Severe and extreme drought gripped the Colorado River Basin in July 2026, as wildfires burned across parched Colorado and dry skies offered little relief.

Lake Powell is at 24% capacity, six major wildfires burn across the basin, and post-2026 Colorado River negotiations remain deadlocked.

The EPA proposes rescinding drinking water limits for four PFAS chemicals while Congress introduces bills to ban forever chemicals from food packaging and cosmetics.

The Havasupai Tribe called the regulatory decision a "profound attack" on their responsibility to protect Grand Canyon waters from uranium mine contamination.

California boosted Delta pumping sixfold on July 1 while protecting endangered fish — and a new flexible permit approach pushed fish impacts to a near 10-year low.

A Pinal County irrigation district struck a deal for up to 10,000 acre-feet per year of Mojave Desert groundwater to offset deepening Colorado River shortages.