Jonathan Thompson
- Contributing Editor, High Country News
- Editor, The Land Desk
- Writer and Editor, River of Lost Souls Media, Freelance
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Jonathan P. Thompson: LandDesk.org; author of River of Lost Souls, Behind the Slickrock Curtain, Sagebrush Empire; contributing ed. @highcountrynews;
Articles by Jonathan Thompson
How climate change is messing with the West’s weather
New Mexico’s Elephant Butte Reservoir was nearly full on June 2, 1994 (left), in contrast with very low levels on July 27, 2026 (right). NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison On July 11, the Rio Grande dried up at the streamflow gauge about 18 miles upstream from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. It was notable, because this stretch of riverbed was once actually underneath Elephant Butte Reservoir, the state’s largest reservoir and an important storage facility for downstream irrigators.
NEWSWIRE: The soaking of the Southwest continues, plus a lot more
The La Plata Mountains in full autumnal splendor. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. ⛈️ WACKY WEATHER WATCH⚡️ Welcome to another totally human-curated (and a bit late) edition of the Land Desk’s Newswire, a weekly compendium of important news happening around the Four Corners Country and beyond. Once again, the big news is the weird weather, which includes soaking rain, snow, big rivers, and even a tornado.
Notes from the Road: Lees Ferry in the wind and the rain
Note: I started writing this as the intro to today’s Newswire. Then it occurred to me that today is Indigenous Peoples Day, and some other holiday for certain cultures, and folks probably aren’t going to be into reading the news. So here’s a little impression of the current storm soaking parts of the Southwest, and some photos. The rain finally eased up, giving way to magnificent evening light. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.
Notes from the Road: Lees Ferry in the wind and the rain
Note: I started writing this as the intro to today’s Newswire. Then it occurred to me that today is Indigenous Peoples Day, and some other holiday for certain cultures, and folks probably aren’t going to be into reading the news. So here’s a little impression of the current storm soaking parts of the Southwest, and some photos. The rain finally eased up, giving way to magnificent evening light. Jonathan P. Thompson photo.
Choosin' Texas! Could Houston - aka Space City - soon rival New York for visitors?
Behind an unmarked door in a crumbling building south of Houston sits one of the most famous rooms on Earth. Simply standing here, in Nasa 's original Mission Control, feels faintly ridiculous, like strolling into the Oval Office or the Situation Room in Washington DC These four walls witnessed the highs and the lows of the space race – from the tragedy of Apollo 1 in 1967 to the glory of Apollo 11's Moon landing in 1969. Now, after a sensitive £3.7million restoration, it is a great time to visit.
Deadpool Data Dump: Lake Powell’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad water year
💀 DEADPOOL DATA DUMP 🌊 Land Desk graphic using data from the Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir, serves as a sort of barometer of the Colorado River watershed’s overall health. The reservoir and river have been struggling since the great aridification’s grim onset in 2002. While the river continues to flow, barely, the 2026 Water Year, characterized by one of the worst snow droughts on record, nearly finished off the reservoir.
Deadpool Data Dump: Lake Powell’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad water year
Plus: Ruminating on the oil and gas infrastructure that clutters the landscape and sometimes explodes 💀 DEADPOOL DATA DUMP 🌊 Land Desk graphic using data from the Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir, serves as a sort of barometer of the Colorado River watershed’s overall health. The reservoir and river have been struggling since the great aridification’s grim onset in 2002.
Land Desk Catchup Day!
Yeah, okay, it may be a little scary to be experiencing some record-breaking heat in early October, but it sure is nice in some places (L.A. might not be enjoying this so much). And so it’s a perfect day to take a break from all of the news, and for y’all to say your piece in the chat thread linked here or in the comments below.
NEWSWIRE: Bipartisan lawmakers drop a “turd grenade” of a permitting bill on the enviro movement
🔭 OVERSIGHT 👮🏼 High voltage transmission lines, wind turbines, and the full moon near Winslow, Arizona. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers, including Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Mike Lee (R-UT), introduced legislation aimed at streamlining and accelerating federal environmental reviews and permitting for major projects on Sept. 30.
