A decades-old water-rights struggle between the U.S. Forest and the ski industry flared up again this week, as the National Ski Areas Association charged that the agency wants to make an end run around state law and “take away” water rights worth tens of millions of dollars. The accusations came during a Nov.

U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, recently wrote a letter to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture raising concerns about a requirement for private water holders to sign their water rights over to the U.S.

Iconic Lake Tahoe could see its regional snowpack decline by as much as 60 percent over the next century, with increased floods more likely around 2050 and prolonged droughts closer to 2100, according to a new report from scientists who have studied the lake for decades. The study, written for the U.S.

The threat to watersheds from fire-prone dying forests is growing so severe that federal forest managers are seeking help from water utilities, ski resorts and others in ravaged Western states. "The federal government doesn't have enough resources to deal with this," said Harris Sherman, the U.S.

The Forest Service has said that in its quest for forest sustainability, it wants expansions to reflect demand. The ski industry says expansions can stir interest, draw new visitors — and sustain business.

The ski industry is getting more sobering news from the science community. A new report from the National Wildlife Federation says global warming is part of the reason for the unusual winter weather in the West. Climate scientist and report author Amanda Staudt says powder enthusiasts should be especially concerned.

Because 35 percent of the state's water supply is stored annually in the Sierra snowpack, changes to that hydrologic system will lead to far-reaching consequences for California and its ever-growing population. Some transformations already are apparent, from the Sierra high country to the great valleys that have made California the nation's top agricultural state.

Balmy and dry fall weather could put the Colorado ski industry’s two-year string of record snowrider numbers in danger, and most of the West isn’t in any better shape. Last year, despite getting less snow than the season before, Colorado numbers were still up 6.7 percent in the first half of the season.