Colorado
Crazy or genius? A nuclear-powered solution to the West’s water crisis
Can desalinization plants solve the Colorado River problem?
For over 100 years, the Colorado River has powered the economies of 7 western states. As climate change makes winters drier, that’s no longer feasible.
PAGE, Arizona ‒ In the middle of the desert sits a sign: “Caution docks may be slippery.”
They are not.
In fact, there’s not a drop of water to be seen at Antelope Point Marina, which once sat near the shore of Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir. The sparkling Colorado River now laps at the Glen Canyon walls about 180 feet below, completely invisible from a dock that once floated atop the water.
Instead of reflecting the bright blue Arizona sky near the Four Corners region of the Southwest, the lake’s water level reflects the dire reality that the Colorado River is running out of water. And the dock with the sign dangles off a 100-foot cliff, waiting for a refill that climatologists say will likely never come.
“Things are really, really rough on the Colorado River. It’s ugly,” said Eric Balken, the executive director of the Glen Canyon Institute. “Everybody is at a place right now where we’re all asking, ‘what the heck happens now? What are we doing?’”
Now, a public lands access group has proposed an eye-poppingly ambitious plan to build eight massive desalination plants off the California coastline, turning ocean water into fresh for farming, and reducing demand on the ailing Colorado River. To meet the energy demand, the plants might have to be powered with nuclear reactors.
Although desalination plants are widely used in the Middle East, they consume huge amounts of electricity to generate a relatively small amount of water. No country has ever tried something on this scale before.
The Colorado River basin ‒ and the seven states that depend on the river for water ‒ is facing significant shortfalls this summer following an unusually hot and dry winter. The plan’s authors at the Idaho-based BlueRibbon Coalition say their $40 billion proposal offers a viable long-term solution at a time when President Donald Trump is slashing environment-based regulatory delays and encouraging the country to think big.
“At some point we’re going to hit a hard reality there’s no more water in the Colorado River,” said Ben Burr, the coalition’s executive director. “You can only squeeze so much more juice out of it.”
Some critics say the plan is both utterly unaffordable and potentially catastrophic for the environment.
The BlueRibbon Coalition is undeterred, deliberately invoking the massive federal efforts that built the Glen Canyon and Hoover dams and filled Lake Powell and Lake Mead with Colorado River water. Those reservoir projects allowed the United States to flourish in Arizona, Nevada and California, supercharging economic growth, powering cities and turning dusty desert into fertile farmland.
The group’s plan is the newest ambitious idea to solve western water woes. Other proposals floated over the decades included towing icebergs from Alaska or Antarctica, diverting rivers from the rainy Pacific Northwest or even piping Great Lakes water thousands of miles west across the Continental Divide.
Peter Goble, the assistant state climatologist for Colorado, said the ongoing drought is increasing pressure on western states to find a solution. The West is warming faster than the country overall, which ultimately means even less water available for farmers, businesses and residents, he said.
“There’s no way to look at the numbers and think the Colorado River is doing well right now,” Goble said. “In a world that’s warmer, all signs point to droughts that will be more intense and more frequent.”
Drought, squabbles among states threaten river’s future
Seven states ‒ Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming ‒ collaboratively manage and use the Colorado River.
But the amount of water flowing downstream has been dropping due to a long-term drought at the same time, causing squabbles among the states over who gets how much for farming, drinking and industrial uses. And a certain amount of water must constantly flow out of the two dams so they can produce power for millions of households and businesses. Mexico and Native American tribes also have water-use rights and have a say in the management.
Although it’s at the end of the river, California legally has the right to use more water than any of the other states, primarily to grow alfalfa to feed cattle. And although he has not endorsed this specific plan, California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Feb. 11 letter to fellow Colorado River governors suggested that desalination and other “advanced technologies” may ultimately be necessary. Newsom’s office did not respond to a request for comment specifically on the BlueRibbon plan.
