Indigenous Irrigation Looks at the Whole World
There is a basic assumption that undergirds many of the conversations about water in the west: what irrigation is. Irrigation is commonly thought of as man-made structures moving water from one
Using Rock Weirs to Slow Water in the Big Hole Valley with Rancher Erik Kalsta
Today we’re digging into a deceptively simple tool with big impacts on water and soil health: rock weirs. Rancher and Working Wild Challenge director Erik Kalsta joins us from Montana’s Big
Water, Not Land, Limits Growth in Colorado and the West
A decades-long boom has permanently reshaped Colorado. Along the Front Range, cities from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs have merged into a nearly unbroken wall of development. Yet as the
Dung beetles dig it, create value for ranchers and rangelands
Plop! Big mammals poop. They poop a lot. Cattle poop up to a dozen times a day. Horses? Up to 15 times per day. Bison produce three gallons of poop per
A beetle biological control success story
The tamarisk is a gritty survivor, a tenacious shrub that evolved in the steppes of central Asia in dry conditions much like those of the American West. Introduced to the
Producers lead the way on drought resilience in the Colorado River Basin
Facing Drought Together Key Takeaways Cutoff Dates MatterWSR found that stopping irrigation around July 1 provided a good balance between conserving water and maintaining forage yield. Experimentation Pays OffTrials with deficit irrigation, split-season
Irrigation efficiency is something all producers should strive for, right? Or wrong?
Agriculture uses a lot of water. And with water getting scarcer in many parts of the West, it seems logical that agricultural producers should try to seek efficiency in their
Surface water conservation programs: What are they, and are they working?
In the sixth and final installment of our spring 2025 Water Webinar series, we explored one of the most complex topics in western water: temporary, voluntary, compensated conservation programs. The
How do Water Banks Help Landowners Keep Banking on Water?
“Liquid” assets. Revenue “streams.” Water has a tendency to become a great metaphor in the world of finance. Its flexibility as a metaphor also flows into its fungibility as an
Soil Solutions to Water Scarcity: Making the most of every drop
In the fifth installment of our 2025 Water Webinar series, we explored soil health, water scarcity and drought resilience in a different, community-oriented approach. The webinar’s first hour centered on the
Closure of USGS Water Science Centers Could Harm Western Producers
The closure of 25 United States Geological Survey Water Science Centers will have outsize impacts on rural western communities that rely on accurate information about water, flooding and drought conditions. Earlier
Irrigating for Food and Fish: Water infrastructure and healthy streams
In the fourth installment of our 2025 Water Webinar series, we explored the intersection of irrigation, infrastructure, and ecological stewardship. The discussion focused on innovative strategies that enable fish to thrive