The Department of the Interior's final Environmental Impact Statement comes after years of stalled negotiations. What you think of it depends on which groups of states you stand with: The Upper Basin or the Lower Basin.

The Sackett v. EPA ruling left many wetlands in streams vulnerable in the West, where waters can run dry for portions of the year but are still important for the overall ecosystem.

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington could take over management, but hunting will not immediately be on the table.

Local leaders in Grand Lake, Colorado, hope the workshop expands opportunities for locals and helps attract tourists year-round.

Traditional methods for tracking recreation numbers include trailhead surveys or vehicle counters. But those techniques don't capture all visitors, especially in less popular areas.

The Cowboy State is in the early stages of launching a voluntary water conservation program, but it has no money to pay applicants yet. Utah's paid conservation program launched in 2025 using state money.

After a wildfire, native plants and wildlife are often crowded out by invasive species, and rivers and streams can take years to recover. A collaboration between federal agencies and conservation groups in Nevada's Virgin River watershed, however, points to early signs of recovery.