“We welcome shared investments in infrastructure, from water reuse to desalination, that can reduce pressure on precious water supplies in Lake Powell and Lake Mead,” Newsom wrote. “Our reality is clear. We need to manage with less rain and snow to provide water for our communities and farms each year. It is a shared reality that requires a shared solution.”
Burr said the plants could generate 7 million acre-feet of water. An acre foot of water, which is 325,851 gallons, is equivalent to about what two or three U.S. homes use annually. In comparison, growing a single acre of alfalfa consumes as much as 6 acre-feet of water each year, according to University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
What’s in the $40 billion plan?
The BlueRibbon plan envisions:
- Eight large desalination plants off the coast of California and Mexico, powered potentially by small nuclear generators of the kind championed by the White House. Electricity could also come from solar or wind farms, although President Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to kill such projects. Building the plants would cost about $40 billion, Burr estimated.
- The plants would potentially be built in the Sea of Cortez and in federal enclaves on California’s Pacific coast. Doing so would limit environmental roadblocks, speeding their construction. Desalination plants work by removing salt from ocean water, creating extra-salty water that would have to be diluted before being dumped back into the ocean, otherwise it might be toxic to aquatic life.
- Fresh water would be pumped at least 100 miles inland to reach California’s Imperial Valley, a vast desert that today is irrigated with Colorado River water to grow crops from alfalfa to lettuce and onions. The “new” water would allow California to give up some of its Colorado River allocations to other states to use.
Burr said he believes the plan, which could be privately or publicly funded, is being offered at the right time. He said the pendulum against over-regulation and environmentalism is swinging back in favor of ordinary Americans and business owners, and against the environmental groups that would otherwise have prevented the construction of Lake Powell or Lake Mead.
The BlueRibbon group’s supporters include companies that would benefit from increased water levels in Lake Powell, and that have fought to maintain higher water levels.
“I think you’re seeing that we’re realizing as a country we have to be building real infrastructure and not just jobs programs for environmental lawyers,” Burr said. “We need a new real water system.”
Throwing seawater at the problem: ‘That’s just crazy,’ one expert warns
Aaron Weiss, the deputy director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, considers the BlueRibbon plan laughable. The center advocates for increased land and water conservation across the West, but is nonpartisan.
Weiss said the infrastructure necessary to move fresh water from the coast back uphill for farmers would be staggeringly expensive, likely adding tens of billons of dollars to the overall cost.
“Their solution to the problem is throw seawater at it. And that’s just crazy,” Weiss said. “No one has ever considered desalinating water on this scale. It’s not audacious. It’s just stupid. Just based on what we know that it costs to desalinate water and move water, there’s no way $40 billion is anywhere close to the actual price tag.”
Among other countries, Israel depends heavily on desalination to meet its drinking and farm water needs. But that also consumes about 5% of the country’s overall electricity, according to a study by Tel Aviv University.
Weiss said there’s also significant uncertainty on how the desalination plants would handle the extra-salty water created by the process. Israel’s plants mix that water back into the Mediterranean, where it’s diluted enough to not endanger aquatic life.
Like Burr, Weiss said the low snowpack levels across the West this winter are putting pressure on states to find some kind of solution. During the Biden presidency, the federal government paid farmers billions of dollars to stop growing crops like alfalfa, freeing up water for other uses. That funding was temporary, however, and the Trump administration has been pushing states to find a longer-term solution.
Federal forecasters are warning this could be one of the worst years on record for Lake Powell water levels, due to the poor snowpack and warm winter. As of mid-March, the lake’s surface stood at 3,529 feet above sea level, down from 3,587 feet in 2024, its most recent high. Some forecasters worry the lake could lose so much water this year that it will reach what’s known as “power pool,” the minimum level necessary to continue generating hydroelectricity.
The lake reached its highest-ever level of 3,708 feet above sea level in 1983, and has never been full since. A white “bathtub ring” remains visible from that high-water mark.
