The Conversation

THE CONVERSATION: The westward spread of zebra and quagga mussels shows how tiny invaders can cause big problems

July 19, 2022

By Christine Keiner, Rochester Institute of Technology The zebra mussel has been a poster child for invasive species ever since...

THE CONVERSATION: A water strategy for the parched West: Have cities pay farmers to install more efficient irrigation systems

The Conversation

Planning and management

June 30, 2022

By Robert Glennon, University of Arizona “Are you going to run out of water?” is the first question people ask...

THE CONVERSATION: Hydropower’s future is clouded by droughts, floods and climate change – it’s also essential to the US electric grid

The Conversation

Planning and management

May 17, 2022

By Caitlin Grady, Penn State and Lauren Dennis, Penn State The water in Lake Powell, one of the nation’s largest reservoirs,...

THE CONVERSATION: What is dead pool? A water expert explains

The Conversation

Colorado River

May 12, 2022

By Robert Glennon, University of Arizona Journalists reporting on the status and future of the Colorado River are increasingly using the...

THE CONVERSATION: Western river compacts were innovative in the 1920s but couldn’t foresee today’s water challenges

The Conversation

Colorado River

May 4, 2022

By Patricia J. Rettig, Colorado State University The Western U.S. is in a water crisis, from California to Nebraska. An ongoing...

THE CONVERSATION: California’s water supplies are in trouble as climate change worsens natural dry spells, especially in the Sierra Nevada

The Conversation

Climate change

December 7, 2021

By Roger Bales, University of California, Merced California is preparing for a third straight year of drought, and officials are...

THE CONVERSATION: As climate change parches the Southwest, here’s a better way to share water from the shrinking Colorado River

The Conversation

Colorado River

November 17, 2021

By Daniel Craig McCool, University of Utah The Colorado River is a vital lifeline for the arid U.S. Southwest. It supplies...

THE CONVERSATION: As Colorado River Basin states confront water shortages, it’s time to focus on reducing demand

The Conversation

Colorado River

August 16, 2021

By Robert Glennon, University of Arizona The U.S. government announced its first-ever water shortage declaration for the Colorado River on Aug....

THE CONVERSATION: Snow can disappear straight into the atmosphere in hot, dry weather

The Conversation

Hydrology

July 27, 2021

By Steven R. Fassnacht, Colorado State University Creeks, rivers and lakes that are fed by melting snow across the U.S....

THE CONVERSATION: ‘Megadrought’ along border strains US-Mexico water relations

The Conversation

Colorado River

July 1, 2021

By Robert Gabriel Varady, University of Arizona; Andrea K. Gerlak, University of Arizona, and Stephen Paul Mumme, Colorado State University...

THE CONVERSATION: Western fires are burning higher in the mountains at unprecedented rates – it’s a clear sign of climate change

The Conversation

Wildfires and watersheds

May 24, 2021

By Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University; John Abatzoglou, University of California, Merced, and Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, McGill University The Western...

THE CONVERSATION: In a last-minute rule change, the Trump administration rolls back water-saving standards for showerheads

The Conversation

Policy and regulation

September 2, 2020

By Robert Glennon, University of Arizona For more than 25 years, Congress has directed U.S. government agencies to set energy...

THE CONVERSATION: Buried in mud: Wildfires threaten North American water supplies

The Conversation

Wildfires and watersheds

February 11, 2020

By François-Nicolas Robinne, University of Alberta; Dennis W Hallema, North Carolina State University, and Kevin D. Bladon, Oregon State University As...