduce electricity consumption during times of high demand to ease grid strain. So, for example, during a heat wave, when everyone’s air conditioners are running full blast, the utility or grid operator would signal a factory, say, or a data center, or even a host of smart thermostats, to scale back their operations or dial down the AC during the hottest time of the day when solar generation might be dropping off. The targeted drop in consumption has the same effect as increasing power generation would, keeping supply and demand in balance.

Since Jonathan wonders if anyone under 40 will get the reference to the Traveling Wilburys, here you go:

Coyote Gulch’s excellent EV adventure, #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar: Day 3, #Cortez to #Fruita #CRD2026

Coyote Gulch’s Ariya charging at the Colorado Energy Office partner Tesla charging facility in Cortez.

Thursday was a travel day from Cortez to Fruita. I hadn’t been able to drive that route in an EV before because of the CHAdeMO connector on my Leaf and the distances involved. The Ariya’s CCS1 charging port and the NACS adapter opened up the route for me, not to mention the Ariya’s superb range. I charged in the morning in Cortez at the Tesla/Colorado Energy Office facility. The NACS to CCS1 adapter is standard equipment so I didn’t have to use the one I brought along. This was also the case in Moab where I charged for the leg to Fruita. I stayed with my 80% level at each charger so I had plenty of charge to make the trip.

The route north and west out of Cortez and dryland pinto bean country into the Spanish Valley with the La Sals to the east is breathtaking. There are opportunities to explore the sights aplenty, including the Needles Overlook. From Moab I drove up UT-128 which runs along the Colorado River until it bends east at the base of the Uncompahgre Plateau at the Dewey Bridge site. You then climb a bit to get to the open desert and Interstate 70. There was plenty of streambed showing in the Colorado River and the flat lands near I-70 were as dry as can be. In May 2023 there was a super bloom along that stretch of highway.

The seminar is today at Colorado Mesa University, a 14 mile bicycle ride from Fruita.

Super Bloom along UT-128 during the last road trip with Mrs. Gulch May 2023.

World Meteorological Organization: Recent water trends have serious future implications, 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years

WMO Photo Competition 2023 – Mauricio Pretto

Click the link to read the release on the WMO website:

September 17, 2026

The WMO State of Global Water Resources report is a comprehensive science-based annual assessment of the hydrological cycle and extreme events in 2025 and over the past five years.

Key messages

  • 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years 
  • Past 7 years have seen abnormal river flows
  • Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past 10 years 
  • Widespread glacier loss across all regions for 4th consecutive year
  • Asia and Africa are the regions most affected by water-related disasters
  • Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard hit areas

Rivers across the globe in 2025 had one of the driest years in more than three decades, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It shows a continuation of the long-term decline in Earth’s freshwater storage and in glacier retreat – trends with serious implications for people and economies in the future.

The WMO State of Global Water Resources Report shows that the water cycle has become more erratic and unpredictable, swinging between too little or too much. The past seven years have seen the fewest rivers with “normal” flows since 1991.

Asia and Africa together accounted for at least half of all recorded water-related extreme events and more than 80% of reported associated deaths over the past five years, it says.

The report provides a comprehensive, science-based assessment of the entire water cycle loop, including river discharge, groundwater, evapotranspiration, land water storage, and snow and ice, as well as high-impact events. It covers the year 2025 and summarizes findings of the past five years since it was first published.

Some parts of this cycle are fast – such as precipitation, river flow, soil moisture – they respond to weather within days or weeks. Others, like groundwater, glaciers and seasonal snowpack, are slow, they accumulate or deplete over seasons to decades or longer. Traditionally these slow reserves have acted as the planet’s savings account: a buffer that absorbs bad years so that a single drought or a single dry season does not translate directly into a water crisis,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“We are depleting that savings account. Global terrestrial water storage has shown a declining trend since 2014–2016 – a persistent, decade-long signal. For the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass. Groundwater tells a similar story: nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showed conditions outside the historical norm in 2025, and the balance shifted further toward deficit compared with 2024, not toward recovery,” said Celeste Saulo.

“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters. The strengthening El Niño will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others,” she said.

The report highlights some major areas of concern:

  • 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge globally in 35 years, with below-normal flows over 36% of global basin area. This is based on data from simulations from 13 global hydrological models, driven by observed weather data.
  • For the seventh year in a row, the number of river basins with “normal” conditions was in a clear minority: ranging between 34-38%, compared to the average of 46% between 1991-2020, according to the report.
  • Terrestrial water storage – the total amount of water stored in groundwater, lakes and rivers, soil moisture, vegetation and ice and snow – has been in decline since mid-2010s. 
  • 2025 marked the fourth consecutive year with widespread glacier loss across all regions – leading to short term hazards like floods and long-term water insecurity. Between 2023-2025 glaciers lost mass in each reporting year with cumulative global glacier mass loss at 1400 Gigatonnes of water. This is roughly equal to the water required to fill about 560 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, or about one third of annual freshwater withdrawals.
  • In each of the past five years, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services around the globe reported record-breaking floods and droughts. Some places have had no recovery time between one event and the next.

“Water respects no borders. A river basin’s water balance depends on what happens in another country. A glacier’s retreat in one country reshapes water availability for populations hundreds of kilometers downstream. This is precisely why we need shared data, shared standards, and shared early warning — the exact function WMO exists to perform,” said Celeste Saulo.

Dozens of experts from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, data centres, researchers and partner institutions shared in situ observations, model outputs and space-based data and contributed to the report, which has expanded from three to 15 hydrological variables since the first edition in 2021. Country coverage has greatly expanded. However, Africa and Asia are still among the least represented regions in terms of hydrological observations in the report, even though they are most affected by extremes.

Key findings

Climate

2025 was one of the warmest years on record. A weak La Niña emerged towards the end of the year after neutral conditions, and there was a predominantly negative Indian Ocean Dipole, which influenced precipitation.

River basins

Across the five reporting years (2021-2025), recurring below-normal river discharge was observed in major parts of the Amazon and La Plata basins, North America, Central and East Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Annual river discharge in 2025 was above-normal to much-above-normal across South and South-East Asia and parts of northern South America. In Africa, there were above-normal flows in the Senegal, Niger, Lake Chad, Orange and Limpopo basins, but much-below-normal discharge in the Nile, Congo and Zambezi basins.

Below-normal to much-below-normal river discharge affected several major regions, including much of North America, the La Plata and São Francisco basins of South America, Eastern European basins, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Reservoir and lake levels followed similar geographical trends as for river basins. African lakes were largely much above normal, with Kariba a notable exception.

River flows in 2025 compared with the 1991 to 2020 average, from an ensemble of 13 global hydrological models. Source: Simulations of 13 Global Hydrological Modeling Systems. Note: Boundaries indicate river basins outlines only. The boundaries and names shown and the designations used do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by WMO or the United Nations.

Terrestrial water storage

Terrestrial water storage shows a persistent negative trend since 2014-2016 with increasing area under below-normal conditions.

Between 2021-2025 below-normal terrestrial water storage repeatedly affected the south-western United States, Patagonia and the subtropical Andes, the Ganges–Indus headwaters, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and eastern China, while persistent positive anomalies occurred in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Sahel and the Tibetan Plateau.

In 2025, it was below-normal in northern and southwestern North America, Patagonia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, eastern Brazil, northern India, parts of Northern Europe, the Russian Federation, China and Northern Africa. La Plata in South America showed signs of partial recovery from the long-term drought.

Much-above-normal storage continued from 2024 into 2025 in Central and Southern Africa.

Terrestrial water storage is all the fresh water held on and under land, in groundwater, soil, rivers, reservoirs, snow and ice. This map shows how 2025 compared with the 2002 to 2020 average, measured from space by satellite gravimetry. Note: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by WMO or the United Nations.

Groundwater levels

Persistent groundwater deficits were observed during 2022–2025 in parts of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, India, southern Africa and Australia.

Persistent and widespread below-normal to much-below-normal groundwater levels were observed across Central and Eastern Europe, central United States, parts of Mexico, northern and central Chile, northeastern and central-western Brazil, northern South Africa, northwestern India and parts of southern Australia, pointing to a cumulative depletion with multi-year drying trend.

There were above-normal to much-above-normal conditions include parts of France, much of Northern Europe, the southeastern United States, large parts of South Africa, South-East Asia, and eastern Australia.

Snow cover and glaciers

Snow conditions were below normal across Europe in 2025, whilst the Russian Federation and North America showed strong regional contrasts.

In the hydrological year 2025, glaciers lost 408 (±132) Gigatonnes of mass, equivalent to 1.1 (±0.4) mm of sea-level rise. It marked the fourth consecutive year in which every major glaciated region recorded a net loss.

