Climate Drought
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Intensifying atmospheric rivers are leading to a surge in Valley fever cases in California
The fungal pathogen is thriving as the Golden State bounces between drought and flooding.
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![An aerial view of a mining pit next to a town.]()
![An aerial view of a mining pit next to a town.]()
Is the Southwest too dry for a mining boom?
Critical minerals for the clean energy transition are abundant in the Southwest, but the dozens of mines proposed to access them will require vast sums of water, something in short supply in the desert.
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![An aerial view of the Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project, an aquifer recharge project that has helped restore Tucson's depleted groundwater.]()
![An aerial view of the Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project, an aquifer recharge project that has helped restore Tucson's depleted groundwater.]()
Groundwater levels are falling worldwide — but there are solutions
New research shows how to protect the aquifers that hold most of the world’s fresh water.
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![An aerial view of homes under construction in Buckeye, Arizona, outside of Phoenix. The state government paused new housing construction in the area last year over concerns about water availability.]()
![An aerial view of homes under construction in Buckeye, Arizona, outside of Phoenix. The state government paused new housing construction in the area last year over concerns about water availability.]()
Will Arizona close a loophole that lets developers build without water?
Despite water woes in “wildcat” neighborhoods, lawmakers may not act.
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How can California solve its water woes? By flooding its best farmland.
Restored floodplains in the state’s agricultural heartland are fighting both flooding and drought. But their fate rests with California’s powerful farmers.
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![Residents and volunteers work to salvage possessions among the rubble of homes in the aftermath of a tornado that struck Rolling Fork, Mississippi on March 24, 2023.]()
![Residents and volunteers work to salvage possessions among the rubble of homes in the aftermath of a tornado that struck Rolling Fork, Mississippi on March 24, 2023.]()
Extreme weather cost $80 billion this year. The true price is far higher.
The U.S. saw 25 billion-dollar weather disasters this year — more than ever before. Next year could be worse.
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![Illustrated portrait of a white man in his 70s (Peter Martin) with an orange map of Maui and black palm trees in the background]()
![Illustrated portrait of a white man in his 70s (Peter Martin) with an orange map of Maui and black palm trees in the background]()
The libertarian developer looming over West Maui’s water conflict
Peter Martin spent decades guzzling water around Lāhainā. Then came the fire.
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![A man stands at a podium next to a sign in front of a group of people.]()
![A man stands at a podium next to a sign in front of a group of people.]()
Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community moves forward with first solar canal project in the US
The project aims to reduce evaporative water losses and minimize water use for power generation.
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![A researcher measures water levels in an irrigation well near Marienthal, Kansas. Water levels in the state's Ogallala Aquifer have been declining for decades.]()
![A researcher measures water levels in an irrigation well near Marienthal, Kansas. Water levels in the state's Ogallala Aquifer have been declining for decades.]()
Biden’s $8 billion quest to solve America’s groundwater crisis
With little fanfare, the administration is using infrastructure funding to revive dormant plans for pipelines and reservoirs in rural areas across the U.S. West.
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![An aerial shot of a city at the foot of mountains and next to a slice of empty desert.]()
![An aerial shot of a city at the foot of mountains and next to a slice of empty desert.]()
Welcome to Buckeye, the desert city out to surpass Phoenix by importing water
The Arizona city is eyeing "crazy" ideas to keep growing, including piping water hundreds of miles uphill from Mexico.
