Agriculture

Utah is launching a new multimillion-dollar program that pays farmers to leave their irrigation water in the Colorado River — and tracks where that saved water ends up.

Inflation Reduction Act money helped save water in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin. President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to take away that funding.

In a dry state like Utah, leaders want to know exactly how much water leaves the state. Historically, however, there hasn’t been much data about the water that evaporates into the air. The Utah Flux Network aims to change that.

Farm irrigation uses a lot of water across the West. In one Utah community, however, farmers already grow crops without any irrigation. It might seem like an answer to the state's water woes, but the reality is not so simple.

Alfalfa dominates Utah farm fields. It also takes a lot of irrigation. So, some farmers and ranchers in Utah’s Colorado River Basin are experimenting with alternative crops that might help agriculture diversify and survive in a future with less water.

Navajo family farms once lined the San Juan River in southeast Utah, but many have fallen idle. A water rights settlement with Utah has given some Navajo residents hope those farms can return.

Native Americans have grown food in the desert for ages, but many tribal agricultural traditions have disappeared. Now, people in southeast Utah are working to bring Navajo traditions back — one fruit tree and garden bed at a time.

Engineering hurdles, high costs and political challenges stand in the way of an easy fix to the West's water shortages.

Between drought, climate change and competition for the Colorado River, Utah faces a precarious water future. Roughly three-fourths of the state’s water goes to agriculture and Utah is investing millions to help farmers and ranchers modernize their irrigation.

The Imperial Irrigation District in California is the Colorado River's largest water user. A new conservation plan will spend hundreds of millions to save water, but environmental advocates raised concerns.

Invasive zebra mussels could harm native fish and clog agricultural equipment. Until recently they had never before been seen in the stretch of the Colorado River near Grand Junction.

Capitol Reef National Park’s fruit orchards — planted by Mormon pioneers — are a big attraction. But as old trees die and heirloom varieties become harder to find, the park is racing to preserve a juicy piece of Utah history.