The Deschutes River goes to the water-rich few during drought. Farmers are paying the price
A century-old Oregon water law lets one wealthy region turn the desert green while water-starved ag fallows commercial crops.
‘What we have to do is come together and stick together’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
White Salmon has been fighting for free mail for decades
The small Washington town exemplifies a broader problem across the West, where some pay for a service others get for free.
Heat waves increase the West’s wildfire risk
A new study found that 42% all the area burned by Western fires had occurred during or right after a heat wave.
If you can’t find a Utah peach this year, climate change may be to blame
Record-breaking spring heat followed by freezes led to 95% crop losses.
The electrifying allure of a tide pool creature
The moon, the stars and the sea anemone.
Interior delayed endangered wolf release in New Mexico
Karen Budd-Falen, Interior’s associate deputy secretary, former private attorney and grazing advocate, intervened in the release after meeting with former clients.
The curious comeback of Putah Creek’s salmon
All the efforts to rewild a Northern California stream leads to salmon rewilding themselves.
Do chainsaws belong in designated wilderness?
The Forest Service has approved the tools for use in some protected areas to clear neglected trails.
Bazillions of bunnies, Montecito’s ‘hog heaven,’ and pride will always prevail
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
How socialism built the reddest states in the West
The history of labor in the region gets shouted down by corporations.
Glen Canyon Dam dances with deadpool
Megadrought on the Colorado River has put the dam in a precarious position.
Billions in border wall contracts are going to a Montana firm run by a Trump donor
Barnard Construction’s leadership donated over $1 million to the president’s campaign. They’re among the administration’s top wall contractors.
On Oregon’s McKenzie River, an unprecedented approach to restoration takes shape
A bold process aims to repair the damaged watershed.
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High Country News Classifieds
- JOB ANNOUNCEMENT June 26, 2026 Open Position: Senior Advocacy Manager Are you passionate about community engagement, advocacy, and connecting people to the outdoors? The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) is looking for someone to advocate at every level of government […]
The West in Perspective
In This Issue
June 2026: River Revival
What happens when humans demand more from our rivers than those rivers can safely give? HCN dives into the problem, investigating the long, destructive story of how dredging turned the mighty Columbia — the great river of the Pacific Northwest — into a profitable shipping…
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Water
Can resistance stop a massive data center next to the Great Salt Lake?
Treat water like family, not profit
Colorado’s Arkansas Valley water confronts contamination, climate change and political drama
Wildlife
Elk herd habitat near Dinosaur National Monument to open for drilling
Making grazing great again?
Get to know the Pacific newt
Public Lands
Managed retreat in Ruidoso could mean more public lands
The Continental Divide Trail is being militarized for the border wall
How Interior helped pushed bison off Montana’s federal lands
Indigenous Affairs
The facade of the Red Wind commune
War, climate change and AI are at stake at the 2026 UN Indigenous forum
‘Energy dominance’ agenda sidelines tribes
Communities
O’Keeffe Country was never O’Keeffe’s to begin with
The Death Valley opera house that’s sinking back into the earth
The dark legacy of the atomic age is still playing out in New Mexico
Books
What can we learn from salt lakes?
Badger signs: An essay from Terry Tempest Williams’ new book ‘The Glorians’
Three books explore deep time and help us look forward
In the News
Motorheads: The new, noisy, organized force in the West
‘Some of us are seeing it as the new nemesis, a new destructive force for habitat.’