In drying West, hope for wetlands found on working lands, says new study
The warming climate in the American West is drying out wetlands at a greater scale than previously known. But where wetlands remain, and why, may surprise you. A 2025 paper, “Going,
Warming winters are disrupting the hidden world of fungi – the result can shift mountain grasslands to scrub
Stephanie Kivlin, University of Tennessee; Aimee Classen, University of Michigan, and Lara A. Souza, University of Oklahoma When you look out across a snowy winter landscape,
Flood Irrigation Can Lead to Better Streamflow, Study Says
The conversion of flood irrigation to sprinklers has been a boon to producers. Sprinklers are more efficient, which means better yields, and better yields mean more to sell on the
Dryland Farming in the Colorado Basin with Gus Westerman
In a drying West, more producers are looking for options to remain viable, which is why today we’re taking a look at dryland farming.
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
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
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
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