Tamarisk trees are a scourge on riverside ecosystems across southern Utah. Scientists hope their natural enemies, tamarisk beetles, can help local ecosystems fight back.

Between dams, diversions and a changing climate, the Colorado River doesn’t flow like it used to. Now, scientists and conservationists in Utah are working to give cottonwood trees a better chance.

Because a lot of water from the San Rafael River gets used upstream, more of its path through southeast Utah is drying up. That’s transforming the river’s flow patterns and leaving native fish stranded. But scientists are testing ways to give them a better chance at survival.

The Colorado River Authority of Utah board approved the first round of applicants for the state’s pilot program. It includes more than a dozen projects along Colorado River tributaries in eastern and southeastern Utah.

A federal forest grant that conservationists rely on to fund monitoring and removal of the invasive and tenacious Russian olive tree has been frozen by the Trump admin.

The water conservation pilot will use state money to compensate farmers who temporarily stop irrigating some of their land. It aims to launch by April, but some hurdles remain.

Utah and other Western states are putting a lot of effort and money into improving irrigation efficiency. It’s not clear, however, how big of a dent it makes when it comes to keeping water in the Colorado River.