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The Latest Breaking News from the Colorado River

In 2024, managers deliberately cooled the Colorado River to protect the Grand Canyon from invasive smallmouth bass. 2 years later, no bass recruitment had been detected, but the effort cost $19.1 million in replacement power

Managers at Glen Canyon Dam used an unusual strategy to protect native Colorado River fish from invasive smallmouth bass: they deliberately cooled downstream water during periods when the fish could reproduce. The “Cool Mix” operation combined colder water from lower river outlets with water passing through power-generating penstocks, keeping temperatures…

The Economic Times

In 1935, this dam submerged entire US town under 60 feet of water; nearly 90 years later, falling lake levels are bringing the 'ghost town' back to life

Hoover Dam Construction: St. Thomas, a historic Nevada town, has reemerged as Lake Mead's water levels decline. The former Mormon settlement was submerged for decades after Hoover Dam's construction. Its streets and building foundations are now visible, offering a glimpse into the past. This reappearance highlights the dramatic changes in…

The Economic Times

A ghost town disappeared beneath 60 feet of water after Hoover Dam was built; Lake Mead’s decline is bringing it back to life

A submerged ghost town named St. Thomas is reappearing as Lake Mead's water levels drop. This former Mormon settlement was flooded after the Hoover Dam's construction decades ago. Visitors can now walk through the revealed streets and building foundations of the old community. The town's reappearance highlights the severe drought…

The Economic Times

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Lake Mead fell to 1,040.4 feet as the Colorado River crisis deepened; Lake Powell is also under pressure, raising questions over water and hydropower

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has reached its lowest recorded level since it was created nearly 90 years ago, according to AP News. The reservoir fell to 1,040.4 feet above sea level, just below its previous record low from July 2022. At the same time, Lake…

The Times of India

Colorado River officials face a fish-versus-power tradeoff as warmer water threatens native humpback chub and cool releases bypass dam turbines

This year, federal officials have decided against releasing cool water from the Colorado River reservoirs, emphasizing the need for hydropower production over the conservation of a threatened fish species. The river and its reservoirs are facing severe depletion from overuse and climate change, while states have been unable to reach…

The Times of India

Lake Mead water has hit a new low — and there’s little hope of improvement: ‘It’s grim’

Lake Mead is part of the Colorado River Basin system, which supplies water to around 40 million people across seven states, tribal communities and parts of Mexico

The Independent UK

Feds sacrifice rare fish in Colorado River to save power for millions

Federal officials will not be releasing water from one of the Colorado River's major reservoirs

The Independent UK

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In 1869, Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell and nine others entered the unmapped Grand Canyon. What they discovered transformed geology

John Wesley Powell led a daring expedition down the Colorado River in 1869. He navigated violent rapids and towering canyon walls, documenting geological formations. Powell's observations revealed the Grand Canyon's gradual formation over millions of years. His detailed scientific record laid the foundation for future geological studies. This exploration significantly…

The Economic Times

How a 242-mile aqueduct carried Colorado River water across mountains and transformed Southern California

In 1933, construction crews began work on the Colorado River Aqueduct, an engineering project designed to solve a problem that had been building for years: Southern California's rapidly growing coastal cities were running out of local water. The plan called for pulling water from the Colorado River near the California-Arizona…

The Times of India

Three states told to cut water use by 20% to save the Colorado River

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs called the federal plan ‘unacceptable’ and ‘draconian’

The Independent UK

Arizona, California and Nevada would share cuts under federal proposal to manage the Colorado River

Arizona, California, and Nevada would take less water from the Colorado River under a federal proposal to stave off a crisis in the river

The Independent UK

A 330 MW data center wanted to buy a farm, switch off the irrigation, and drink the difference — California's most powerful irrigation district said no, so it sued

The largest AI data center project in California is suing to get access to the Colorado River, and the 287 million gallons of water it allegedly needs to cool a 330-megawatt facility.

TechRadar

As Lake Mead's water vanished after years of drought, human bodies, abandoned boats and decades-old mysteries began emerging from the lakebed

America's largest reservoir, Lake Mead, has become the unlikely centre of one of the most extraordinary discoveries in recent US history. As years of relentless drought caused water levels to plunge to record lows, the shrinking shoreline began revealing secrets that had remained hidden beneath the surface for decades. Human…

The Times of India

In 1905, a California canal burst and flooded a town, an Indian reservation, and dozens of farms before creating the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake today

An engineering error in California's desert created the Salton Sea over a century ago. The Colorado River breached an irrigation canal, flooding a low-lying basin for two years. This accidental lake became California's largest, once a popular holiday destination. However, its lack of an outlet caused salt concentration and environmental…

The Times of India

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The Times of India

America may have to sacrifice Lake Powell to save the Colorado River, as scientists warn the current two-reservoir system is becoming unsustainable

Western water experts debate consolidating Colorado River storage in Lake Mead. This proposal, "Fill Mead First," aims to reduce evaporation and seepage losses. Supporters believe concentrating water improves long-term security and ecological recovery. Critics warn against losing Lake Powell's crucial buffer during droughts. Adapting to a drier river requires new…

The Guardian - US

Lake Powell, a vital reservoir, plunges toward unprecedented low levels as water crisis deepens in US west

Experts say the critical reservoir system is careening toward a breaking point as the US west’s climate warms and dries

The Independent UK

This major US lake just hit its lowest summer level ever. Here’s why you should be concerned

Tens of millions of Americans rely on the lake for resources and recreation

The Independent UK

Lake Mead nearing ‘system crash’ as experts warn a ‘world of hurt’ could be coming for some states

The warning follows another unusually dry winter in the Colorado River Basin, which supplies water to about 40 million people across seven Western states

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The Independent UK

I spent a year travelling and these Teva shoes have transformed my hikes

Born on the banks of the Colorado River in the 1980s, Teva’s original sport sandal was created by a rafting guide who strapped a watch band to a flip-flop to stop it floating downstream. Decades later, the brand has become synonymous with adventure-ready footwear, and its latest hurricane collection builds…

LiveScience

Bright-blue 'potash ponds' shine alongside a dark-green river in Utah — Earth from space

A 2017 astronaut photo shows two sets of solar evaporation ponds alongside the Colorado River. The stripy structures are used to refine potassium chloride, or "potash," which is mined nearby.

The Guardian - US

California, Arizona and Nevada propose water-saving plan for Colorado River

Proposal includes cutbacks for three years as negotiations over future of shrinking reservoirs have been unsuccessful

The Independent UK

Water to surge into drought-depleted Lake Powell but at costs elsewhere

Desert canyons in eastern Utah will be churning this spring with huge volumes of water in a desperate attempt to keep a reservoir on the Colorado River generating electricity

The Times of India

Grand Canyon mystery solved? Shocking new study claims a 'lost ancient lake' may have carved one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders

The Grand Canyon has long been seen as one of the most striking natural landscapes on Earth, yet its origins remain surprisingly unsettled. Scientists broadly agree that the Colorado River played a central role in carving the canyon millions of years ago as reported by USGS. Even so, the exact…

The Independent UK

There’s a new theory about what helped form one of America’s grandest natural wonders

The key to solving a nearly 7 billion-year-old geological mystery could be microscopic

LiveScience

Colorado River may have pooled and spilled over to form the Grand Canyon, solving a long-standing mystery ‪—‬ but not everyone agrees

The Colorado River muscled its way through today's Grand Canyon after pooling as a giant lake, according to new research.

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