NEWSWIRE: Bipartisan lawmakers drop a “turd grenade” of a permitting bill on the enviro movement
🔭 OVERSIGHT 👮🏼 High voltage transmission lines, wind turbines, and the full moon near Winslow, Arizona. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers, including Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Mike Lee (R-UT), introduced legislation aimed at streamlining and accelerating federal environmental reviews and permitting for major projects on Sept. 30.
Massive nuclear plant/waste dump/data center complex planned for BLM land in Utah
ūüĆĶ PUBLIC LANDS ūüĆ≤ ALERT! Oct. 6 is the last day to comment on the Trump administration‚Äôs proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. So so go here and say your piece. Trump attacks Roadless Rule, again ‚ėĘÔłŹ NUKE NOTICE ‚öõ NPR is reporting that Valar Atomics is looking to build a massive data center and nuclear reactor complex ‚ÄĒ complete with fuel production and radioactive waste dump facilities ‚ÄĒ on more than 9,000 acres of public land east of Price, Utah.
Data Dump: Western Hay and Alfalfa Exports
☘️ ANNALS OF ALFALFA 🍀 Graph from the 1946 federal report, “The Colorado River: A Natural Menace Becomes a Natural Resource,” showing the value of livestock to Upper Basin states. It seems like only a few years ago that a PR person from the East Coast emailed me to tell me how surprised she was to read in the Land Desk that alfalfa and other livestock forage crops guzzled up a lot of the West’s water. “I didn’t even know they still grew alfalfa,” she wrote, incredulously.
Data Dump: Western Hay and Alfalfa Exports
☘️ ANNALS OF ALFALFA 🍀 Graph from the 1946 federal report, “The Colorado River: A Natural Menace Becomes a Natural Resource,” showing the value of livestock to Upper Basin states. It seems like only a few years ago that a PR person from the East Coast emailed me to tell me how surprised she was to read in the Land Desk that alfalfa and other livestock forage crops guzzled up a lot of the West’s water. “I didn’t even know they still grew alfalfa,” she wrote, incredulously.
NEWSWIRE: Baseball in a national park?!? More flood warnings; Grid news.
⛈️ WACKY WEATHER WATCH⚡️ Welcome to another edition of the Land Desk’s NEWSWIRE, and yet another one in which the big news is the big, end-of-the-water-year rain. Yes, 88% of the Western U.S. is currently experiencing some level of drought — with the most severe impacts in the Four Corners Country. Yet these same areas have also been barraged with rain and inundated with flood watches and warnings for the last few weeks, and yet another big doozy is on its way.
NEWSWIRE: Baseball in a national park?!? More flood warnings; Grid news.
⛈️ WACKY WEATHER WATCH⚡️ Welcome to another edition of the Land Desk’s NEWSWIRE, and yet another one in which the big news is the big, end-of-the-water-year rain. Yes, 88% of the Western U.S. is currently experiencing some level of drought — with the most severe impacts in the Four Corners Country. Yet these same areas have also been barraged with rain and inundated with flood watches and warnings for the last few weeks, and yet another big doozy is on its way.
More mining claims staked at Bears Ears
⛏️ MINING MONITOR ⛏️ Several of the latest claims located within the pre-shrinkage Bears Ears National Monument are on the north side of the Tables of the Sun, seen here in the background on the right. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. The mining claim game continues to heat up in the areas Trump illegally slashed from Bears Ears National Monument, and the top player is, once again, Kimmerle Mining of Moab.
More mining claims staked at Bears Ears
Plus: The story of Lake Powell’s 26,000-ton pile of radioactive waste ⛏️ MINING MONITOR ⛏️ Several of the latest claims located within the pre-shrinkage Bears Ears National Monument are on the north side of the Tables of the Sun, seen here in the background on the right. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. The mining claim game continues to heat up in the areas Trump illegally slashed from Bears Ears National Monument, and the top player is, once again, Kimmerle Mining of Moab.
How the Interior secretary has let down public lands and the nation
This is an installment of the Landline, a monthly newsletter from High Country News about land, water, wildlife, climate and conservation in the Western United States. Sign up to get it in your inbox. On Sept. 14, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an internal memo directing the agency to narrow the scope of the Endangered Species Act by legalizing the accidental killing of protected wildlife.
