Kaleb Roedel

The federally-funded project focuses on the wildland-urban interface, where forests and nearby communities meet. Those areas can be especially vulnerable to wildfires.

The burn scar of the 2023 Huntsman Fire, which scorched roughly 400 acres of vegetation along the Virgin River watershed, as seen on May 7, 2026.

The water flowing over the spillway of the Lower Granite Lake Dam on the Snake River. Brown mountains with streaks of green are in the background.

The work is unfolding in a remote stretch of desert in southern Nevada, where the tributary winds through a system that eventually feeds into the Colorado River, a critical water source for millions across the Mountain West.

Water flows over the spillway of the Lower Granite Lake Dam on the Snake River.

A new study is challenging one of the most persistent arguments against removing aging dams: that nearby communities will suffer economically if the structures come down.

A large-scale solar farm in the desert of southern Nevada absorbs sunlight to help power nearby Las Vegas and other surrounding areas.

New analysis from energy think tank Ember found solar supplied 12.8% of U.S. electricity in May, edging past coal at 12.2%.

Researchers say that's especially important across the West, where decades of fire suppression have left many landscapes overgrown, increasing the risk of more explosive wildfires.

The U.S. is building more solar farms than ever. But as projects expand, they're also raising questions about where they belong.