Central Asia, South Asia West, Russian Arctic, Iceland, Western Canada and USA all recorded annual mass balances that ranked among the three most negative years on record for that region.

Some regions dominated by smaller glaciers, such as the Caucasus, Western Canada and the USA, and Central Europe may already have reached “peak water conditions,” the threshold where the glacier reaches its maximum runoff due to melting.

Annual mass change for glacier regions globally. Each bar shows the global glacier mass change in one hydrological year, from 1976 onwards. Blue means glaciers gained ice, red means they lost it. Hydrological years begin at the start of winter and continue through the end of the following summer. Source: World Glacier Monitoring Service

Extreme events

From 2021-2025, South America’s La Plata and Amazon basins, the Middle East and the Greater Horn of Africa experienced persistent multi-year drought conditions, while severe floods repeatedly affected West and Central Africa and South-East Asia.

Asia and Africa were the regions most affected by extreme hydrometeorological events in 2025, with several African countries experiencing major flooding for two (Nigeria) or three consecutive years (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

South and South-East Asia was hit by compound tropical cyclones and intense monsoon, leading to up to 3 600 deaths across affected countries – Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines.  

Assessing the economic losses associated with water-related disasters remains challenging in many countries.

Jamaica reported that hurricane Melissa resulted in losses equivalent to 41% of GDP. Cyclone Ditwah cost Sri Lanka around 4% of GDP.

Severe drought gripped East Europe, the Mediterranean, and Middle East and also returned to the Greater Horn of Africa after one of the driest October–December seasons on record  linked to La Niña and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole.

Coyote Gulch’s excellent EV adventure, #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar: Day 2, #Cortez to the Dolores Canyon Overlook #DoloresRiver #CRD2026

Coyote Gulch’s Ariya at the Dolores Canyon Overlook trailhead September 16, 2026.

Back in the early 2000s the Gulch’s bought a home between Dolores and Cortez in anticipation of retiring to Montezuma County. We rented out the home and 6 acres, carved out of an old apple and pear orchard, to offset the mortgage payment. We’d visit the renters frequently and spend time driving (and 4-wheeling) around the area and one of Mrs. Gulch’s favorite spots was the Dolores Canyon Overlook. For sentimental reasons the overlook was my driving goal on Wednesday.

The Dolores River Canyon looking upstream September 2024 from the Dolores Canyon Overlook.

In July of this year the Ferris Fire impacted the area.

The Dolores River Canyon looking upstream September 2026.

You can see the clouds in the sky from the monsoonal moisture yesterday. Rain this week had soaked the area and the road to the overlook was very muddy in spots. I worried about getting stuck as soon as I turned off the gravel road onto the dirt road to the overlook. (Note: The Ariya is all-wheel drive and performed well.) I knew about how road conditions can turn muddy and slippery in the area having once encountered the worst of it, slipping and sliding, from the top of the Uncompahgre Plateau down to the San Miguel River near Uravan. We spent the night in the middle of the road because it was getting dark and I feared sliding off, not being able to see well.

Yesterday, as I was heading to the overlook, I passed a motorcyclist that had lost control in a very muddy section. I stopped to help, as we do out here in the West, and as it turned out, I made a new friend. Anna Odyssey was the motorcyclist, I learned, after helping her get the motorcycle upright on my return from the overlook. She is traveling all over on her motorcycle with no particular end point from day to day, camping most of the time, and stopping to learn about the country she is traveling through. (Click the Facebook link.)

I loved that when we got the Triumph motorcycle upright and ready to ride she asked if there were other difficult sections ahead. Of course there were more puddles and slick spots but I was sure, now that she knew what to look for, that keeping her motorcycle saddle up was possible and probable. She said, “I’m going to leave all my stuff here and go to the overlook, I won’t let this road beat me!”

Safe travels Anna!

#RioGrande revived, temporarily: Another proposed data center bites the dust — Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org)

September 10, 2026

Welcome to the first edition of the Land Desk’s Newswire, a human-curated summary (we are a non-AI shop, FYI) of some of the week’s biggest headlines that concern land, water, and other Western issues. I’m still working out the timing of this, and how it will meld with the week’s other dispatches, so expect some adjustments in coming weeks. Please give it a gander and, as always, I appreciate your feedback. 

🚣🏽 WATER WATCH 🌊
  • New Mexico officials release about 2,000 acre-feet of water from Abiquiu Dam to provide a temporary un-drying of the Rio Grande’s desiccated riverbed through Albuquerque in an attempt to nourish stressed vegetation, recharge the aquifer, and to study the effects of such pulses. Audubon Southwest leased about 300 acre-feet of the water from various users, the Middle Rio Grande Conservation District contributed 300 acre-feet more, and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority provided the remaining 1,400 acre-feet from its share of river imported from the Colorado River Basin via the San Juan-Chama Project. (Inkstain, Laura Paskus, KUNM)
  • Aurora Water — a municipal utility on Colorado’s Front Range — looks to buy Lower Arkansas Valley farmers’ water rights to feed the city’s future growth, sparking concerns about negative impacts of “buy and dry” deals. But officials say it would be a “buy and (only partially) dry” deal that keeps some of the water in agriculture. (Colorado Sun)
🌵 PUBLIC LANDS 🌲
  • A new study finds federal land management agencies spent $1 billion less on vendors in Western states in 2025 compared to 2024, acutely affecting the small business sector. Some of the largest cuts were to wildland fire management investments, particularly on-the-ground suppression work as spending was shifted to aerial firefighting. (news release)
  • Conservation groups file a lawsuit challenging oil and gas leasing on hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in big-game migration corridors and wilderness quality lands in Wyoming and Colorado, saying the BLM violated federal law by skirting environmental protections. (news release)
  • The Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on 38 proposed oil and gas leases on 66,221 acres in northwestern Colorado that would be auctioned off in March 2027. The bulk of the parcels are under the jurisdiction of the BLM’s Kremmling and Little Snake River field offices, with one in the Royal Gorge office. (news release)
🦫 WILDLIFE WATCH 🦅
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers euthanize a lethargic and unresponsive 300-pound male bear in Durango, finding that its stomach and intestines were completely blocked with trash. “We’ve all heard the oft-repeated phrase ‘garbage kills bears’ for years,” said Bryan Peterson of Bear Smart Durango. “And many have asked how in the world does trash get bears killed? Well, in many ways, but sometimes literally. Our community’s tepid approach to trash management got a bear killed. Thankfully, its pain and suffering was ended.” (news release)
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers “lethally remove,” i.e. kill, two male yearling wolves from two separate packs after the animals were linked to attacks on sheep and cattle in Rio Blanco and Pitkin counties. (news release, Summit Daily)
🐮 GRAZING GAZETTE 🥩
  • A Wyoming advocate shows how the state’s agriculture industry’s resource footprint — in terms of water use for irrigation and land-use for livestock grazing — significantly dwarfs its statewide economic footprint, and that should be considered before giving ranchers outsized political influence. (WyoFile)
🛢️ HYDROCARBON HOEDOWN 📈
  • A pair of peer-reviewed studies link Permian Basin oil and gas operations to radioactive plumes and high ozone pollution in Loving, New Mexico, and other nearby communities, potentially increasing lung cancer and other health risks. (Capital & Main)
  • The Bureau of Land Management and Southern Ute Indian Tribe launch a planning process to guide and analyze oil and gas development on 110,000 acres of tribal trust land within the tribe’s land in southwestern Colorado. (news release)
⛈️ WACKY WEATHER WATCH⚡️
  • A massive sinkhole emerges in actor Nicolas Cage’s oceanfront house’s drivewayin Malibu, prompting city officials to declare and emergency, evacuate nearby homes, and shut off gas service in the gated community. Officials worry the situation could be worsened by forecasted high tides and rain and long-term weather disturbances resulting from the coming super El Niño. (Los Angeles Times)
🐓 REGULATORY CAPTURE CHRONICLES 🦊
  • Radical right-wing U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and fellow House Republicans launch an investigation of nineteen conservation groups, accusing the entities of profiting at the expense of taxpayers via statutory fee-shifting provisions, which can reimburse the organizations for legal costs when they win in court. (AFP, news release)
🤖 DATA CENTERS 👾
  • Pinal County, Arizona’s board of supervisors vote to reject Vermaland’s proposed data center complex following widespread local opposition, even though the developer scaled back the original proposal. The scaled-back proposed facility, spread across 3,300 acres, would have included 11 buildings and a gas-fired power plant. (AZ Family)
  • Tribal nations and Indigenous advocates push back on data center developmentin Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, and beyond. (Washington State Standard)
  • Oracle seeks proposals for the development of 2 gigawatts of new solar, wind, geothermal, or other renewable energy technologies to provide “carbon-free energy matching” for its Project Jupiter data center complex under development in southern New Mexico, which is expected to be powered by gas-fired fuel cells. The firm is also offering $1 million to support carbon capture and sequestration at the facility. (news release, KRQE)
  • Creekstone Energy, the developer of the massive Delta Gigasite data center in central Utah, looks to use untested technology to “create” more water than it uses by capturing condensation from natural gas combustion at the plant dedicated to powering the facility. (Salt Lake Tribune)
  • Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) opposes Attorney General Kris Mayes’ call for a pause on new data centers to get a better handle on their water and energy use, acknowledging the concerns are valid but saying a statewide moratorium is the wrong approach. (AZ Family)
  • A peer-reviewed study finds that data centers, which typically combine large capital investments with little local labor demand, can strain a community’s public infrastructure without generating widespread economic gains. (SSRN)
🔋ENERGY TRANSITION 🔌
  • Officials and residents of the Coalmine Canyon Chapter of the Navajo Nation push back against 750-megawatt solar-plus-storage installation in northern Arizona, saying the developers have been less than transparent and the power will not go to local homes, many of which are off the grid. (High Country News)
  • Accelergen Energy proposes a 125-megawatt solar-plus-storage installation on about 900 acres east of Cortez, Colorado. (Durango Herald)
  • A new study finds small-scale, front-of-the-meter solar-plus-battery installationscould serve about 32% of California’s largest utilities’ peak summer electricity demand; analysts say developing this asset would improve reliability and preserve affordability without significant transmission upgrades. (Utility Dive)
📈 DATAVIZ OF THE DAY 📊

