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An alfalfa field in Marana, AZ bordered by I-10. September 2023

Why is alfalfa one of Arizona's biggest crops?

Three of the 5 Cs that traditionally made up Arizona's economy have to do with agriculture. So how is that industry doing as water gets scarce?
Kid Congo Powers on stage.

The musical passion of Kid Congo Powers.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Chris Carlone on his new film exploring Tucson's punk rock past; and how the community of Bisbee is working to support wildlife in cooperation with the Arizona Wildlife Federation.
Saguaro National Park

Federal Funding Helps Restore Southwest Wetlands

$481,000 will go towards combating invasive species of bullfrogs.
Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

Western states will not lose as much Colorado River water in 2024, despite long-term challenges

Bountiful snowfall and rain last winter pulled much of the region out of drought this spring and raised water levels at key reservoirs.
White "bathtub rings" show dropping levels on Lake Mead. The reservoir's stores have been dipping steadily, setting records for new all-time lows.

Federal officials plan to announce 2024 cuts along the Colorado River. Here's what to expect

The river provides water for seven U.S. states, 29 Native American tribes and two states in Mexico.
A view of the mall at the University of Arizona taken from the Student Union.

UA project builds climate resilience through food

The project uses climate analog modeling to predict future climate conditions in a given region by comparing it to places that already have those qualities today.

The extreme heat wave that blasted the Southwest is abating with late arriving monsoon rains

Forecasters expect that by Monday at the latest, people in metro Phoenix will begin seeing high temperatures under 110 degrees.
The summer of 2023 will be remembered for this unusual pairing of films.

The "Barbenheimer" Experience Arrives in Tucson

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Using a natural desert resource in a new way; and ""Chasing the Ghost Bear: On the Trail of America’s Lost Super Beast".

Phoenix scorches at 110 for 19th straight day, breaking big US city records in global heat wave

The city's record streak of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) or more stood out even amid sweltering temperatures across the globe.
Stacks of hay bales sit beside an irrigation canal in Imperial Valley on June 20, 2023. Critics have called for reductions to the amount of alfalfa grown with Colorado River water. The particularly thirsty crop is mostly used for cattle feed.

Freeing up Colorado River water from California farms will take more than just money, just ask the farmers

The Imperial Valley is the largest Colorado River water user.
File image from the Hoover Dam.

The Buzz: Tracing the Colorado River’s problems back for more than a hundred years

This week, we preview Thirst Gap, a new podcast from the team at NPR member station KUNC.
More electric-vehicle charging ports will be installed along interstate highways in Arizona as early as 2024

National scorecard on electric-vehicle policies gives Arizona low marks

Arizona was 26th of the 33 states included in the 2023 scorecard from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
AZ Project WET program coordinator, Josh Ruddick instructs educators like JoAnna McCormick, how to conduct percolator tests or, testing water absorption rates as part of the hands-on activities of Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory's summer teacher workshop. Teachers from throughout the greater Tucson area have gathered for this two-day workshop, to participate in hands-on activities and develop climate-change centric curriculum.

UA workshop deepens local educators' knowledge of the impact of climate change in Arizona

Relevant data will be used to develop relevant curriculum for students
Snow falls on the Colorado River near New Castle, Colorado, on January 11, 2023. Months of snow and rain soaked a region in the grips of drought and helped replenish reservoirs along the Colorado River.

Months of wet weather erase drought across the Southwest

Only 28% of the region is experiencing drought.
Red wiggler worms are used for vermicomposting to repurpose and dispose of food waste in a sustainable way. Photo taken at the Arizona Worm Farm in Phoenix on Feb. 1, 2023.

Wiggly workers: Arizona Worm Farm reduces food waste through vermicomposting

The farm is working to combat food waste with its vermicomposting efforts, selling worms to promote commercial and backyard vermicomposting, and educating consumers and businesses about the process.
Low water levels at Wahweap Bay at Lake Powell along the Upper Colorado River Basin are shown, on June 9, 2021, at the Utah and Arizona border at Wahweap, Ariz.

Feds announce start of public process to reshape key rules on Colorado River water use by 2027

The U.S. Interior Department said it will publish in the Federal Register on Friday a call for replacing guidelines that expire in 2026.

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