Tapped

Broken Promises, Contaminated Waters: Uranium mining on the Navajo Nation Oct 09, 2024

An investigation reveals the deadly health toll of uranium mining on Navajo land, where contaminated water and broken promises have left generations fighting for survival.

Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Region: Tribal sovereignty vs. nuclear energy in the climate crisis Oct 02, 2024

The costs of uranium mining and nuclear energy on Arizona's tribal nations are often hidden from the broader public. These communities are facing serious threats as their land and water resources become potential casualties in the pursuit of energy. We dive deep into the environmental, cultural, and historical impacts tied to the region's most precious resource—water. Through expert interviews and firsthand accounts, we uncover how this issue challenges the survival of ecosystems, sacred sites, and the health of Indigenous communities, raising urgent questions about the future of water in the Southwest.

Nogales: Reviving arroyos and cultivating water resiliency Sep 26, 2024

Scarcity, pollution, flooding, and unchecked urbanization have created water issues in Nogales, Sonora. The city and researchers on both sides of the border are working on innovative ways to remedy.

"This aquifer is our Colorado River": Rural residents struggle when corporate farms drill deep for water Sep 20, 2024

From Governor Katie Hobbs to Attorney General Kris Mayes, Arizona officials grapple with saving rural water supplies.

Never closer and never farther away: The fight over updating Arizona's rural groundwater law Sep 16, 2024

Arizona has no regulations on pumping groundwater in rural areas. The state's governor is trying to modernize its water laws, and the fight over rural groundwater is in the middle of it. So how did the re-introduction of a water policy council that aimed to solve the problem lead to a pair of bills and division amongst its original members?

Hedge funds and foreign farms get water, rural Arizonans get empty wells Sep 04, 2024

Saudi involvement in western Arizona's rural La Paz County is already well known. But they are not the only non-local interest in the area making use of water. Hedge funds, foreign countries, and green energy interests want to turn rural groundwater into dollars, and they have a lot of ideas how to do it.

From Date Palms to Alfalfa: How Arizona became fertile ground for Saudi farms Aug 28, 2024

The history of Arizona's relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Arabian peninsula starts with a pre-Civil-War military program involving camels run by Jefferson Davis. It went on to involve the state's first college professor, an attempt to launch a new cash crop that became a common tree in the state, and much more. All of that lead to the most recent chapter, when monarchs began seeing Arizona as a place to grow thirsty crops like alfalfa as they exploited weak water laws in the state's rural places.

Two Rivers, One Lifeline: Reclaiming the Santa Cruz across borders Aug 14, 2024

US-Mexico collaboration has improved the once polluted and depleted Santa Cruz River. Challenges like flooding and wastewater management persist, requiring new infrastructure and funding. Despite progress, managing water across borders remains ongoing.

A Crisis Fraught with Possibility: How a massive canal set Arizona up for growth Aug 07, 2024

In the 1960s, Arizona was facing a crisis. Its aquifers were depleting and its ground was sinking. That issue prompted a major infrastructure project that would forever change what was possible in the state, a 336 mile system of canals that take a big part of the state's Colorado River water allocation and diverts it to Phoenix and Tucson, as well as farmland in Central Arizona. This week, we look at how the Central Arizona Project came to be, and what it means to the state.

Toxic Waters: EPA and military clash over Tucson's groundwater cleanup Jul 31, 2024

An Arizona mother's loss turned into a national movement to make drinking water safe. Forever chemicals, including PFAS, are tied to cancer and other health problems. Now the race is on to clean up Tucson's water and protect public health.

Dry but Alive: Rethinking Golf's Green Lawns Jul 24, 2024

Arizona has long been a hotspot for golfers looking to keep up their game as weather elsewhere turns cold. But, for just as long, the state has been working to limit water use by golf courses. How much of a part does golf play in Arizona's water issues?

Taming the Colorado Jul 17, 2024

The Colorado River is the most dammed waterway in the US, but what was it like before? We go back to the battle over Parker Canyon Dam and how it changed Arizona's rights to the river's water forever.

Season 3 Trailer Jul 05, 2024

Why do so many Saudi Arabian-owned farms grow alfalfa in Arizona? How bad is our current water crisis compared with historical droughts? The new season of AZPM's hit water podcast answers these questions and more. Join us on July 17 for all new episodes.

Navigating murky waters: how laws and regulations can hinder tribal initiatives Nov 03, 2023

In this Tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the history of the Havasupai people's fight to stop uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and why they worry about water contamination.

A generational battle: How a tribe’s concern over mining contamination on ancestral homelands brought Biden to Arizona Oct 27, 2023

For people who visit or call Grand Canyon National Park home, the water issues mainly come around moving water up to the rim where the homes, hotels, and other businesses sit. But, head downstream to one of the most remote tribal nations in America, and the water issues are very different. The Havasupai people's land sits in the canyon, surrounded on all sides by the park. They're not worried about pumping the water up. Their worries are about what trickles down. Upstream from them sits an area where uranium mining was once plentiful. And that atomic-age history is causing concerns about water quality.

An unprecedented water line in an unprecedented place Oct 18, 2023

In this Tapped episode, Danyelle Khmara delves into the Grand Canyon's water infrastructure challenges and the extraordinary Transcanyon Waterline upgrade, highlighting the complexities of delivering clean water in this iconic natural wonder.