Forcing farmers to use less water could raise food costs for Americans, although some environmental groups say the solution is to grow less alfalfa, which is often sold to China, Japan and Saudia Arabia for their herds, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources service. Burr said it’s silly to pay farmers not to grow crops – wouldn’t that money be better spent creating more water to use? he asked.
Weiss, however, said conservation is the fastest, easiest way to reduce water use. He said the BlueRibbon plan would take decades to complete ‒ and the Colorado River is in crisis now.
“At the end of the day, basic physics takes over,” Weiss said. “Our only solution is to conserve our way out of this aggressively.”
Balken, who runs the Glen Canyon Institute, has been pushing a plan to completely remove the 710-foot-tall Glen Canyon dam, or at least modify it so all the water in Lake Powell can flow downstream into Lake Mead. The institute ultimately wants to see the Colorado River returned to its natural state through the Glen Canyon.
“Given the low snowpack and given the heatwave that’s about to zap the snowpack, we’re probably looking at one of the worst runoffs in history, at one of the worst times. It’s almost certain we will see some sort of crash soon at Lake Powell,” Balken said. “This may be unprecedented, but it is the most predictable disaster of all time. We have known this moment has been coming for 20 years.”
Colorado
Colorado’s Serene Mountain Lake Is A Deep-Blue Vacation Haven For Camping, Paddling, And Fishing – Islands
High up in the Rocky Mountains at nearly 10,000 feet of elevation sits the serene escape of Turquoise Lake. Less than 10 miles from the U.S.’s highest city, Leadville, Turquoise Lake is a popular outdoor spot to enjoy the scenery, explore nature, and engage in outdoor activities. Here you’ll find Coloradans from all over the state vacationing to escape the heat and embrace some peace and quiet. Thanks to the altitude, the area won’t often get above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the peak of summer. The surrounding Sawatch Range with Mount Elbert and Mount Massive (some of the range’s peaks that exceed 14,000 feet) give every view of the lake a sense of drama.
If you are expecting vibrant green-blue colored waters like Moraine Lake in Banff, you may be in for a surprise when you find out the waters of Turquoise Lake are clean and clear. Further out from the shore, the water takes on a deep blue color. The turquoise in the name doesn’t come from the lake’s appearance, but the stone that was once mined in the area. The lake was dammed in the 19th century. Today, it provides water to cities along the Front Range.
As a former local, I lived about 30 miles away, close to the quaint adventure town of Buena Vista, and regularly camped on the shores of Turquoise Lake. I still come back to visit family and often hit the lake with the locals on a hot day.
Turquoise Lake is perfect for camping on the shores under the stars
Around the lake are 300 campsites across eight different campgrounds, meaning you can almost always find a spot for the night. Stretches of the lake have sand-covered shores, letting you enjoy the beach in the middle of the Rockies. A three-day weekend vacation is well spent along the lake with days for paddling and fishing and nights around the campfire. Remember that you’re camping in the mountains, so our essential tips can help you plan.
That mountain serenity is doubled with the lapping waters on the shore and the rustling wind through the lodgepole pines. When I’m here on a hot July day, this shoreline is where I place my camping chair slightly in the water so I can sit with my feet in the refreshingly cool water and a cold drink in my hand. After the sun sets, it’s time for the campfire. Campfires are shown to lower blood pressure, just make sure you check the fire restrictions beforehand so you can completely relax. At night, the stars are on full display over the lake on a clear night. (The region is working on become a certified International Dark Sky Community.) This is bear country –- you’ll sleep better if food and all your smelly stuff is locked up and away from your camp.
What to do at Turquoise Lake
After waking up in your tent in the morning, there’s plenty to do in and around Turquoise Lake. The 12.4-mile Turquoise Lake Trail is a mostly flat hike with the occasional slight elevation change. The out-and-back trail includes spots to enjoy the view and swim in the cold water.