RERUN: Four Corners floods: past, present, and ... future?
The tropical moisture keeps moving into the Southwest, triggering flash flood warnings from southern Colorado to the U.S.-Mexico line. This round of rain has and will continue to pound southern, central, and northeastern New Mexico the hardest. Mora County, on the east side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, was pummeled by precipitation and flash flooding. Some parts of New Mexico could receive several inches of rain during the next round of storms today (Wednesday) and tomorrow.
NEWSWIRE: Four Corners rain, flooding
⛈️ Wacky Weather Watch⚡️ Lightning and city lights. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. Tropical disturbances have moved into the Four Corners Country in recent days, bringing massive amounts of moisture, raising river levels, and causing flash flooding. The pattern — and high danger of flooding — is expected to continue this week, with the highest rainfall forecast for New Mexico. Snow-nerd Andy Gleason reported that, as of Sept. 18, 3.5 inches of rain had already fallen in Silverton during the storm cycle.
NEWSWIRE: Four Corners rain, flooding
Tropical disturbances have moved into the Four Corners Country in recent days, bringing massive amounts of moisture, raising river levels, and causing flash flooding. The pattern — and high danger of flooding — is expected to continue this week, with the highest rainfall forecast for New Mexico. Snow-nerd Andy Gleason reported that, as of Sept. 18, 3.5 inches of rain had already fallen in Silverton during the storm cycle.
The intruder on the edge of the breach
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, claiming the lives of 184 people. In the immediate, chaotic aftermath — just a day after the hijacked plane’s wreckage was pulled from the side of the building — a small team of historians and curators was granted access to the impact zone. Among them was Dana Wegner, the Navy’s senior curator of models from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.
Trump guts the Endangered Species Act
Hey, guess what! I friggin’ hate putting Tr*)*p in the headline of this newsletter once again. It makes me nauseous. But the thing is, his administration has significantly stepped up its attacks on the environment, public lands, and wildlife over the last few months. I don’t know if this is an attempt to distract from ridiculous wars and crazy gasoline prices, or if it’s a rush to roll back as many protections as possible before the midterms.
Trump guts the Endangered Species Act
Hey, guess what! I friggin’ hate putting Tr*)*p in the headline of this newsletter once again. It makes me nauseous. But the thing is, his administration has significantly stepped up its attacks on the environment, public lands, and wildlife over the last few months. I don’t know if this is an attempt to distract from ridiculous wars and crazy gasoline prices, or if it’s a rush to roll back as many protections as possible before the midterms.
Trump guts the Endangered Species Act
Hey, guess what! I friggin’ hate putting Tr*)*p in the headline of this newsletter once again. It makes me nauseous. But the thing is, his administration has significantly stepped up its attacks on the environment, public lands, and wildlife over the last few months. I don’t know if this is an attempt to distract from ridiculous wars and crazy gasoline prices, or if it’s a rush to roll back as many protections as possible before the midterms.
On AI agents, the Big Data Center Backlash, and monkeywrenches
Wild horses near Four Corners National Monument as a September storm approaches. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. Admire, Levon, Alyssa-7, blacksheep31, Ed, Equinox, Axel, vex-27, Leigh Ibara, Ember, Steven, Sylus, Noah Alfredy, Curious, Song, Artemis, Kit, Sylari, Ashlyn, Maren, Lark, Kip, Calum, Kael, Kaelren, Spike, Willow, Elle, zeus-3.
Newswire: Trump moves to axe climate pollution rules
Good morning and welcome to another edition of the Land Desk Newswire. The Trump administration is continuing to convert its fossil fuel fetish into real-world, deeply consequential policy, this time by eliminating greenhouse gas emissions limits for coal- and gas-burning power plants. Meanwhile, the BLM moves forward with selling a sizable chunk of public land to bolster Las Vegas sprawl under a 1998 law. š REGULATORY CAPTURE CHRONICLES š¦ Coronado coal plant in northeastern Arizona.
