Southwest Colorado water district awarded $25.6M in federal funds to fight drought with river restoration
Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been awarded $25.6M from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Colorado River Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Program (B2E). The grant application was developed in
Heated Negotiations and the Future of Western Water
Things were heated at the Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA) Annual Conference this year, the largest meeting of water managers in the Colorado River Basin. This year’s meeting was
Forage to Faucets – Denver Water’s sustainable watershed journey
GRAZING TOWARD MORE SUSTAINABLE WATERSHEDS “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” – Aldo Leopold Like many in the arid West, Denver Water customers turn on their faucets each
Collaboration-Powered Conservation: The Story of Badger Creek
In the heart of south-central Colorado, Badger Creek Ranch serves as a shining example of effective land management and ecological restoration. Owned and operated by Chrissy McFarren and her husband
Biochar in the Grand Valley: a drought resilience tool?
When Michael Lobato and his wife Sara embarked on their agricultural journey, they didn’t anticipate pioneering new drought resilience techniques. But, situated just outside Fruita, Colorado, Lobato’s farm faces distinct
Alternative Forage: The challenges and opportunities
On June 28th, Western Landowners Alliance convened the second webinar in our ongoing Summer Water Webinar Series. The program covered the challenges and opportunities associated with growing alternative forages and
Ditch “inefficiencies” give us wetlands
Imagine Westerners waking up one morning only to discover that many of their most cherished wetlands have dried up, gone. This is not fiction during these times of determining the
Subterranean Homesick Blues
When conversations turn to water in the West, it’s often about surface water, especially in relation to the challenges facing states that rely on the Colorado River. But subsurface water,
New rules for the river
State and Tribal negotiators are hashing out proposals for management of the Colorado River that will Kick in in 2026. Why should Western landowners care, and how can they participate? As
Saving Water with Fire
Forest health collaboratives are using fire to steward healthy headwaters across public and private land. That hard work flows downstream to all of us. Jagged, snow-capped peaks tower above a thick
Water your livestock, legally
For many Western landowners, stockwatering and irrigation go hand in hand. Without a stockwater-specific water right, however, users could be operating outside of their established decree. Understanding your water right,
Urban-rural collaborative water planning? It’s happening in Pueblo.
Nestled in the heart of the Colorado, Crowley County was once a testament to agricultural prosperity. Its lush fields stretched over 50,000 acres, teeming with a bounty of crops nourished