Topic: Colorado River

Saga of California's Salton Sea: a tragic chapter ahead?

Some worry that a water-diversion deal, sending farm irrigation water to sprawling San Diego, will spell doom for the Salton Sea – and exposure to toxins for humans and wildlife. Others say protections are in place to ensure that can't happen.

Do energy subsidies actually work?

Governement subsidies are largely social experiments without any guarantee of success. Some pay off royally, while others are a waste of time and money.

Hey, what happened to winter? What its wimpiness portends for spring.

Despite a few powerful snowstorms, the winter of 2011-12, with record-breaking temperatures and less precipitation than normal, has been the fourth warmest on record in the US. What gives?

Amazing 3-D images show how earthquakes warp the Earth's surface

Laser scans of the Earth's surface published in the journal Science reveal how earthquakes distort the planet's surface, showing exactly where the ground moved and by how much.  

Nevada Barr: 'The Rope' is fueled by obsession

In Nevada Barr's new novel "The Rope," heroine Anna Pigeon is tested by darkness – including the kind that lurks in others.

Paddling down the Colorado River to surface its secrets

Will Stauffer-Norris and Zak Podmore traveled 1,700 miles to assess the state of the beautiful but threatened Colorado River.

Grand Canyon ban on new mining riles Republicans

US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a 20-year ban on new mining claims near the Grand Canyon in Arizona on Monday.

More Western towns adopt 'toilet to tap' strategy to water conservation

Steady triple-digit temperatures and perennial dry weather across the West have forced environmentalists, politicians, and citizens to find new freshwater resources.

A victory in Western water wars? Study shows progress in water use.

Per-capita water use has declined in 100 communities that depend on the Colorado River, the primary source of freshwater to much of the southwest. But as populations expand, overall water consumption is still climbing.

Time to lift ban on uranium mining near Grand Canyon? Deadline nears.

Obama administration must decide by midsummer whether to extend a freeze on uranium mining claims near the Grand Canyon. A recent report cites 10 national 'treasures' at risk.

Study: Baja earthquake sign of a bigger one to come?

A study by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows that the Baja earthquake in April acted in unexpected ways. It also could set off another major quake in three to 30 years.

Hoover's dam folly: Why Keynesian New Deal policies failed

Politicians cannot calculate the economic profits and losses of government interventions.

Canyon formation: Recent gusher suggests that canyons can form very quickly

Canyon formation: A single catastrophic flood capable of cutting into bedrock is extremely rare, but some gushers could form canyons very quickly.

A hiking trail down time's spiral

For a geologist, the 8-mile hiking trail to the Grand Canyon's floor is an irresistible lesson in Earth's history.

Redefining longevity: the new centenarian spirit

The US centenarian population is doubling every decade – and they're redefining aging and longevity.

Imperial

For the brave reader ready to tackle it, this sprawling text offers a fascinating glimpse of a corner of America at work.

Water-use saga: The return of Glen Canyon

After a beautiful landscape reemerged, a new plan for Lake Powell water usage has taken shape.

American voices: Resilience runs deep in a somber time

On a journey from Plymouth Rock to the Grand Canyon, we find an America that is neither as divided as talk-show histrionics would suggest, nor as sullen as a flagging economy says we should be. We find a country that is struggling, yes, but is also pragmatic and still harbors a little idealism.

Too many 'straws' sucking water out of the Colorado River

Herbert Hoover: The 31st President, 1929-1933

Despised at home, Hoover was a savior to many Europeans

Wetland vies for Colorado River’s water

Conservation land in Mexico and a desalting plant in Arizona are at the center of a debate over the river.