Western Water Policy Program
The Getches-Wilkinson Center has published a comprehensive report documenting discussions from the 46th Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources Law. Held in partnership with the Water & Tribes Initiative, this landmark event gathered
On July 8, the Getches-Wilkinson Center visited the Kawuneeche Valley restoration site at Beaver Creek in Rocky Mountain National Park. Upon arriving at Beaver Creek, the team met with Isabel de Silva Shewell, the lead ecologist on the project with
July 12, 2026 marked the date that the combined storage in Lake Mead and Lake Powell reached a new all time low.Ìý Stored water reserves in the two reservoirs are now less than they were before Lake Powell was constructed.ÌýÌýThe last
Thirst for Data: State Responses to Data Center Water Use is a new Getches-Wilkinson Center report on Artificial Intelligence, water, and legal reform. AI is fueling a data center development boom—but what does it mean for our water future? Data
Brad Udall presents an engaging look at the Colorado River in an era of climate change. Discover the challenges facing the river and the choices that will shape its future.ÌýThis event is co-hosted by Colorado Mountain Club Boulder Group and
We almost always focus on just Lake Powell and Lake Mead, but there are 46 reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin.Ìý This new paper by Jack Schmidt and the usual suspects looks at the state and trends of total Basin storage and the “Ratchet
Stored water reserves in the Colorado River system continue to decline. ÌýThe mismatch between natural supply and overall Basin water use is having the inevitable effect on Basin-wide storage. ÌýThis paper analyzes the impact on storage in
With the existing Colorado River operating rules set to expire in nine months, the relationships among the Basin States have been the focus of much discussion and analysis, but the agreements between the US and Mexico governing their relationship
Assigned Water programs in the Colorado River system, like Intentionally Created Surplus and Mexican Water Reserve, have created valuable flexibility in the Lower Basin.Ìý These programs mitigate the disincentive for conservation or saving water
Image by Lex Padilla The Colorado River Water Users Association annual conference met in Las Vegas last week. Each year, over a thousand government officials, members of the press, municipal water district