Growing Returns: Drought

As discussions at COP28 wrestle with climate impacts on global food and water security, we hear from a Hopi farmer on his thriving practice of dry farming and his hopes for shared learning in Dubai. ______ The arid climate of the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona receives a mere 8.5 inches of annual rainfall. For […]

Water has finally reached the highest levels of global climate negotiations. The path to a sustainable freshwater future, however, lies with ground-level users. At COP 28, EDF is elevating their voices, their needs and the approaches they find most useful. _______ While greenhouse gases drive climate change, many of its impacts are inherently liquid. Whether […]

Last week Governor Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released a new analysis of groundwater in the Phoenix metro area. News broke around the country with headlines questioning the viability of future development in the region. But, what does this new analysis actually mean for Arizona? Let’s dive in. What does this new […]

This blog is co-authored with the California Water Data Consortium. By Mike Myatt (Senior Director, Climate Resilient Water Systems – EDF) and Hannah Ake (Senior Program Manager – California Water Data Consortium) A key first step toward managing groundwater sustainably in California, as required by the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), is tracking how […]

After months of negotiations, the Arizona Legislature passed a major water spending plan last month with funding for new conservation efforts to address deteriorating water supply conditions. However, for the fourth year in a row, state leaders failed to pass legislation to address unlimited groundwater pumping, missing an opportunity to enable a water secure future for 1.5 million rural residents and the state as a whole.

These are the three key things that successful applications had in common.

The West has to come together to break the cycle of depletion for the sake of the Colorado River.

It’s critical we prepare now to capture and store water during shorter, intense wet periods so that more water is available during the inevitable increasingly severe drought years ahead.

Real-time data will put farmers and policymakers on the same page when making water management decisions.

Es una paradoja penosa para California: Algunos de los mismos trabajadores agrícolas que recogen nuestra comida no pueden beber un vaso de agua limpia, o ni siquiera tener agua, en fregadero de la cocina.

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close while the drought in California stubbornly marches on, here are three critical steps state and local leaders need to take to address water equity.

Let’s choose to pursue a just transition to a river basin with less water.

With extreme drought plaguing Colorado, here are three new funding streams to help build more resilient water systems for agriculture, wildlife and communities.

As 75% of Texas faces drought, two bills in the state Legislature can advance more sustainable and equitable management of vital water resources.

It’s a daunting time to be working on water in California. The Sierra snowpack measurement came in today at 59% of average statewide, making this the second dry winter in a row. The drought conditions led state and federal officials to announce last week painful water cuts for farmers and for municipal water systems that […]

Here are three key takeaways from how the Hays Trinity district is proactively managing groundwater to protect its long-term viability and landowners’ rights to groundwater.

The 2018 farm bill takes an important step in helping to ensure that farmers and water agencies in the American West are better positioned to address long-term challenges.

It’s time for Arizona to fully acknowledge the region’s grim hydrology and implement plans to create a more sustainable future.

Drones aren’t just for aerial photography and package delivery. They are also a game-changer for the environment.

California has been ravaged by wildfires, droughts and floods, so it’s no surprise that voters are feeling the emotional and economic toll of these impacts and demanding action. Action that might have enough political willpower to succeed nationwide.