Newswire: Trump moves to axe climate pollution rules
Good morning and welcome to another edition of the Land Desk Newswire. The Trump administration is continuing to convert its fossil fuel fetish into real-world, deeply consequential policy, this time by eliminating greenhouse gas emissions limits for coal- and gas-burning power plants. Meanwhile, the BLM moves forward with selling a sizable chunk of public land to bolster Las Vegas sprawl under a 1998 law.
EPA takes (another) swing at Western waters
🌨️🚣🏽 WATER WATCH 🌊🦦 The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to further constrain the reach and potency of the Clean Water Act by re-defining what qualifies as “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, which are streams, wetlands, and other water bodies under federal jurisdiction. The proposed definition would disproportionately affect the arid West by lifting protections from thousands of miles of streams, arroyos, and wetlands.
Rio Grande revived, temporarily
Welcome to the first edition of the Land Desk’s Newswire, a human-curated summary (we are a non-AI shop, FYI) of some of the week’s biggest headlines that concern land, water, and other Western issues. I’m still working out the timing of this, and how it will meld with the week’s other dispatches, so expect some adjustments in coming weeks. Please give it a gander and, as always, I appreciate your feedback.
Rio Grande revived, temporarily
Welcome to the first edition of the Land Desk’s Newswire, a human-curated summary (we are a non-AI shop, FYI) of some of the week’s biggest headlines that concern land, water, and other Western issues. I’m still working out the timing of this, and how it will meld with the week’s other dispatches, so expect some adjustments in coming weeks. Please give it a gander and, as always, I appreciate your feedback.
The Intruder on the Edge of the Breach
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, claiming the lives of 184 people. In the immediate, chaotic aftermath – just a day after the hijacked plane’s wreckage was pulled from the side of the building – a small team of historians and curators was granted access to the impact zone. Among them was Dana Wegner, the Navy's senior curator of models from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.
Trump wages war on wolves
Sign, La Plata County, Colorado. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. ūü¶ę WILDLIFE WATCH ūü¶Ö Just days after President Donald Trump angered U.S. ranchers by waiving tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef (and whatever other meat-adjacent-material may pass as beef), he threw the livestock industry a bone by ordering a ‚Äúreview‚ÄĚ of federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray and Mexican wolves.
Trump wages war on wolves
Sign, La Plata County, Colorado. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. ūü¶ę WILDLIFE WATCH ūü¶Ö Just days after President Donald Trump angered U.S. ranchers by waiving tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef (and whatever other meat-adjacent-material may pass as beef), he threw the livestock industry a bone by ordering a ‚Äúreview‚ÄĚ of federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray and Mexican wolves.
Trump wages war on wolves
Sign, La Plata County, Colorado. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. ūü¶ę WILDLIFE WATCH ūü¶Ö Just days after President Donald Trump angered U.S. ranchers by waiving tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef (and whatever other meat-adjacent-material may pass as beef), he threw the livestock industry a bone by ordering a ‚Äúreview‚ÄĚ of federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray and Mexican wolves.
Trump looks to motorize public lands
Debris from the Bright Angel flash flood event in the Grand Canyon. Photo taken the next morning, August 30, 2026. Source: Grand Canyon National Park. ūüĆĶ Public Lands ūüĆ≤ The Trump administration continues its crusade to make America‚Äôs public lands motorized again.
Trump looks to motorize public lands
Debris from the Bright Angel flash flood event in the Grand Canyon. Photo taken the next morning, August 30, 2026. Source: Grand Canyon National Park. ūüĆĶ Public Lands ūüĆ≤ The Trump administration continues its crusade to make America‚Äôs public lands motorized again.
Monsoon madness and Mormon Marxism(?)
Ute Mountain after autumn rain. Jonathan P. Thompson photo/illustration. ⛈️ Wacky Weather Watch⚡️ Wow. Just wow. Huge flash floods in the Grand Canyon this past weekend, with the biggest damage along Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Ranch.
Monsoon madness and Mormon Marxism(?)
Ute Mountain after autumn rain. Jonathan P. Thompson photo/illustration. ⛈️ Wacky Weather Watch⚡️ Wow. Just wow. Huge flash floods in the Grand Canyon this past weekend, with the biggest damage along Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Ranch.
