Tapped

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.

The costs of uranium mining and nuclear energy on Arizona's tribal nations are often hidden from the broader public. These communities are facing serious threats as their land and water resources become potential casualties in the pursuit of energy. We dive deep into the environmental, cultural, and historical impacts tied to the region's most precious resource—water. Through expert interviews and...

Scarcity, pollution, flooding, and unchecked urbanization have created water issues in Nogales, Sonora. The city and researchers on both sides of the border are working on innovative ways to remedy.

From Governor Katie Hobbs to Attorney General Kris Mayes, Arizona officials grapple with saving rural water supplies.

Arizona has no regulations on pumping groundwater in rural areas. The state's governor is trying to modernize its water laws, and the fight over rural groundwater is in the middle of it. So how did the re-introduction of a water policy council that aimed to solve the problem lead to a pair of bills and division amongst its original members?

Saudi involvement in western Arizona's rural La Paz County is already well known. But they are not the only non-local interest in the area making use of water. Hedge funds, foreign countries, and green energy interests want to turn rural groundwater into dollars, and they have a lot of ideas how to do it.

The history of Arizona's relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Arabian peninsula starts with a pre-Civil-War military program involving camels run by Jefferson Davis. It went on to involve the state's first college professor, an attempt to launch a new cash crop that became a common tree in the state, and much more. All of that lead to the most recent chapter, when monarchs began seeing Arizona a...

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.

In the 1960s, Arizona was facing a crisis. Its aquifers were depleting and its ground was sinking. That issue prompted a major infrastructure project that would forever change what was possible in the state, a 336 mile system of canals that take a big part of the state's Colorado River water allocation and diverts it to Phoenix and Tucson, as well as farmland in Central Arizona. This week, we look...

An Arizona mother's loss turned into a national movement to make drinking water safe. Forever chemicals, including PFAS, are tied to cancer and other health problems. Now the race is on to clean up Tucson's water and protect public health.

Arizona has long been a hotspot for golfers looking to keep up their game as weather elsewhere turns cold. But, for just as long, the state has been working to limit water use by golf courses. How much of a part does golf play in Arizona's water issues?

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.

Why do so many Saudi Arabian-owned farms grow alfalfa in Arizona? How bad is our current water crisis compared with historical droughts? The new season of AZPM's hit water podcast answers these questions and more. Join us on July 17 for all new episodes.

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 and why they worry about water contamination.

For people who visit or call Grand Canyon National Park home, the water issues mainly come around moving water up to the rim where the homes, hotels, and other businesses sit. But, head downstream to one of the most remote tribal nations in America, and the water issues are very different. The Havasupai people's land sits in the canyon, surrounded on all sides by the park. They're not worried abou...

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.

Lake Powell is the reason Page, Arizona exists. The city of 7,500 started as a work camp for those building Glen Canyon Dam. Today, the lake and dam provide the it with water and electricity, and lake-related business accounts for about three-quarters of its taxbase. So how does the ebb and flow of the lake's main source of water, the Colorado River, affect life in Page?

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.

We wrap up our look at the 5 Cs of Arizona's economy with an examination of copper. The state is dotted with towns that at some point relied on mineral extraction for jobs. And that industry's historical practices around water use have reflected the state's feelings about both natural resources, whether it's dropping slag into rivers in the early-to-mid 1900s or efforts to squeeze and treat every...

Hi, Tapped listeners. Our last episode mentioned issues around the adjudication of just how much water should be guaranteed to run through the San Pedro River. At the time we were reporting, that amount had not been quantified. But it now has. While we haven't combed through the details yet, you can get updates as we follow this story at news.azpm.org

Climate has always been the most nebulous of Arizona's 5 Cs. The most common thought of what it refers to is the mild winters and low humidity that, unless you're in the mountains, dominate the state. Winter weather that often requires little more than a sweater often entices northerners when Jack Frost is doing a little more than nipping at their noses. As people relocate to Arizona, it brings a...

Children in Arizona are often taught the 5 Cs that traditionally made up the state's economy: Cattle, Citrus, Climate, Copper and Cotton. As the state of our water supply changes, what's happening to those longtime industries? Tapped begins a mini-series looking to answer that question with an episode on agriculture, the economic sector that includes three of those five Cs. Is the industry that ac...

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.

Dams are a key part of Arizona's water infrastructure, but experts say they are often ignored. So what happens when one breaks? To open our second season, we look at two examples that show opposite extremes of the results of a dam failure.

Tapped returns with all-new episodes on August 23, 2023. This season, we focus on how we get water from where it is to where we want it and the effects that has on our lives and the environment.