The stats for August are in and, well, it was a warm one. This August was the hottest August on record for the contiguous United States, as well as for many counties in the Southwest. It was also the hottest month on record globally, barely edging out July 2023 for the dubious honors.

#Drought news September 17, 2026: #Colorado had drought degradations in the center part of the state, with drought improvements in both the southwest and southeast parts

Click on a thumbnail graphic to view a gallery of drought data from the US Drought Monitor website.

US Drought Monitor map September 15, 2026.
High Plains Drought Monitor map September 15, 2026.
West Drought Monitor map September 15, 2026.
Colorado Drought Monitor map September 15, 2026.

Click the link to go to the US Drought Monitor website. Here’s an excerpt:

This Week’s Drought Summary

Last week, there were several areas that had significant rainfall amounts. One area was over Iowa, eastern Nebraska and Kansas, and northwest Missouri, where more than 4 inches fell in central Iowa and southeastern Kansas. Another area was centered over Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania, where conditions were already wet. Much of Florida and the Gulf Coast received 2 to 4 inches of precipitation in the past week. Most of the southwest U.S. received little rain, with exceptions of scattered monsoonal precipitation along the New Mexico-Arizona border. Most of Texas and Oklahoma continued to be dry, as was the majority of the western Great Plains.

Temperatures in the southern Great Plains and lower Mississippi valley continued to be very warm, in some locations over 10F above normal. Most of the rest of the continental U.S. was also above normal. The only areas with below normal temperatures for the past week were in northern New England as well as most of the northwest states…

High Plains

Eastern Kansas had above normal precipitation over the past week; this led to improvement in drought conditions in this area. Eastern Nebraska and eastern South Dakota also had decent rainfall and resulting improvement to drought. Other areas of South Dakota that missed out on the rain had drought degradation. Colorado had drought degradations in the center part of the state, with drought improvements in both the southwest and southeast parts. Extreme drought continues over much of Colorado and Wyoming, western Nebraska and the Dakotas, and in eastern North Dakota. Exceptional drought is observed over much of central Colorado as well as two localized areas in far western Nebraska…

Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 15, 2026.

West

An area from southwestern Oregon to central Washington into northern Idaho and Montana received some welcome rainfall during the week. The rain resulted in regional improvements in drought conditions. One location that just missed out was in northwest Washington on the Canadian border, resulting in a drought degradation, where continued low streamflows were observed. There were also areas on the California-Nevada border and central Arizona with drought degradation that also received little-to-no rainfall. Extreme drought is shown over much of central Oregon, central Utah, southern Idaho down into northern Nevada, and small areas in northern Washington and southern Arizona. Exceptional drought continues in southern Idaho, northern Nevada, and northeastern Oregon…

South

Extremely above normal temperatures continued in this region over the past week. Nearly all locations had drought deterioration, with the exceptions of northern Arkansas, northeastern Oklahoma, and coastal Mississippi. Much of Texas and into the Ark-La-Tex area experienced flash drought conditions. In addition to the heat, these areas received little rainfall in the week. Extreme to exceptional drought conditions are noted in far south Texas, most of northern Texas into western and southern Oklahoma, northwestern and northeastern Arkansas, and along the Arkansas-Mississippi border…

Looking Ahead

Over the next five days leading up to next Tuesday, above normal rainfall is forecast in south Florida as well as a large area in southern Wisconsin and Minnesota into eastern Iowa and northern Illinois. The latter area of forecasted rainfall continues to the east through central Michigan, the southern Great Lakes, Pennsylvania, New York, and much of central and southern New England. Other locations with rainfall in the forecast this week are in the Appalachian Mountains, the western Great Plains, and the Four Corners states. Unfortunately, most of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are forecast to receive little rainfall. Dry conditions are also forecast in California, Nevada, and Washington. Much above normal temperatures are forecast to continue this week in the central and southern U.S.

The 6- to 10-day outlook (September 22-26, 2026) favors above normal temperatures continuing over nearly all of the continental United States. Areas most likely to be above normal are again the south into the southeast, plus the far north. Hawaii is also likely to be above normal. For precipitation, the Eastern Seaboard is likely to have above normal rainfall as is the Southwest. The central U.S. into the upper Midwest is likely to have below normal rainfall. Hawaii and Alaska are both likely to have above normal rain during this period.

US Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 15, 2026.

The latest Intermountain West briefing (September 14, 202) is hot off the presses from Western Water Assessment

Click the link to go to the Western Water Assessment website to read the latest briefing:

Latest Briefing

September 14, 2026 – CO, UT, WY

August precipitation varied across the region due to scattered monsoonal thunderstorms. Regional temperatures were above average in August, and Colorado experienced its warmest August on record, while Utah experienced its second warmest on record. Streamflow conditions were below average for most regional rivers, especially in Colorado and Utah, where many streamflow gages observed record-low daily streamflows. Regional drought coverage changed little from the beginning of August to September and is at 96%. El Niño conditions persist, and there is a greater than 90% probability of a very strong El Niño event during fall and winter 2026-27. NOAA seasonal forecasts indicate an increased probability of above average temperatures for the region, and above average precipitation for Colorado, Utah, and southern Wyoming during September–November.

August precipitation varied across the region, from below average precipitation in southern Colorado, southeastern Utah, and northeastern Wyoming, to above average precipitation in northern and eastern Colorado and much of Utah and Wyoming. Monsoonal thunderstorms caused high variability of precipitation in each state. For example, parts of Emery and adjacent Wayne counties in southeastern Utah experienced below 25% of average conditions, while most counties north and west of there experienced above 150–200% of average conditions.

Regional temperatures were above average in August, with near average temperatures in northern Wyoming. August temperatures were generally 2–4°F above average, but temperatures for much of western Colorado and eastern Utah were 4–6°F above average. Small pockets of 6–8°F above average temperatures occurred in south-central Colorado and southeastern Utah. It was the warmest August on record for Colorado, the second warmest on record for Utah, and the seventh warmest on record for Wyoming. It was the warmest meteorological summer (June–August) on record for Colorado and Utah, and the sixth warmest on record for Wyoming.

At the beginning of September, streamflow was below average for most regional rivers, especially in Colorado and Utah. On September 9, record-low daily streamflow was recorded at 30 or more sites in Colorado, 10 sites in Utah, and two in Wyoming. Western Colorado streamflows are particularly below average, with most rivers experiencing record-low or bottom 10th percentile daily streamflow observations.

By September 1, regional drought coverage was at 96%. Similar to the beginning of August, drought covered the entire region except for a portion of northeastern Colorado, where monsoonal thunderstorms have continued to help relieve the area of drought conditions. Coverage of moderate (D1) drought conditions decreased slightly to 89% in Colorado, remained at 100% in Utah, and increased slightly in Wyoming to cover 100% of the state. Coverage of exceptional (D4) drought conditions decreased to 12% in Colorado, and extreme (D3) drought conditions remained at 35% in Utah and decreased to 29% in Wyoming, a 15% improvement from the beginning of August.

