Tapped

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

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

Uranium mining and nuclear energy may be affecting Arizona's tribal nations, posing threats to the region's water resources and the environmental and cultural heritage connected to them.

Nogales: Reviving Arroyos and Cultivating Water Resiliency

Unchecked urbanization has created water issues in Nogales, Sonora, which the city and researchers on both sides of the border are finding innovative ways to remedy.

“This aquifer is our Colorado River”: Rural residents struggle when corporate farms drill deep for water

From the Governor to the Attorney General, Arizona officials grapple with saving rural water supplies.

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

How a group that was formed to fight the problem resulted in two competing bills, neither of which made it out of the legislature.

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

A Saudi presence in La Paz County is already well known. So who else is using the area's water?

From date palms to alfalfa: How Arizona became fertile ground for Saudi farms

What started with a camel handler would grow into a lucrative trade, but eventually ended in exploitation of lax water laws.

Two rivers, one lifeline: Reclaiming the Santa Cruz across borders

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

The Central Arizona Project ensured that the states biggest cities had enough water and brought about a farm boom in the middle of the state.

Toxic Waters: EPA and military clash over Tucson’s groundwater cleanup

Families affected by cancer and premature deaths blame a history of polluted water in southern Tucson. The water utility is trying to clean up the problem.

Dry but alive: Rethinking golf's green lawns

Golf is a commonly blamed culprit of Arizona's water woes. How much water goes to the state's courses?

Taming the Colorado

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.

Navigating murky waters: how laws and regulations can hinder tribal initiatives

In this tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the intersection of preserving tribal heritage, defending precious resources and reforming mining laws.

A generational battle: How a tribe’s concern over uranium mining on ancestral homelands brought Biden to AZ

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.

An unprecedented water line in an unprecedented place

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 just stored water

Reservoirs are a common solution to the seasonal ebbs and flows of river water. But, for some communities, they are so much more.

Water and housing redux

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: How mining's history follows Arizona's feelings about water use in the state

Mining was Arizona's first billion-dollar industry. As we consider our state's economic drivers and their water use, we ask not only how much water goes into mining but what its aftermath does to water.

Housing and Water: How government, environmentalists and developers shape Arizona homes

The state's mild winters are often a plus for people who move here. So how does that growing population interact with a shrinking water supply?

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?

How water gets to (most of) us

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

As our infrastructure ages, what can happen when structures that are often massive give way?