When a reservoir is more than stored water Oct 11, 2023

Lake Powell is the reason Page, Arizona exists. The city of 7,500 started as a work camp for those building Glen Canyon Dam. Today, the lake and dam provide the it with water and electricity, and lake-related business accounts for about three-quarters of its taxbase. So how does the ebb and flow of the lake's main source of water, the Colorado River, affect life in Page?

Water and housing redux Oct 04, 2023

The story of a home development in Cochise County has taken a second big turn since we published Episode 4 of this series, so Summer Hom is back with the latest on this ongoing saga.

Water and copper Sep 27, 2023

We wrap up our look at the 5 Cs of Arizona's economy with an examination of copper. The state is dotted with towns that at some point relied on mineral extraction for jobs. And that industry's historical practices around water use have reflected the state's feelings about both natural resources, whether it's dropping slag into rivers in the early-to-mid 1900s or efforts to squeeze and treat every drop of water out of today's tailings. How does this stalwart of Arizona's economy compare to others when it comes to water use?

Update on Episode 4 Sep 22, 2023

Hi, Tapped listeners. Our last episode mentioned issues around the adjudication of just how much water should be guaranteed to run through the San Pedro River. At the time we were reporting, that amount had not been quantified. But it now has. While we haven't combed through the details yet, you can get updates as we follow this story at news.azpm.org

Water and housing Sep 20, 2023

Climate has always been the most nebulous of Arizona's 5 Cs. The most common thought of what it refers to is the mild winters and low humidity that, unless you're in the mountains, dominate the state. Winter weather that often requires little more than a sweater often entices northerners when Jack Frost is doing a little more than nipping at their noses. As people relocate to Arizona, it brings a need for increased housing and thus a need for more residential water consumption. As the state deals with concerns about water and homebuilding, we head to a part of the state that has been battling such concerns for nearly two decades to learn about two long, protracted battles over building houses while trying to keep a river alive.

Why is alfalfa one of Arizona's biggest crops? Sep 06, 2023

Children in Arizona are often taught the 5 Cs that traditionally made up the state's economy: Cattle, Citrus, Climate, Copper and Cotton. As the state of our water supply changes, what's happening to those longtime industries? Tapped begins a mini-series looking to answer that question with an episode on agriculture, the economic sector that includes three of those five Cs. Is the industry that accounts 72% of the state's water consumption using its supply of water wisely?

How water gets to (most of) us Aug 30, 2023

Most of us get our water from a utility company, be it a large municipal one or a small private entity. This week, we look at the work that one small company does to keep the water flowing, and what happened when another utility had a big problem.

When dams break Aug 23, 2023

Dams are a key part of Arizona's water infrastructure, but experts say they are often ignored. So what happens when one breaks? To open our second season, we look at two examples that show opposite extremes of the results of a dam failure.

Season 2 Trailer Aug 16, 2023

Tapped returns with all-new episodes on August 23, 2023. This season, we focus on how we get water from where it is to where we want it and the effects that has on our lives and the environment.

We should go where the water is Aug 29, 2022

Arizona’s economy runs on growth–more people moving here, and more companies coming with them. But as the state is forced to make cuts in its water usage, it will have to reconsider what the housing developments built to accommodate that growth look like and even how many more people it can realistically handle.

The water diplomats Aug 22, 2022

Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border share aquifers, and that works better for some states and cities than others. In this collaboration with the Texas Water Resources Institute, we compare how those relationships work in Texas and Arizona.

We're taking a week off Aug 15, 2022

We're taking a short break this week, but come back on Monday, August 22 for stories about water on the border.

Strong sense of place Aug 08, 2022

Tucson made big changes that had big impacts on its water consumption. What else could it do if it can pull off more shifts like this?

The water came back Aug 01, 2022

Poor water practices made the Santa Cruz River practically disappear, but new efforts have some water flowing again. And when there’s water in the desert, life follows quickly. Animals and plants that used to rely on the river are returning, sometimes with the help of scientists.

"Not here for some agrarian fantasy" Jul 25, 2022

For a place with a desert climate, Southern Arizona can be surprisingly green. The state plays a big role in providing Americans with fresh greens year-round, and its farmers are feeling the pressure to keep that going while cutting down on water. It’s also not an easy place to start farming from scratch.

Wa:k–where the water goes in Jul 18, 2022

The Tohono O’odham Nation and its predecessors, the Huhugam, have used canals to move water around Southern Arizona for millenia. As settlers arrived, they dug deep and changed the face of water management in the area, drying up rivers and tightening resources. Now, the Tohono O’odham Nation is looking into older practices around water and bringing some back into the fold.

When you touch it, it gets worse Jul 18, 2022

Wildfire seasons are growing longer and doing more damage in the American West. The City of Bisbee’s water system for fighting fires is so antiquated that it’s slowing the fire department down and causing more destruction. Town leaders are working to get money for a new system that wouldn’t just prepare Bisbee to fight major fires, but also bring its water infrastructure on the whole up to speed.

Introducing Tapped Jul 18, 2022

Introducing Tapped, a podcast where we tell our stories - the stories of people living with the cost of drought in the Southwest, and what we can do to mitigate it.

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