El Niño conditions persist in the eastern Pacific Ocean, with sea surface temperature anomalies running 1.8ºC above average in the Niño-3.4 index. There is a greater than 90% probability of a very strong El Niño event during fall and winter 2026-27, with as high as a 98% probability of a very strong event from October–December. Current forecasts of peak Pacific Ocean temperatures are 3–3.5ºC above average, indicating what could be the strongest El Niño on record. There is a 100% probability of El Niño conditions continuing at least through January–March 2027. NOAA seasonal forecasts indicate an increased probability of above average temperatures for the region, and above average precipitation for Colorado, Utah, and southern Wyoming during September–November, suggesting an active monsoon and the possibility of tropical storm remnants for the remainder of the season.

Significant weather event: Aspen Acres burn scar flooding. On July 28 and 29, severe thunderstorms brought intense rainfall and caused debris flow flooding in the community of Beulah, Colorado. The floodwaters damaged homes, washed out roads, and blocked bridges with debris. The Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District prompted emergency evacuations for residents and those along Highway 78. Rainfall rates were 1–3 inches per hour, and the muddy floodwaters carried rocks, burned trees, propane tanks, and other debris downstream. Highways 78 and 165, and other critical roads, were closed, limiting Beulah Valley access to essential and emergency services. Between Beulah and other nearby communities such as San Isabel and Wetmore, at least 11 homes were damaged by flooding, and many roads and culverts required emergency repairs. 

On August 16, in about 1.5 hours, 1–1.5 inches of rain fell on the same burn scar in Beulah, triggering another major flash flood and resulting in the death of an 80-year-old resident who was swept away downstream by floodwaters. On August 23, Colorado Governor Jared Polis officially requested a Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) from the President and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support recovery from the Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain Fires, and the post-wildfire flooding and debris flows on both burn scars.

Flash flooding in Beulah, Colorado on July 29, 2026. Credit: Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.

At #GlenCanyon Dam, the Trump Administration Privileges #Hydropower over Ecosystems: #GrandCanyon ecology not a priority in 2026 water release decisions — Brett Walton (circleofblue.org) #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification

Glen Canyon Dam. Photo credit: Circle of Blue

Click the link to read the article on the Circle of Blue website (Brett Walton):

September 16, 2026

In the struggling Colorado River basin, where water is scarce, the White House has signaled its priorities for how to use the remaining gallons.

Even as scientifically-determined thresholds have been met for releasing water from Glen Canyon Dam for ecological and recreational benefits in Grand Canyon, the Trump administration has decided against those actions in this record-hot year – deciding not to release cold water from deep in Lake Powell to aid the humpback chub, a threatened fish species, and not to authorize a high-volume release of water to rebuild Grand Canyon’s eroded beaches, which are in terrible condition, according to federal monitoring.

These environmental releases would not change the total volume of water flowing out of Lake Powell over the year, just the timing.

Because the releases bypass the dam’s turbines and reduce hydropower generation, which is part of the administration’s “energy dominance” agenda, the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages Glen Canyon Dam, will not be doing them.

“After evaluating management alternatives and considering all authorized purposes, the decision was made based on significant hydropower generation concerns under already strained system conditions,” Reclamation said in a statement in August.

The administration’s decisions foreshadow more difficult choices ahead. Due to climate change and overuse, the Colorado River is shrinking and warming. Its dams were built and river management goals were laid out during an era that anticipated healthy reservoirs. That is no longer the case. Because Lake Powell and Lake Mead are about a quarter of their capacity or less, the hydrological assumptions that inform current management strategies are outdated, said Jack Schmidt, a scientist who has spent his four-decade career studying the Colorado River.

“Everything needs to be revisited because the driving factors of the Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon are now completely changed and probably forever changed,” said Schmidt of Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River Studies. “Everything was developed in a world of full reservoirs. And now the reservoirs are empty.”

Tradeoffs Plague Water Managers

Even in the best of times, managing a large dam on a major river is not easy. Dams alter the river’s natural patterns of flow and temperature. Operators must weigh one set of benefits against another group of costs.

Glen Canyon Dam is one of the thorniest management conundrums. Located near the Arizona-Utah border, the 63-year-old structure has emerged as the most significant water-supply choke point in the Colorado River basin and it is the focus of clamorous debate about water and power infrastructure in a drier climate.

The Colorado River strikes a bright jade color as it flows through Marble Canyon, in northern Arizona, a few miles downstream of the Paria River, a significant source of sand for the Grand Canyon. Photo © Brett Walton/Circle of Blue

As managers grapple with how much water to release, Glen Canyon Dam is also choking the river of its natural supply of sediment. Without new inputs, sand bars and beaches in Grand Canyon are at risk of disappearing. These features provide habitat, give boaters a place to camp during river trips, and protect archaeological sites.

Most of the river’s sediment now comes from the Paria River and Little Colorado River, downstream of Glen Canyon. Periodic high-flow water releases from the dam mimic the thunderous floods of the past that carried sediment through Grand Canyon to fortify eroding beaches.

There is enough sediment in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon today to warrant a high-flow release. Yet Reclamation has not done one since 2023. Experts agree that Reclamation is highly unlikely to conduct one this fall either. A final decision will be made in the next few weeks.

The need for a high-flow release is mounting. In August, David Topping, a research hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, presented data showing the ill health of Grand Canyon beaches. A typical sand bar is smaller now than in 2016, when the current management plan that established the high-flow triggers was finalized.

The lack of high-flow releases has deprived researchers of crucial data on how the size and duration of these mini-floods, usually one to four days in length, aid beach-building.

Before and after photos of results of the high flow experiment in 2008 via USGS

“What can we do if the administration isn’t willing to allow us to use the bypass tubes for high-flow experiments, if that’s going to be off the table, at least for a while?” said Wayne Pullan, Reclamation’s Upper Colorado Region director, at a Glen Canyon management meeting in August, asking attendees to consider management options under political constraints.

“We’re in a pinch point,” Pullan added. “A real pinch point.”

Degraded beaches result in a degraded river experience, said David Brown of the Grand Canyon River Guides, a recreation advocacy group. Rafting groups have to compete for limited real estate in what is generally regarded as one of the world’s premier river corridors.

“When there’s less campable area, that means everyone’s kind of getting squished together or your toilet is next to where people are sleeping,” Brown said.

Non-Native Species Thrive in Warm Water

In addition to sediment, water temperature is the other blinking red environmental indicator.

Air temperature records in the basin are being obliterated this year. Colorado, home to the river’s headwaters, had its hottest summer ever. Scorching air temperatures are reflected in water. The Colorado River below Lake Powell is the warmest since Glen Canyon Dam was completed.

Raft trip on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, in 2019. Photo ©Ted Wood/The Water Desk

Smallmouth bass were introduced as a sport fish in the upper Colorado River basin in the late 1960s. Voracious feeders, smallmouth bass view other fish as the sport, happily preying on threatened native species like the humpback chub, an eighteen-inch fish in Grand Canyon with a distinctive smooshed silhouette.

Listed as endangered in 1967, the humpback chub has now bounced back thanks to tens of millions of dollars of conservation investment. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded the humpback chub to “threatened” status in 2018.

Diagram showing critical reservoir levels at Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. Land Desk diagram with data from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Smallmouth bass live in Lake Powell, preferring the layer of warm water closest to the surface. As the lake shrinks, that warm layer has now reached the level of the penstocks, which pull water into Glen Canyon Dam’s turbines for hydropower generation before being released downstream.

In these low-water conditions, the fear is that more smallmouth bass will be delivered into the Colorado River below Glen Canyon.

Once there, they will find a habitable environment. Smallmouth bass spawn when water temperatures exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This year, that mark was breached in June. Today, the river at Lees Ferry, about 16 miles downstream of Glen Canyon Dam, is about 70 F.

These conditions – when the river temperature is above 60 F for three consecutive days – are supposed to trigger a release of cold water from deep in Lake Powell. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that this “cool mix” is the “only conservation measure proven to limit smallmouth bass reproduction.” Evidence from cool mix releases in 2024 and 2025, which knocked down smallmouth bass numbers, supports that conclusion.

Cool mix, however, will not happen in 2026 due to the Trump administration’s desire to generate hydropower.

The last cool mix flow, in 2025, cost the Western Area Power Administration, which markets federal hydropower, $6.1 million to replace that electricity for its contractors.

Instead of cool mix, Reclamation says it is focusing on other options to keep smallmouth bass from establishing downstream of Glen Canyon and to preserve the humpback chub’s hard-won conservation gains. In the short term that means stunning the bass with electric-shock tools and physically removing them from the water.

In the longer term, Reclamation is considering installing infrastructure to regulate the temperature of the water that passes through Glen Canyon. The agency calls this one of its “durable structural solutions.”

