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Environment

Killing the Colorado

The Water Crisis in the West

The Colorado River is dying — the victim of legally sanctioned overuse, the relentless forces of urban growth, willful ignorance among policymakers and a misplaced confidence in human ingenuity. ProPublica investigates the policies that are putting this precious resource in peril.

23 stories published since 2015

A Water War Is Brewing Over the Dwindling Colorado River

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

As Colorado River Dries, the U.S. Teeters on the Brink of Larger Water Crisis

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

40 Million People Rely on the Colorado River. It’s Drying Up Fast.

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

California and EPA Poised to Expand Pollution of Potential Drinking Water Reserves

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Gimme a Break! IRS Tax Loophole Can Reward Excessive Water Use in Drought-stricken West

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Discovery TV to Air Film Inspired by Our Water Crisis Reporting

by Joe Sexton,

As One of Its Chief Sources of Water Dries Up, California Eases Restrictions on Use Nonetheless

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Drought be Dammed

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Liquid Assets

Abrahm Lustgarten,

Former Las Vegas Water Czar Joins Board of Casino Giant

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Amid Drought, California Experiments With Leasing Water Rights

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

How Much Water Does the West Really Have?

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Less Than Zero

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Picturing the Drought

by Michael Friberg, special to ProPublica,

California's Drought Is Part of a Much Bigger Water Crisis. Here's What You Need to Know

by Amanda Zamora, Abrahm Lustgarten and Lauren Kirchner,

End of the Miracle Machines: Inside the Power Plant Fueling America's Drought

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

A Wonder in Decline

by Michael Friberg, special to ProPublica,

Use It or Lose It: Across the West, Exercising One’s Right to Waste Water

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

The ‘Water Witch’: Pat Mulroy Preached Conservation While Backing Growth in Las Vegas

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, While Water Supplies Last

by Al Shaw and Abrahm Lustgarten,

Killing the Colorado: Explore the River

by Al Shaw, Abrahm Lustgarten, Amanda Zamora, Jeff Larson and Lauren Kirchner,

What You Need to Know About the Water Crisis in the West

Abrahm Lustgarten, Amanda Zamora, David Sleight and Lauren Kirchner,

Holy Crop: How Federal Dollars Are Financing the Water Crisis in the West

by Abrahm Lustgarten and Naveena Sadasivam,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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