Lake Powell

Winter snow in the Rockies provides the majority of the Colorado River's water supply. As negotiators work on long-term rules for sharing the river, a dry winter could add some urgency.

As southwest Utah looks toward a future of continued growth, it’s betting big on reusing the water it already has. That’s why St. George is building a new reservoir to hold more recycled wastewater.

Federal officials said Tuesday they will ease water cuts for Western states reliant on the Colorado River next year. Bountiful snowfall and rain last winter pulled much of the region out of drought this spring and raised water levels at key reservoirs.

The wet winter has filled Lake Powell enough to restart boat tours to the giant red rock arch. But welcoming more tourists to the remote monument in southern Utah brings both benefits and challenges.

St. George, Utah, has already seen daytime highs at or above 100 degrees every day in July, and it's about to get worse.

Federal water managers say they've begun a public process to shape rules to be enacted in 2027 to continue providing hydropower, drinking water and irrigation to farms, cities and tribes in seven U.S. states and Mexico.

A future with more extreme heat in Utah could have wide-ranging effects on the state's already strained water supplies — stealing more gallons from Lake Powell through evaporation and threatening the delicate balance of this dry region’s water system.

The Yampa River is full of snowmelt on its way to the Colorado River, bringing temporary relief for farms, fish and millions of people in the Southwest.

This year’s record-breaking snowpack lifted Utah out of a severe drought. It won’t take much for it to return, though.

The proposal announced Monday isn’t final. It calls for cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes to accept federal money — and in some cases volunteer — to use less water over the next three years.

The nation's second-largest reservoir has been shrinking as drought and steady demand strain the Colorado River. With Lake Powell's low water levels, canyons and ecosystems are emerging from the depths.

Many boat ramps closed as the Colorado River drought pushed Powell to record lows. But abundant snowmelt is bringing some good, if temporary, news for both recreation enthusiasts and the local economy.