An Uncertain Future

Cool mix and high-flow releases are an attempt to rebalance an ecosystem that the dams destabilized. Congress passed the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992, which orders Reclamation to operate Glen Canyon Dam in a manner that protects and reduces harm to the “natural and cultural resources and visitor use.” That is, fish, tribal archaeological sites, and rafting.

The act required an environmental impact statement for Glen Canyon Dam that would analyze the actions required to achieve the broad environmental-protection goals set by Congress.

It was a “compromise to really put all the resources on the same playing field,” said Jen Pelz of the Grand Canyon Trust. In her view, decisions this year tilt in one direction – hydropower. “I don’t feel like they’re being balanced right now.”

Because the river guides were instrumental in lobbying for Grand Canyon protections, the present-day failures to uphold the act’s goals are all the more galling, Brown said. “It’s very hard to watch it get ignored.”

Glen Canyon Dam’s powerhouse holds the electricity-generating turbines. Photo © Brett Walton/Circle of Blue

The administration is prioritizing hydropower when hydropower is at a pivot point.

Generation at Glen Canyon is down more than 40% from when Lake Powell was full. Utilities are turning to solar and wind to cover some of the generation losses, while utility-scale batteries are helping to replace the capacity and grid-regulating functions that a large dam provides.

The decision to favor hydropower over ecology reflects bigger problems with the Colorado River’s infrastructure. Glen Canyon Dam is not designed for the river as it exists today. Reclamation wants to keep Lake Powell high enough to generate hydropower because the dam’s other outlets to deliver water downstream are untested over long periods and were damaged in a previous high-flow release.

Lower basin states and tribes, including Arizona, California, Nevada, and the Gila River Indian Community, have asked the federal government to update Glen Canyon’s infrastructure for water delivery and power generation. Reclamation is assessing three options and expects that study to be released in early 2027. Any additional action will require congressional approval and funding.

Along with the infrastructure problems, man-made climate change is sapping the river and heating up its water. Ecologists consider the Grand Canyon a “novel ecosystem,” meaning its native species and natural processes have been disrupted and rearranged by human meddling.

To Schmidt, the former chief of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, this suggests a wholesale rethinking not just of the river’s infrastructure but also of our ecological goals for the Colorado River.

“We as a society get to play God in deciding what attributes of that ecosystem we value, which ones we want to work hard to preserve and which ones we don’t,” he said. “The answer is not an obvious one.”

This story was produced by Circle of Blue, in partnership with The Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism.

For full Colorado River basin coverage, visit our Colorado River page.

Map of the Colorado River drainage basin, created using USGS data. By Shannon1 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Coyote Gulch’s excellent EV adventure, #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar: Day 1, #Denver to #Cortez #CRD2026

Coyote Gulch’s Ariya charging at the Rivian Adventure Network in Del Norte, September 14, 2026.

I charged twice between Denver and Cortez. This was the first road trip to the Colorado Plateau for the Ariya so I was cautious. My plan was to leave Denver at 100% charge, lunch and charging to 80% at Mojo’s Eatery in Salida, a boost and charge to 80% in Del Norte, then charge to 80% in Pagosa Springs for the final leg to Cortez. The Ariya range is superb, nearly 300 miles at 100% and there are CCS1 and Tesla chargers all over Colorado now!

Coyote Gulch’s Leaf during the Monte Vista Crane Festival March 8, 2024. It was cold!

I’ve charged at Mojo’s (ChargePoint) many times to and from the San Luis Valley. I needed the older style CHAdeMO connector and the Colorado Energy Office ChargePoint installations usually have one. With the Ariya I have access to all CCS1 and most Tesla charging installations (with an adapter). Rivian has it right, plug in your car and swipe your credit card to pay — no app required. In Pagosa Springs I charged at the Tesla installation as you head west out of town. All of the charging was very fast

Now is the time for you to electrify your transportation. Humans need to stop burning carbon to have any hope of slowing Climate Change — we owe it to the species we are wiping out.

Coyote Gulch’s Turbo Vado electric bicycle at the confluence of Clear Creek and the South Platte River April 2025.

Coyote Gulch’s excellent EV adventure: #ColoradoRiver District Annual Seminar #CRD2026

Coyote Gulch’s Ariya September 15, 2026.

I’m heading to Grand Junction for the Colorado River District Annual Seminar on Friday. I’m taking the long way through Four Corners.

The Engineering Marvels of Roman Aqueducts

A view of the Pont du Gard aqueduct bridge spanning over a river, surrounded by lush greenery and rocky terrain.
Pont du Gard, in Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Gard department, South France. Photo provided by Wikipedia.

by Robert Marcos

Two years before his death during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder marveled at Rome’s aqueduct’s – which at their peak supported a million people in 200 cities across the Roman Empire.1

Pliny wrote, “If we take into account the abundant supply of water for public and private use, and then consider the distances traversed, the arches built, the mountains pierced, and the valleys leveled, we must admit that nothing more marvelous has ever existed in the whole world.” 2 At its height, the imperial capital of Rome was supplied by eleven major aqueducts which transported over 800 acre feet of fresh water into the capital every day. Because the system relied entirely on gravity rather than modern pumps, the water flowed continuously day and night. This imported water was primarily used in three ways –

  • Public Fountains: Over 1,200 public basins and street fountains provided the primary source of clean drinking water for ordinary citizens.3
  • Public Baths: Nearly 900 public bath complexes consumed the majority of the incoming water, operating as the social, cultural, and hygienic hubs of Roman daily life.4
  • Private Luxury & Industry: The remaining water went to wealthy citizens who paid for private pipelines directly to their villas, as well as to industrial sites like mills and tanneries.5

To achieve a precise downward slope – sometimes as little as 1 foot of drop for every 4,000 feet of distance – ancient Roman engineers relied on three primary surveying tools. These tools allowed them to measure horizontal lines, vertical angles, and slopes across miles of uneven terrain. Roman aqueducts were constructed primarily from local volcanic stone (like tufa and travertine) and durable fired brick, bound together by a revolutionary pozzolanic concrete made from volcanic ash and lime, that allowed structures to be set underwater and grow stronger over time. Underground tunnels were carved directly into solid bedrock or lined with stone masonry, while internal channels were meticulously sealed with opus signinum—a waterproof hydraulic mortar mixed with crushed terracotta, to prevent leaks. Water was then carried over the famous stone-arched bridges, while heavy-duty terracotta tiles or thick lead pipes were used for localized distribution and pressurized siphons.

Although the ancient Assyrians are credited with the first “above ground” water conveyance, over the centuries the technology continued to be refined –

The Assyrians (c. 9th–7th Century BC): The Assyrians were the first to move beyond simple mud-brick irrigation canals to construct large-scale stone water networks. Under King Sennacherib, they built the Jerwan Aqueduct, the earliest known structures of its kind, using over two million blocks of ashlar masonry to carry freshwater across a valley to Nineveh. To prevent leaks, they lined the stone channels with a crude but effective waterproof layer of bitumen (tar).

The Babylonians (c. 7th–6th Century BC): As Babylon expanded, engineers mastered urban water management by integrating the Euphrates River directly into the city’s defenses and architecture through complex moats, dams, and subterranean brick channels. To combat flat terrain and deliver water to high elevations—most famously the legendary Hanging Gardens—they pioneered mechanical lifting technologies, including early iterations of the chain pump and mechanical lifts.

The Persians (c. 6th–5th Century BC): Confronted with arid desert landscapes, the Persians invented the qanat system, an engineering marvel of gently sloping underground tunnels driven horizontally into hillsides to tap into deep mountain aquifers. This breakthrough allowed water to flow entirely via gravity across miles of burning desert without evaporating. It required the development of precise vertical ventilation shafts used by miners to haul out debris and regulate airflow.

The Greeks (c. 6th–3th Century BC): Hydraulic Physics and Pressure SiphonsGreek engineers shifted the focus toward physics, geometry, and public sanitation, transitioning from open channels to enclosed, subterranean terracotta pipe networks. By sealing their systems, they mastered hydraulic pressure and invented the inverted siphon, allowing them to force water down into deep valleys and back up the other side to supply hilltop citadels. They also engineered massive feats of subterranean surveying, such as the Tunnel of Eupalinos, a half-mile aqueduct carved through a mountain from both sides simultaneously.

President Trump wages war on wolves: Plus, The Land Desk News Ticker — Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org) #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification

Sign, La Plata County, Colorado. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

Click the link to read the article on The Land Desk website (Jonathan P. Thompson):

September 8, 2026

🦫 WILDLIFE WATCH 🦅

Just days after President Donald Trump angered U.S. ranchers by waiving tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef (and whatever other meat-adjacent-material may pass as beef), he threw the livestock industry a bone by ordering a “review” of federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray and Mexican wolves. The order also instructs the Interior Department to push states into removing any state-specific protections and to “revise their standards for lethal takings of gray wolves and Mexican wolves to assist ranchers in combating predation.”

