The Arizona drought is affecting businesses and homeowners, who are urged to take measures to save water.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, said he believes there is a chance the U.S. Congress will move forward with legislation addressing drought in the West, but any federal response to water shortages must not overrule state policies or rely on federal funding.

Not enough rain and snow. Dwindling reservoirs. Record heat. Our future water supply is in jeopardy. As Arizona struggles to find solutions, there is an obvious one right above our heads. The sun.

A coalition of scholars across the West is urging the federal government to partner with the National Academy of Sciences to study the future of the Colorado River, including if climate change is leading to reduced stream flow.

With Arizona in the grip of a decades-long drought, Gilbert is among municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area offering free home water audits to reduce waste.

Wet weather in May and June prompted optimistic projections Monday from federal water managers keeping close tabs on the Colorado River water supply for about 40 million residents in seven Southwest U.S. states.

The federal subsidies that prop up cotton farming in Arizona are just one of myriad ways policymakers have refused to reshape laws to reflect water shortages throughout the Colorado River Basin states.