The lake is stocked with a variety of trout, so bring your fishing pole to catch your own dinner. Make sure you have a Colorado fishing license, which you can purchase online. If you have your own equipment at home, check out our guide to fishing gear you can take on vacation and save on renting a rod. Get on the lake using the ramp at the Matchless Boating Site. Whether you brought a canoe, kayak, paddleboard, or motor boat, you have 1,800 acres of water to explore and fish, or you can rent your own paddleboard for exploring the lake, fishing, or yoga. Paddling out to the middle of the lake is a great opportunity for peace and quiet with expansive mountain views.
If you’re there in the winter, ice fishing is popular on the lake. Make sure you check the conditions before you head out –- the ice should be at least 4 inches thick to safely walk on it. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling can all be done on the groomed system of trails surrounding the lake. Turquoise Lake is about 100 miles southwest of Denver and the Denver International Airport. If you’re flying, rent a car to explore the area on your own or take the bus from Denver.
Colorado
Ex-owner of Colorado funeral home where decomposing bodies were found is sentenced to 30 years
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A former Colorado funeral home owner who helped her ex-husband hide nearly 200 decomposing bodies was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday in a case that forced the state to clamp down on an industry plagued by repeated scandal and notoriously lax oversight.
Carie Hallford faced between 25 and 35 years in prison under a plea agreement. Some family members of those whose bodies were left to rot had urged Judge Eric Bentley to impose the maximum sentence. But the judge said Carie Hallford made credible claims of being a victim of domestic violence and her ex-husband, Jon Hallford, was the driving force in their relationship.
Bentley added that 30 years was a “staggeringly huge sentence” and appropriate for her crimes.
Jon Hallford was sentenced to 40 years on corpse abuse charges at a February hearing in which he was called a “monster” by relatives of the victims.
Carie Hallford was the public face of Return to Nature, dealing with bereaved customers at the couple’s funeral home in Colorado Springs. Jon Hallford performed much of the physical work, including at a second location south of Colorado Springs in Penrose.
That’s where authorities found bodies piled throughout a bug-infested building after neighbors complained about a foul odor in 2023.
One of those corpses was the mother of Tanya Wilson, who told Bentley on Friday that the family released what they thought were her ashes from a boat in Hawaii. It turned out her body was lying in toxic fluids on the floor of the Hallfords’ makeshift mortuary. Like other Return to Nature customers, the family received fake ashes instead of the cremated remains they were promised.
They had prepared her mother’s body for meeting her Korean ancestors in the afterlife, Wilson said. To preserve her dignity, they brushed her hair, applied her favorite moisturizer and dressed her in special clothes to preserve the dignity she had in life.
“Carie Hallford annihilated that dignity,” Wilson said.
Carie Hallford apologized in court Friday, saying she was raised to know right from wrong but had lost who she once was.
She fought back tears as she said her marriage had been “a convoluted web of lies, deceit and abuse.” She said she was not a monster but deserved punishment.
Discovery of corpses spurred first routine inspections
Prosecutors have alleged that the Hallfords were motivated by greed. They charged more than $1,200 per customer, and authorities said the amount they spent on luxury items would have covered the cremation costs many times over.
The case became the most egregious in a string of allegations involving Colorado funeral homes as details emerged about the their lavish spending and their pattern of defrauding customers.
Colorado had been the only state that did not regulate funeral homes before lawmakers adopted recent changes. The Hallfords’ case prompted laws mandating routine inspections and adopting a funeral director licensing system.
State inspectors acting under the new law last year found 24 decomposing bodies and multiple containers of bones behind a hidden door of a funeral home owned by the Pueblo County coroner and his brother. It was the first inspection of that Pueblo mortuary.
Before the bodies were found at Penrose, a mother and daughter who operated a funeral home in the western Colorado city of Montrose were sentenced to federal prison after being accused of selling body parts and giving clients fake ashes. In 2024, authorities in Denver arrested a financially troubled former funeral home owner who kept a body in a hearse for two years at a house where police also found the cremated remains of at least 30 people.