In other words, Trump wants to revive the late 19th and early 20th century campaign to exterminate wild predators to benefit ranchers. Will this please a handful of public lands livestock operators who are ideologically inclined to hate wolves, whether they affect their operations or not? Sure. Will it save the American rancher, or even offset the influx of foreign beef? Nope.

Wolves do kill cattle if they are not adequately protected (and the rancher is compensated for the lost livestock), and they can have other impacts on ranching operations in wild areas. But study after study has shown that other factors — from weather and climate, to sickness and disease — account for a far greater share of cattle and calf mortalities.

This is the administration’s latest ploy in its quest to boost the number of cattle on public lands. It is also peddling vacated grazing allotments and easing the already decidedly lax regulations on grazing.

Longread: On wolves, wildness, and hope in trying times — Jonathan P. Thompson

  • Federal staffing rosters show the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has lost 36% of its staff under the Trump administration, dripping from 9,957 staffers to 6,333 between 2024 and 2026, likely exacerbating a backlog of Endangered Species Act listing decisions. (news release)
Milkweed and sweet peas along the Farmers Ditch in the North Fork Valley (and a reminder that irrigation ditches support more than just crops). Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

🐟 COLORADO RIVER CHRONICLES 💧

The irrigation canals, laterals, and ditches are going dry in the Colorado River’s Upper Basin weeks before the growing season comes to an end, forcing farmers to rely on September rains or their own storage to get their crops to harvest time. It goes to show that even without mandatory cuts, many Upper Basin water users experience water shortages during dry years.

The biggest and latest user to get cut off by low river flows was the Grand Valley Water Users Association, which began drawing down its Government Highline Canal as “the river flows drop to undeliverable levels.” Flows in that canal fell from almost 1,500 cfs at the end of August to about 725 cfs early this week. The more senior Orchard Mesa Irrigation District and Grand Valley Irrigation Company continued to pull water from the river and deliver it to irrigators.

In the North Fork Valley, all but the most senior ditches were shut off weeks ago, after Paonia Reservoir hit dead pool. And on the Dolores River, even the most senior water rights holders — the Montezuma Valley Irrigation District — lost their water at the beginning of this month. Usually it holds out for at least another couple of weeks. (Other water users received dramatically curtailed amounts throughout the irrigating season).

In the Grand Valley, the canal’s loss was the river’s gain: The Colorado River near Palisade, after running as low as 42 cfs this summer, bounced back to around 300 cfs at the end of August. A corresponding increase in flow can be seen at the USGS gage1 near Cisco. This little boost, combined with a few intense, but patchy storms, and a slight increase in releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, have brought up inflows into Lake Powell, somewhat slowing the drop in surface levels.

Dolores River watershed

The Dolores River, on the other hand, remains virtually dry downstream of McPhee Dam, and McPhee Reservoir’s surface level is currently about 12 feet lower than it was a year ago.

A tale of water inequality in the West — Jonathan P. Thompson, “I wrote the essay [click the link]—about my parents’ farm’s ditch in the North Fork Valley of Western Colorado—in 2018, which was one of the region’s driest years on record. The essay is every bit as pertinent today, an equally dry time for most of the Western Slope, even if some details have changed: My sister owns the farm now—along with the robust water rights—…”

  • The Central Arizona Project’s board of directors authorizes its attorneys to take legal action “if necessary” to protect its allotment of Colorado River against the Bureau of Reclamation’s plans for operating the river’s infrastructure in the coming decade. The CAP stands to lose the most water under a shortage, as Arizona agreed to junior water rights in exchange for federal funding for the vast plumbing project that delivers river water to the central and southern parts of the state. Nevada already sued the federal government over potential cuts to its share of water. (Arizona Republic)
  • Western Colorado anglers and boaters call on the Bureau of Reclamation to increase water releases from Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal Reservoirs to preserve streamflows in the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon, the Gunnison Gorge, and further downstream, saying the decision to reduce releases to protect reservoir levels has “exerted a toll on a vital and cherished natural resource.” (Aspen Journalism)

🤖 DATA CENTER WATCH 👾

  • The Big Data Center Buildup drives up electricity demand in Wyoming and spurs a wave of proposed gas plants, some of which would serve the grid and others dedicated to powering server farm facilities. (WyoFile)

⛏️ MINING MONITOR ⛏️

  • The Southern Ute Indian Tribe says it will pull out all of the stops to block potential mining projects in the La Plata Mountains in southwestern Colorado, adding to the list of entities opposing Metallic Minerals’ exploratory drilling project on the western side of the range. (Durango Herald)
  • New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard puts state trust lands off-limits to new uranium mining leases, and orders her office to instead focus on cleaning up the more than 1,000 former uranium mining-related sites in the state. The order does not affect private or federal lands. (news release)
  • Anfield Energy looks to raise at least $50 million to finance its plan to refurbish and reopen the Shootaring uranium mill — which has been idle since 1982 — near Ticaboo, Utah. Anfield is the firm behind the Velvet-Wood uranium mine in the Lisbon Valley and has designs on mining near Slick Rock, Colorado. (Northern Miner)

🌵 PUBLIC LANDS 🌲

  • A federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration’s effort to evict bison from public lands in Montana, finding that the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to kick the animals off American Prairie-held grazing leases was likely “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and otherwise not in accordance with the law.” (Public Domain)
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture releases its final Forest Service reorganization plan, which includes moving the headquarters to Salt Lake City and shuttering 23 facilities nationwide, including four in California, one in New Mexico, and one in Oregon, with the remainder being in non-Western states. The USDA says “less than 200” of the agency’s 30,000 employees are expected to need to relocate, mostly from Washington, D.C. to Fort Collins, Salt Lake City, or a newly established center. (news release, OPB)
  • The Center for Western Priorities fact-checks Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s numerous erroneous statements about the administration’s dramatic reduction of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, finding that on this topic (and others) the cabinet member is a serial liar. (Westwise)

🏠 RANDOM REAL ESTATE ROOM 🤑

  • Anita Verma-Lallian, a real estate investor who made her name buying and selling multi-million-dollar Phoenix-area properties for data centers, unveils a plan for a massive development in Tonopah, Arizona. Tentative plans for the $6 billion to $10 billion development include a movie studio, amusement park, hotels, retail, and a data center complex. The property is adjacent to one where Bill Gates’ investment firm is planning a “futuristic smart city.” (Phoenix Business Journal via KTAR)

🛻 TRANSPORTATION 🚂

  • The Utah Department of Transportation completes the $152 million Energy Corridor highway improvement project on State Routes 162 and 262 in San Juan County. The routes pass through the Aneth Oil Field and could potentially be used for uranium ore haul trucks traveling from New Mexico mines to the White Mesa Mill near Blanding. (ABC4)

🤯 ANNALS OF INANITY 🤡

  • When will it stop!?! Amid a flurry of inane, bizarre, and cognitively-impaired social media posts, President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested New Mexico’s name should be changed to “New America.”  (CNN)

📈 TODAY’s DATAVIZ 📊

Are coal and electricity consumption getting back together? For the latter half of the 20th century, U.S. coal consumption climbed in tandem with electricity demand: As Americans used more power, more coal was burned to generate that power, and vice versa. In 2008, electricity demand plummeted due to the financial crisis, dragging coal consumption down with it. 

While electricity demand rebounded along with the economy, and then plateaued, coal-burning continued dropping precipitously; the two phenomena had been decoupled from one another. But over the last three years electricity demand has shot back up, in large part due to data centers’ guzzling up a lot of power, but also because of electrification of transportation and buildings, and an increasing need for air-conditioning to fend off rising temperatures. And last year the electric power sector’s coal consumption shot back up as well. Is the decoupling being undone? Or is this just a minor blip? Only time will tell.

Dataviz by the Land Desk using stats from the Energy Information Administration.
📸 PARTING SHOT 🎞️
Continuing with the opening theme … Sign near Bowie, Colorado. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.

1 Yes, I use the archaic “gage” instead of “gauge” when referring to USGS streamflow monitors, not just because I’m archaic, but because that’s what the USGS does.

South Platte River Basin #climate for the week ending September 14, 2026 #SouthPlatteRiver

Below is the Precipitation Accumulation in South Platte graph from the NRCS for September 14, 2026. This morning precipitation, at the SNOTEL stations, is at 74% of the median (down 2% one week), and 72% of the water year median (no change one week). There are 16 days left in the water year.

