| Western Water

Desert rains deliver drought relief to Southwest states

Unseasonal rains improved drought in Arizona and parts of Colorado and Wyoming, while Utah saw setbacks, per the June 5 U.S. Drought Monitor.

Post-2026 Guidelines: Tribe awarded $1.1M to assess irrigation

The Colorado River Indian Tribes received $1.1M to assess an irrigation project as states race to finalize post-2026 water management agreements.

Agua Caliente Tribe reaches historic water rights settlement

The Agua Caliente Tribe has reached a historic water settlement confirming groundwater rights and securing $500M in federal funding, pending Congressional approval.

New Mexico Governor declares drought emergency

Governor Lujan Grisham issues drought emergency order, mobilizes task force to address severe drought and wildfire risks, and urges immediate water conservation.

Reclamation announces $50M boost for Upper Basin states

Interior Department and basin states deploy $50M in advanced monitoring tools to strengthen water sustainability in the Colorado River Basin post-2026.

Video: Western-Water News for the Week of May 26-May 31, 2025

Our video recap of water news for May 26 through May 31, 2025 is now available.

About the Author

Since 1995, Deborah has owned and operated LegalTech LLC with a focus on water rights. Before moving to Arizona in 1986, she worked as a quality control analyst for Honeywell and in commercial real estate, both in Texas. She learned about Arizona's water rights from the late and great attorney Michael Brophy of Ryley, Carlock & Applewhite. Her side interests are writing (and reading), Wordpress programming and much more.

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Deborah on New national map opens water well data to the publicOctober 22, 2025
This map is an excellent tool to start. I'm not sure how thorough it is but I've found quite a…
Helen Ck on New national map opens water well data to the publicOctober 22, 2025
We are a democracy. We share the land and its resources. The system works FOR us and we demand transparency.
Helen Ck on Water rights? Utah moves to clarify ownership of geothermal resourcesOctober 22, 2025
Until we acknowledge the wisdom of the first people's , and recognize that the land and all below and above…
Deborah on Humans, not climate, have drained Tucson’s aquifersOctober 18, 2025
Interesting. I have read that, but I agree that a lot of our problems are based on overuse. Thanks for…
Jim Garing on Humans, not climate, have drained Tucson’s aquifersOctober 18, 2025
These conclusions rhyme with the conclusions in "The West Without Water" by Malamud and Ingram, who have made a case…