Carie Hallford was ‘the one who fed the monster’
Carie Hallford asked for leniency in March when she was sentenced in the federal fraud case, saying she was a victim of abuse and manipulation in her marriage.
Her attorney, Michael Stuzynski, said Friday said Carie Hallford initially believed what happened at Return to Nature was entirely her fault. He said she had a “lonely, gray and terrifying existence” and found solace in the interactions she had with the funeral home’s customers.
But Chief Deputy District Attorney Rachael Powell said Jon Hallford couldn’t have carried out the crimes alone. While his actions were gruesome, Powell said, Carie Hallford was the one manipulating clients as she smiled and took their money, knowing she was lying to them.
“She solicited bodies and took the checks. She fed Jon the bodies,” Powell said.
The Associated Press left voicemail and email messages with Jon Hallford’s attorney seeking comment on the abuse allegations.
The Hallfords, who divorced following their arrest, received prison sentences in the related federal fraud case — 18 years for Carie and 20 years for Jon. They have each appealed.
Plea agreements call for the Hallfords’ state prison sentences to be served concurrently with the federal sentences.
Authorities recovered 189 sets of remains from the Penrose building and said another two bodies were improperly buried. Two of the remains have not yet been identified, but officials continue trying, Fremont County coroner Randy Keller said.
Emily Ferguson
The City of Denver has no idea what to do with the extra money collected in the city-ordered auction of Your Mom’s House.
Your Mom’s House had a disastrous last few years, with ownership changes, lawsuits and other controversies culminating with the club at 608 East 13th Avenue closing after the property inside was seized by the city for unpaid sales taxes on December 17. The venue had also been operating for months without a liquor license, and multiple employees told state authorities that they were owed money by Pearl Stop LLC owner/YMH operator Jillian Johnson.
When Johnson failed to pay all the taxes that the city said she owed, the Pearl Stop LLC property went up for auction on February 13. To settle the account, the City of Denver has now sued both Pearl Stop LLC, the business that operated Your Mom’s House, as well as the State of Colorado; both have told Denver that the surplus cash raised by the auction belongs to them.
The City of Denver is now asking Denver District Court for a declaration “regarding the disposition of $30,228.35 currently in its possession and subject to claims of entitlement by both defendants in this action,” the complaint reads.
The suit references Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure 22 — which allows a stakeholder to list potential and conflicting claimants into a single lawsuit — and 57, which authorizes courts to make a declaratory judgment. It states that on December 17, 2025, the city issued a distraint warrant against Pearl Stop LLC/Your Mom’s House for unpaid sales and occupational privilege taxes, and seized the business, which “caused [the assets] to be auctioned to the public to satisfy the tax debt owed to Denver.”
The auction raised $46,002, which was paid to the city. “After all outstanding Denver taxes and auction fees were satisfied, $30,228.35 in net auction proceeds remain to which Denver has no legal claim,” the complaint says. “The Denver Revised Municipal Code, § 53-28(a)(4) provides that, in the event surplus funds are collected from an auction resulting from a warrant of distraint, those excess funds are to be returned to the taxpayer, in this case the Pearl Stop.”
Johnson has told the city “on numerous occasions” that she wants to be refunded the surplus funds, according to the complaint. However, the State of Colorado has also provided the city with two warrants for distraint “indicating that the Pearl Stop owes Colorado $39,758.75 and $1,994.00 in unpaid taxes and has requested that Denver provide the $30,228.35 to Colorado to satisfy these Warrants for Distraint.”
The city says it is seeking clarification on “which of the claims made by the defendants in this matter is superior.”
Johnson declined to provide comment for our January 29 cover story on the chaos at Your Mom’s House; we have been unable to reach her regarding this latest development.Westword also reached out to the Denver City Attorneys’ Office for comment.
The Your Mom’s House location is now empty. The owners of Pearl Divers, a club that had shared space with Your Mom’s House, moved their business to the former home of the Mercury Cafe at 2199 California Street and opened The Pearl there last April. On April 15, that business was seized by the city for back taxes, too.
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