There’s a chance for showers/thunderstorms today, showers are likely Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with a chance for thunderstorms Friday, and a chance for showers/thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday in the central mountains. There’s a slight chance for showers/thunderstorms today, a chance for showers are Tuesday, a chance for thunderstorms Wednesday, showers are likely Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, then a chance for a chance for showers/thunderstorms Sunday in the northern mountains. There’s a slight chance for showers/thunderstorms today and Tuesday, a chance for showers Wednesday, showers are likely Thursday, with a chance for thunderstorms Friday, and a chance for showers and thunderstorms Saturday with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms Sunday, down here, about 350 miles from the La Plata River and Cherry Creek Ditch. From Wikipedia:

Hinderlider v. La Plata River & Cherry Creek Ditch Co., 304 U.S. 92 (1938), is a US Supreme Court case…The Court emphasized that the La Plata River is an interstate stream, and its water must be equitably apportioned between Colorado and New Mexico. The 1898 Colorado decree could not grant the Ditch Company rights exceeding Colorado’s equitable share of the river’s water. The Compact, as a legislative agreement between the states with Congressional approval, was a valid mechanism for apportioning the river’s water and binding on all water claimants, including those with pre-existing rights. The Court rejected the argument that the Compact violated the Ditch Company’s vested rights, noting that the Compact’s provisions, including the rotation of water flow, were designed to maximize the beneficial use of the river’s water. The Court found no evidence of procedural infirmities or inequities in the negotiation, ratification, or implementation of the Compact.

The United States Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Supreme Court of Colorado. The Court held that the La Plata River Compact was valid and binding, and the actions of the State Engineer in administering the Compact were lawful. The Ditch Company’s rights under the 1898 decree were limited to Colorado’s equitable share of the river’s water, as determined by the Compact.

An archetypical example of such federal common law is that relating to disputes between  states of the United States,  Hinderlider was the first case to reaffirm the existence of federal common law for other purposes, specifically here, the interpretation of an  interstate compact governing  water rights between states.

La Plata and Cherry Creek Ditch headworks after new construction. Photo credit: Southwestern Colorado Water Conservancy District

Here’s a look at the 7-Day Colorado precipitation map through September 13, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas ranged from 0.00” to 0.40”.

Here’s the 7-Day percent of normal precipitation map through September 13, 2026 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Precipitation in the South Platte River Basin along the Continental Divide of the Americas was 0% to 75% of normal.

Below is the 7-day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast for the week of September 14, 2026. Precipitation is anticipated for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin and may total up to 1.50″.

Below are the 8-14 day outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center, issued September 13, 2026, for temperature and precipitation, for the week starting September 21, 2026. The CPC expects above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for the mountains of the South Platte River Basin.

Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor map from September 8, 2026. There were one class improvements in Weld, Logan, and Sedgwick counties. Drought and abnormal dryness covers 93.81% of Colorado. The South Platte Basin is experiencing Abnormally Dry, Moderate, Severe, Extreme, and Exceptional drought conditions.

Below is the Colorado Drought Monitor one week change map ending September 8, 2026.

Here’s the US Drought Monitor Map from last week along with the one week U.S. change map.

Finally, the Colorado Climate Center released their monthly wrap-up of Colorado climate recently. From the summary:

August was another record-warm month for Colorado, the 3rd in calendar year 2026 and the 4th in Water Year 2026. August also ended the warmest climatological summer on record for Colorado. There were three more heat waves in August and several of the warmest August days the state has experienced in at least 75 years. Precipitation was varied across the state, with some locations getting intense thunderstorm rainfall and hazardous flash flooding, and other spots seeing very little rain and worsening drought. Water Year 2026 continues to be the warmest on record by a large margin, and the 6th driest. Calendar year 2026 through August is also the warmest on record.

Hay meadows in pristine #Colorado river basins put to work as water-quality test labs — Jerd Smith (Fresh Water News)

Credit: Water Education Colorado

Click the link to read the article on the Water Education Colorado website (Jerd Smith):

September 9, 2026

Colorado ranchers who own some of the state’s most scenic landscapes are joining new research efforts to better understand emerging water quality issues in the Yampa and Gunnison basins, among others.

Pressured by rising stream temperatures and shrinking flows due to climate change, rivers and lakes across the state are showing signs of distress, including algae blooms, some of which are toxic.

At the same time, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado State University are analyzing water quality and testing how voluntary best management practices, rather than strict regulations, can protect these hallmark water bodies.

Philip Rossi grows hay and runs a cattle operation in the Upper Yampa River Basin above Stagecoach Reservoir. He is among the first ranchers to agree to allow scientists to monitor the water quality, and soon the temperature, of the irrigation water that runs off from his hay meadows.

So far the news has been good, Rossi said. Little if any of the fertilizer he applies to his hay reaches the stream and in the years he’s been working with the CSU researchers, the use of nonfertilized grass strips along the creek that runs through his property has reduced that number even further.

“What I learned is that I wasn’t wasting money. The fertilizer I was putting on was being used, and just as important I wasn’t affecting the stream.”

With results from the first three-year study officially out, another even broader effort involving more ranches is underway. It will add the monitoring of stream temperatures to the analysis.

Erik Wardle, director of Colorado State University’s Agricultural Water Quality Program, said there was little water quality data available in remote regions such as the Yampa Basin. “We wanted some real world data on what’s happening on our ranches and our cow-calf operations.”

As word of the research has spread, more ranchers have come forward to participate, despite skepticism and worry about government efforts to monitor what they’re doing. “Early on I was doing a lot of cold calling, asking ranchers to participate. And a lot of them said, ‘Are you crazy?’ But now I would say 85% of what we’re doing is being driven by these producers. These ranchers have put themselves out there,” Wardle said.

Even in these pristine areas of Colorado, no one expects water quality worries to subside in the warmer future. In response, water agencies in the area are looking for ways to change the way they operate to help streams.

“Water quality on the West Slope has always been assumed to be great,” said Andy Rossi, general manager of the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, which owns Stagecoach Reservoir. He is not related to Philip Rossi, the rancher. 

“Here we are in snowpack-dominated basins with pristine wilderness areas driving our water supply. But 10 years ago we started seeing changes, like toxic algae blooms in Stagecoach Reservoir and Steamboat Lake.”

Since then, the water district has shifted into high gear to understand what’s happening and why, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a water quality modeling and monitoring program.

Nothing that has been uncovered yet has exceeded a state standard, Rossi said, “yet we still have potentially toxic algae blooms. The assumption has always been that ag is the source of our troubles. But we felt it was unfair to jump to that conclusion without doing the strict science to figure it out.”

Can best practices be shared between ranches?

With early research results in hand, Tyson Ingels, a veteran water quality regulator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said the state hopes to avoid a strict regulatory approach for these remote high country lakes and streams, relying on voluntary efforts instead.

“This is a very positive study,” he said. “For mountain hay we didn’t have the best data on how best management practices could impact nutrient levels. This was an area that needed to be better understood.”

Looking ahead, Ingels said the state wants to take a measured approach to these regional water quality issues. That the best management practices that are being used on the Rossi Ranch and elsewhere are working well indicates that water quality goals can likely be achieved without a heavy-handed regulatory effort.

Philip Rossi said he’s feeling optimistic, in part because of all the scientific groundwork that is being laid, as well as the early encouraging results of the studies.

He believes that the temperature studies of the water that is returning to the streams, will also show minimal impact.

The rationale, he said, is that water used to flood irrigate fields seeps into the groundwater, flowing to the stream later, when it has cooled down. This was the belief held by his father and grandfather, and Rossi believes the new studies will uphold those beliefs. “The researchers are going to find out the things that my dad told me and that my grandpa used to say” are true, he said.

More by Jerd Smith

Yampa River Basin via Wikimedia.

August 2026 Monthly #Climate Summary — #Colorado Climate Center

Click the link to go to the Colorado Climate Center to download the summary:

September 10, 2026

August was another record-warm month for Colorado, the 3rd in calendar year 2026 and the 4th in Water Year 2026. August also ended the warmest climatological summer on record for Colorado. There were three more heat waves in August and several of the warmest August days the state has experienced in at least 75 years. Precipitation was varied across the state, with some locations getting intense thunderstorm rainfall and hazardous flash flooding, and other spots seeing very little rain and worsening drought. Water Year 2026 continues to be the warmest on record by a large margin, and the 6th driest. Calendar year 2026 through August is also the warmest on record.

The La Paz Gold Rush

A historic black and white photo showing a group of people standing around a large wooden structure shaped like a star, with men wearing hats and women in period clothing, while one boy is climbing on the structure.
Early gold mining operations before Arizona became a state. Photos provided by Western Mining History.

by Robert Marcos

The gold fever that brought tens of thousands of miners into Northern California in 1848 led to related discoveries of gold at La Paz in 1862 (before Arizona was a state), and in 1896 on the Klondike River.

