Drought

Trout need cool water to survive. But record heat this summer has driven water temperatures to levels that can kill fish. Wildlife officials are responding by banning fishing during certain hours on rivers and streams across the U.S. West.

The Department of the Interior's final Environmental Impact Statement comes after years of stalled negotiations. What you think of it depends on which groups of states you stand with: The Upper Basin or the Lower Basin.

The combination of the worst snowpack on record and fast-spreading wildfires is changing the job description for ranchers in the Rocky Mountains.

The national preparedness level has yet to hit its highest level, but resources are under pressure. Nearly 17,000 people have been assigned to the fires, along with hundreds of engines and air support.

Bigger fires require more firefighters and more money. And the latest outlook expects Utah’s bad fire conditions to continue through August.

If water levels drop much lower than they are now, hydropower generators inside Glen Canyon Dam could be forced to shut down.

Utah's largest wildfire has killed cattle, destroyed grazing land and left ranchers facing years of recovery. For one Piute County family, the damage extends far beyond the flames.

There’s no good time to lower a reservoir, said one researcher, but this is “probably the least bad time.”

Salt Lake City’s municipal golf courses are on track to generate $2.2 million more in revenue this year. The surge in Utah golf rounds will help fund upgrades with less taxpayer support.

A strong monsoon season would be a big relief after Utah’s dry winter and spring. And the ingredients are lining up to make summer rains happen — just not anytime soon.

The declaration isn’t a surprise. Utah’s water outlook has been deteriorating for months following the state’s warmest fall and winter on record.

Lake Powell’s dire water level forecast is prompting an unprecedented move: transporting a massive marina to deeper waters. It’s another example of how the West’s historically dry, warm year is straining the Colorado River.