Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY)

"Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes water rights compact on Friday, settling a decades-long battle over thousands of individual water rights in Montana and on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The deal also created a $1.9 billion trust to settle claims and refurbish the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project in Montana."

"The North Platte River in southern Wyoming has been so low in places lately that a toddler could easily wade across and thick mats of olive-green algae grow in the lazy current."

"Doctors test only a fraction of Denver children for levels of lead in their blood each year, even though federal law requires the tests for thousands of them."

"Gov. Jared Polis signed a new law Tuesday that’s meant to force Colorado businesses and consumers to reduce their use of single-use plastic and polystyrene products."

"The receding water is affecting wildlife and could send arsenic-laced dust into the air that millions breathe".

"Yellowstone, established in 1872, is famous around the globe for good reason: it’s the oldest national park in the United States and one of the most popular. But a new report issued this week shows how Yellowstone’s near pristine environment, with attractions like the Old Faithful geyser and herds of bison, is under threat from global heating."

"Yellowstone National Park visitors hoping to see its world-renowned geysers, wolves and bears can expect warmer temperatures and less snow as climate change alters the park’s environment, according to a report by U.S. and university researchers released Wednesday."

"Colorado’s push to combat light pollution so that more residents can see stars at night has gained momentum with four more towns – including Naturita, Nucla and Crestone — winning dark sky designations and others expanding their efforts."