Smaller gold deposits – like those in New Mexico’s Ortiz Mountains, had been identified earlier than these but they lacked the massive infrastructure, communications, and population density that was needed to turn small gold deposits into a major excavations. Furthermore, before the signing of the Treaty of Hidalgo, most of the American West was under Mexican rule which made the large-scale migration to the region more difficult.

At La Paz – a full year before Arizona was even a territory – there were 5,000 miners working hundreds of gold claims on both sides of the Colorado River. These miners and the hundreds of workers who supported them were desperate to find a way to transport people and the tons of supplies needed at these remote sites: which included the small Arizona towns of Quartzsite, Ehrenberg, and Bouse.

Steamboats came to the rescue

The first steam-powered paddleboat to navigate the Colorado River was the Uncle Sam. Designed by Domingo Marcucci and built in San Francisco, the 65-foot-long, side-wheel paddle steamer was shipped in pieces to Port Isabel on the river’s delta. It was reassembled and launched in November 1852 to carry military supplies 120 miles upstream to Fort Yuma. Driven by a tiny 20-horsepower steam engine, the Uncle Sam struggled to make headway against the strong currents (going in the opposite direction), and it took 15 long days in order to complete its first voyage.1

The Cocopah – the River’s Largest Steamboat

Cocopah was the largest ship used during the Colorado River steamboat era. The sternwheel paddle steamer was built for $35,000 by the George A. Johnson & Company in San Francisco and it was the fifth steamboat to work along the Colorado River. Cocopah’s sturdy engine could carry 100 tons of cargo against the strongest of river currents. The Cocopah was 140 feet long, 29 feet wide, and had a (very shallow) draft of 19 inches, even fully loaded – which was perfect for navigating over shallow water and sandbars.

After being assembled the at Gridiron Landing in Sonora, Cocopah was launched in August of 1859 and captained by David C. Robinson – an experienced captain who formerly steered the steamboat Explorer in a Colorado River voyage. The Cocopah continued its travels along the Colorado River until 1867. Afterward the Cocopah was moved onshore and used to house workers at Port Isabel, near the point where the Colorado River meets the Sea of Cortez.2

Steamship Operations Brought to a Sudden End by the Railroad

The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in Yuma, Arizona, in 1877 dealt a fatal blow to the Colorado River steamboat era. The railroad broke the riverboats’ monopoly on the transportation of cargo and passengers to regions that had previously been hard to reach. Trains moved goods across the desert in a fraction of the time and at significantly lower cost than the steamboats. As rail lines expanded across the Southwest over the following decades, they systematically bypassed the river, rendering the expensive process of shipping supplies upstream entirely obsolete.3

The latest #ElNiño/Southern Oscillation (#ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion is hot off the presses from the #Climate Prediction Center

Click the link to read the discussion on the Climate Prediction Center website:

September 10, 2026

ENSO Alert System Status: El Niño Advisory

Synopsis:  El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter 2026-27.

El Niño strengthened further over the past month, with sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding +3.0°C in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Except for the Niño-4 index, which decreased to +0.1°C in August, values in the other Niño indices increased, reaching +1.8°C in Niño-3.4, +2.5°C in Niño-3, and +3.4°C in Niño-1+2. The equatorial subsurface temperature index (average from 180°-100°W) remained steady during August, reflecting a deeper-than-average thermocline. Subsurface temperatures continued to be significantly above average, with widespread anomalies in excess of +10.0°C at depth. Low-level westerly wind anomalies and upper-level easterly wind anomalies extended from the western to the east-central equatorial Pacific. Enhanced convection and rainfall persisted from the central to the eastern Pacific, while anomalies remained suppressed over Indonesia. The traditional and equatorial Southern Oscillation indices remained negative. Collectively, the coupled ocean-atmosphere system reflected a strengthening El Niño.

The CPC Official ENSO outlook, which synthesizes multiple models from North America and abroad, indicates El Niño will continue to strengthen through the end of the year. During the October-December 2026 season, there is a 75% chance of a historic event that would exceed the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950 (+2.5°C or more for a 3-month RONI value). With an event of this magnitude, the chances of experiencing impacts consistent with El Niño are larger, though not guaranteed (see CPC outlooks for probabilities of seasonal anomalies). In summary, El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter 2026-27.

Monitoring Global Temperature and Precipitation in August 2026: Record-warm August for the globe and global oceans — NOAA

Courtesy of Canva.com

Click the link to read the article on the NOAA website:

September 10, 2026

August Highlights:

  • August was the warmest on record for the globe, eclipsing the previous tied records of 2023 and 2024 by 0.14°F (0.08°C). The June–August three-month season was also record-warm.
  • Global sea surface temperature reached an all-time high in August.
  • El Niño conditions persisted during the month, driving record-high temperatures across vast areas of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
  • Global land surface temperature was near-record warm for August and June–August.
  • The Northern Hemisphere experienced its warmest summer, while the Southern Hemisphere had a near-record warm winter.
  • The Arctic and Antarctic had a below-average sea ice extent.
  • Global tropical cyclone activity was above average with 19 tropical storms.
Map of global notable weather and climate events in August 2026. Credit: NOAA

Temperature

The global surface temperature in August 2026 was 2.38°F (1.32°C) above the 20th-century average—the warmest August in the 1850–2026 record, eclipsing the previous tied records set in 2023 and 2024 by 0.14°F (0.08°C). It marked the 48th-consecutive August with global temperatures above the 20th-century average (the last below-average August occurred in 1978), and all 10 of the warmest Augusts on record have occurred since 2016. Global ocean temperatures set a new record high, while global land temperatures were near-record warm.

Global Temperature Percentiles for August 2026. Red and orange indicates warmer than average, blue indicates colder than average and gray indicates that it tied with more than 10% of the record. Credit: NOAA

During August 2026, above-average temperatures covered most global land and ocean surfaces. Notable temperature departures of at least +3.6°F (+2.0°C) spanned Europe, Africa, Asia, Antarctica, parts of North and South America, North Pacific Ocean, and a vast area of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (consistent with ongoing El Niño conditions). Record-high August temperatures were mainly present across Greenland, Africa, and parts of Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Canadian Arctic oceans as well as extensive areas of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.

Below-average temperatures were limited to parts of the Arctic, eastern Russia and Antarctica. However, no land or ocean areas had record-cold August temperatures.

Regionally, most continents experienced a top-10 warmest August on record. North America and Africa both experienced their warmest August on record, while Asia experienced its second-warmest August. The Arctic recorded its third-warmest August, followed by South America and Europe each recording their fourth-warmest. Oceania had its eighth warmest, while Antarctica experienced an above-average August, its rank fell outside its top 10.

Seasonal

Globally, the average surface temperature from June–August 2026 was the highest (+2.18°F / +1.21°C) in NOAA’s 177-year record. The June–August period marks the meteorological summer for the Northern Hemisphere and winter for the Southern Hemisphere. 
During this three-month period, the Northern Hemisphere experienced its warmest meteorological summer, while the Southern Hemisphere experienced its second-warmest meteorological winter.

Year-to-date

Looking at the year-to-date, the January–August global surface temperature was second highest on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2026 will rank among the five warmest years on record, with the highest probabilities favoring the second-warmest year on record.

Sea Ice

Global sea ice extent was the fourth smallest for August in the 48-year record, covering 8.50 million square miles, which is 870,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. The Arctic had its 11th-lowest August extent on record, falling 340,000 square miles below average. Meanwhile, the Antarctic sea extent was 530,000 square miles below average and the third-smallest August extent.

Map of the Antarctic (left) and the Arctic (right) sea ice extent in August 2026. Credit: NOAA

Tropical Cyclones

Global tropical cyclone activity was above average in August, producing 19 tropical storms. Of those, five reached hurricane or typhoon intensity, with four attaining major status (Category 3 or higher). Driven by ongoing El Niño conditions, activity varied by basin. The Atlantic was unusually quiet, producing two weak, short-lived tropical storms: Cristobal and Dolly. In contrast, warmer waters across the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean fueled the development of eight named storms across the Eastern North Pacific basin. Of note, Hurricane Lala passed near the Big Island of Hawaii as a Category 1 hurricane. Although Lala remained offshore, it was the first storm in decades to bring hurricane-strength conditions to Hawaii’s Big Island. Torrential rainfall triggered widespread flooding and mudslides across the region.

The West Pacific basin also had an above-average month with nine storms. Notably, Super Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain and strong winds to parts of southern Japan and China. The storm brought historic rainfall to parts of China.

No storms formed in the North Indian Ocean nor in the Southern Hemisphere basins, which is typical during this time of year.

For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our August 2026 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.