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Priority Landscapes

Colorado River Basin

A wide river makes a horseshoe shape, wrapping around a large orange rock in a canyon.
Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon 2023 Adventures in Nature Student Photography Contest Honorable Mention; "Horseshoe Bend during a semi-cloudy day," by Faiza Tasnim of Gilbert © Faiza Tasnim

Celebrating the Colorado River

The Colorado River is one of the hardest working rivers in the West. The Nature Conservancy is working hard across the entire Colorado River Basin to protect this amazing river and resource.

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A wide river curves through a landscape of towering mesas that glow red and golden in the sun.

Project Overview

Our Colorado River

More than 40 million people rely on the Colorado River for water, food, recreation and energy. Stand with us to protect this iconic lifeline of the west.

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Graphic showing many benefits of the Colorado River Basin such as its ability to support a $26B recreation and tourism industry, hundreds of iconic species of bird, fish, and more, and fresh water for over 40M people and 5M acres of land.

Feature

Celebrating the Colorado River

Learn more about why this mighty river is considered the lifeblood of the American West.

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Latest Stories

A wide river is flowing on a landscape with green shrubs and mesas in the background.

A Win-Win-Win Solution for the Colorado River

Learn how the Jicarilla Apache Nation, TNC and New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission are working together to address water-scarcity issues throughout the Colorado River Basin.

An aerial photo of a reservoir with low water levels.

A River in Crisis

Dire conditions in the Colorado River Basin call for collaborative solutions.

Two people walking through a dredged channel along an estuary.

Restoring the Delta

Most of the CO River's water is used up by farms and cities before reaching the sea. What's being done to return water, and life, to the Delta?

Razorback sucker fish.

Razorback Sucker Nursery in Utah

At The Nature Conservancy’s Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve near Moab, Utah, scientists and engineers are giving endangered razorback suckers a better chance of survival.

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Photo showing water levels on Lake Mead.

Press Release

Tier 1 Shortage Declaration for the Colorado River

Drought and climate change are hitting the Colorado River hard, but TNC is working to protect this important river.

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