On “simple solutions” to the Western water problem
Lake Powell at low water, March 2023. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. It seems like every time the Colorado River and other Western water woes make national headlines, some pundit — usually from the East Coast — weighs in with their “simple” or “obvious” solution. And I get mad and start throwing things around the room, then type out some blistering rant riddled with epithets and insults. Well, the Colorado River is in the news again, and with it have come the usual swarm of oversimplified hot-takes.
On “simple solutions” to the Western water problem
Lake Powell at low water, March 2023. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. It seems like every time the Colorado River and other Western water woes make national headlines, some pundit — usually from the East Coast — weighs in with their “simple” or “obvious” solution. And I get mad and start throwing things around the room, then type out some blistering rant riddled with epithets and insults. Well, the Colorado River is in the news again, and with it have come the usual swarm of oversimplified hot-takes.
Solar and wind continue to push coal off the West’s grid
This is an installment of the Landline, a monthly newsletter from High Country News about land, water, wildlife, climate and conservation in the Western United States. Sign up to get it in your inbox. In December 2024, the Biden administration proposed creating two new transmission line corridors to accommodate growing power demand, lower costs and connect underserved communities to the regional grid.
Feds release two-year Colorado River plan, Nevada sues
ūüźü Colorado River Chronicles ūüíß A moisture index satellite image of Las Vegas, Nevada. Southern Nevada stands to lose as much as 71% of its Colorado River allotment under the Department of Interior‚Äôs operating guidelines for the river and its two largest reservoirs. Source: Copernicus Browser.
Feds release two-year Colorado River plan, Nevada sues
ūüźü Colorado River Chronicles ūüíß A moisture index satellite image of Las Vegas, Nevada. Southern Nevada stands to lose as much as 71% of its Colorado River allotment under the Department of Interior‚Äôs operating guidelines for the river and its two largest reservoirs. Source: Copernicus Browser.
Trump attacks Roadless Rule, again
ūüĆĶ Public Lands ūüĆ≤ Sometimes it feels like the deeper the Trump administration sinks into various quagmires of its own making, the more it lashes out at politically popular protections for public lands. Each passing day brings a new assault on the environment, the climate, and, well, humanity. This time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has moved (again) to rescind the Roadless Rule, which protects some 45 million acres of U.S. Forest Service land from new roadbuilding and logging.
Trump attacks Roadless Rule, again
ūüĆĶ Public Lands ūüĆ≤ Sometimes it feels like the deeper the Trump administration sinks into various quagmires of its own making, the more it lashes out at politically popular protections for public lands. Each passing day brings a new assault on the environment, the climate, and, well, humanity. This time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has moved (again) to rescind the Roadless Rule, which protects some 45 million acres of U.S. Forest Service land from new roadbuilding and logging.
Save the Humpback Chub!
Stone and stone and sky. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. ⛏️ Mining Monitor ⛏️ The vultures didn’t wait long to feed on the carrion of shrunken national monuments. Within days of President Donald Trump’s order slashing nearly 3 million acres from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, mining claims were filed within the former boundaries of both monuments with San Juan County and Kane County, respectively.
Save the Humpback Chub!
Stone and stone and sky. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. ⛏️ Mining Monitor ⛏️ The vultures didn’t wait long to feed on the carrion of shrunken national monuments. Within days of President Donald Trump’s order slashing nearly 3 million acres from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, mining claims were filed within the former boundaries of both monuments with San Juan County and Kane County, respectively.
Glen Canyon Dam hydropower: What's it good for?
đ Colorado River Chronicles đ§ Transmission towers and wires leading to Glen Canyon Damâs powerplant. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. Glen Canyon Dam truly is a monumental structure, a 726-foot tall, 5-million-cubic-yard concrete plug that attempts to control and harness the tempestuous waters of the mighty Colorado River.
Glen Canyon Dam hydropower: What's it good for?
đ Colorado River Chronicles đ§ Transmission towers and wires leading to Glen Canyon Damâs powerplant. Jonathan P. Thompson photo. Glen Canyon Dam truly is a monumental structure, a 726-foot tall, 5-million-cubic-yard concrete plug that attempts to control and harness the tempestuous waters of the mighty Colorado River.
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