Colorado River reckoning: Not enough water

For Star subscribers: State officials say Buckeye in Maricopa County, long one of the U.S.' fastest growing cities, lacks enough groundwater to support its projected homebuilding. Other areas likely face that dilemma, too, Arizona's water director warns.  

For Star subscribers: The worst-case forecast has Lake Powell falling to low enough levels by the end of next year to halt electricity production at the Glen Canyon Dam.

For Star subscribers: City to leave "significant volumes" of its Central Arizona Project water supply in the river in return for U.S. financial compensation. 

For Star subscribers: Our third La Niña weather pattern in three years seems almost certain, and one climate expert says that could be a big problem for the already over-tapped Colorado River.

For Star subscribers: Compensated turf removal; paying farmers to grow lower-water-use crops; and investing in water reuse, recycling and salt water desalination are among the dozen specific proposals. 

For Star subscribers: Arizona and California, which have battled over the Colorado River for nearly a century, are at it again. This time, Arizona leaders are blaming California, and other states, for putting the burden of stemming the river's impending crisis on their backs alone. 

For Star subscribers: A state water board agreed Tuesday to start talks with company that wants to build a $5.5 billion desalination plant in Sonora and pipe water to Arizona. 

For Star subscribers: The largest possible cuts in river water use envisioned by California could theoretically strip all supplies from the Central Arizona Project. But California officials insist it's not their intent to shut down the CAP.

For Star subscribers: Water officials for the river basin states express hopes of negotiating a settlement, but many outside experts aren't so optimistic.

Lake Powell on the Colorado River fell to its lowest level on record last week, highlighting long-term risks to the reservoir that stores wate…

For Star subscribers: Arizona, California and Nevada have agreed on a plan to shave a total of 3 million acre-feet over the next three years from their Colorado River water use in return for federal compensation of at least $1 billion, sources familiar with the negotiations say. 

For Star subscribers: They are unlikely allies to the longtime goal of many environmentalists. But political winds are shifting as the Colorado River runs drier.