Megadrought Archives

WATER DESK: Rainfall brings Colorado River drought relief, but concerns for next year’s water supply remain

November 5, 2025

A forecasted winter La Niña, lingering drought conditions and dwindling reservoirs are causing water managers to worry. By Cassie Sherwood,...

WATER DESK: Human emissions are helping fuel the Southwest’s epic drought

The Water Desk

Colorado River

October 6, 2025

Three studies of the Pacific Ocean conclude that lower precipitation isn’t just due to natural causes By Mitch Tobin, Water...

NEVADA CURRENT: Southwest in a ‘mega-drying’ zone due to groundwater loss, study finds

Nevada Current

Colorado River

August 19, 2025

by Jeniffer Solis, Nevada Current Nevada, the driest state in the union, is only getting drier as the region’s supply...

UC BOULDER: Human emissions drove the megadrought in the western US

University of Colorado at Boulder

Colorado River

August 19, 2025

By Yvaine Ye, University of Colorado at Boulder Greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions from human activity have been driving the...

YALE CLIMATE CONNECTIONS: Why winter rains keep skipping the Southwest

Yale Climate Connections

Colorado River Hydrology

August 15, 2025

by Bob Henson, Yale Climate Connections Climate change appears to have driven an ongoing 25-year shortfall in winter rains and...

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Southwestern drought likely to continue through 2100, research finds

Inside Climate News

Colorado River Hydrology

July 18, 2025

Climate change is warming the North Pacific Ocean, leading weather patterns that drive drought in the U.S. Southwest to persist...

USBR: Biden-Harris Administration leaves Colorado River Basin on path to success

Bureau of Reclamation News

Colorado River

January 18, 2025

Alternatives report released today provides detailed data to support consensus agreement for post-2026 Colorado River operations to prevent catastrophic drought...

COURTHOUSE NEWS: Despite best hopes, Southwest drought may be here to stay

Courthouse News Service

Colorado River

December 21, 2024

Climate scientists say increasing global temperatures have driven soil moisture in the Southwest below a critical point, creating a positive...

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: Despite Biden Administration proposals to address Colorado River shortages, a solution is far off

Inside Climate News

Colorado River

November 22, 2024

Colorado River users are in tense negotiations over the critical waterway’s future as climate-driven drought and overuse continue to diminish...

NEVADA CURRENT: Feds release long-term Colorado River management options, including water cutbacks

Nevada Current

Colorado River

November 21, 2024

by Jeniffer Solis, Nevada Current Amid stalled negotiations over how to manage the troubled Colorado River in the coming decades,...

PRESS RELEASE: Biden-Harris Administration Puts Colorado River on Path to Success

Bureau of Reclamation News

Colorado River

November 21, 2024

Investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda have staved off crisis in the Colorado River Basin. Alternatives released today...

NASA satellites find snow didn’t offset Southwest groundwater loss

NASA/JPL

Colorado River Science

June 18, 2024

By James R. Riordon, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Record snowfall in recent years has not been enough...

CAL MATTERS: California agrees to long-term cuts of Colorado River water

Cal Matters

Colorado River

March 7, 2024

California, Arizona and Nevada would cut their allocations about 20% when reservoir levels drop. But other states have their own...

COURTHOUSE NEWS: White House launches water conservation initiative for western US

Courthouse News Service

Colorado River

March 5, 2024

The plan comes as the Colorado River Basin languishes in the driest period it’s seen in a thousand years. By...

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: As the Colorado River Declines, Some Upstream Look to Use it Before They Lose it

Inside Climate News

Colorado River

September 11, 2023

As states negotiate future water cuts, some officials are looking to build new dams and reservoirs in the Upper Basin...