It was steam power that originally conquered the West and it might just be steam power that saves it. Fed on trees and water, the first “iron horses,” or steam locomotives, forged their way across the Rockies opening up economic opportunities and building a precedent of fossil fuel dependence. And now steam power is once again in the headlines. Only this time there’s no smoke and no fire, only an almost inexhaustible supply of clean energy. (more…)

Rain. Just because it falls on your roof doesn’t mean it’s yours. At least not in Colorado or Utah.

In these states, citizens or businesses that attempt to collect or store rainwater are in fact breaking the law. The overriding rule here is that of prior appropriation i.e. in order to have any rights to water you have to gain a state water right. (more…)

If you live in the Rocky Mountain States and have been feeling a little irritable or losing hair lately just blame the selenium in your water. In a recent report it was found that over 80% of the areas studied in the American West are suffering from highly toxic levels of selenium caused, primarily, by the mining industry. So ubiquitous is the problem that it is causing the citizens, lawmakers, and environmentalists, to question whether the Clean Water Act, and the infrastructure which enforces it, is adequate in protecting and ensuring our vital water resources. (more…)

At the Colorado Water Congress last week, Colorado Department of Natural Resources Director Harris Sherman stated, “We have a new frontier of water challenges that needs to be evaluated.” He was talking specifically about Colorado: the scene being played out in Colorado is simply a microcosm of the situation facing all of the Rocky Mountain States. (more…)