Luke Runyon
Managing Editor & Reporter, Colorado River BasinAs KUNC鈥檚 managing editor and reporter covering the Colorado River Basin, I dig into stories that show how water issues can both unite and divide communities throughout the Western U.S. I edit and produce stories for KUNC and a network of public media stations in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada.
In 2021 I was a Ted Scripps fellow at the University of Colorado's Center for Environmental Journalism. Before covering water at KUNC I covered the agriculture and food beat for five years as the station鈥檚 Harvest Public Media reporter. I鈥檝e also reported for Aspen Public Radio in Aspen, Colo. and Illinois Public Radio in Springfield, Ill. My reports have been featured on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here & Now and APM's Marketplace. I鈥檓 a proud graduate of the University of Illinois鈥� Public Affairs Reporting program.
My work has been recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists, Radio Television Digital 暗黑爆料 Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Public Media Journalists Association.
When I鈥檓 not at the station you can usually find me out exploring the Rocky Mountains with either a pack on my back or skis on my feet.
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Federal officials say they are ready to have a 鈥渃andid conversation鈥� about accounting for water lost to evaporation in the Colorado River鈥檚 Lower Basin. They are giving states until the end of 2024 to prepare for what would amount to a significant cut in annual water allocations to users in Nevada, California and Arizona. -
Hundreds of visitors to the Grand Canyon over the summer were sickened by a norovirus, which prompted the CDC to take a look at it. (Story aired on Weekend Edition Saturday on Sept. 24, 2022.)
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The Grand Canyon is home to incredible natural beauty. And this summer, a norovirus outbreak. The stomach bug sickened hundreds of rafters and hikers ... and prompted the CDC to take a look at it.
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This past spring Grand Canyon National Park became the site of an extended norovirus outbreak, with more than 200 cases of gastrointestinal illness among rafters and backpackers. -
Understanding drought in the West is hard. A Colorado woman is explaining the problem to a new generation of water users to debunk misinformation that can easily spread during a crisis.
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On TikTok 25-year-old Teal Lehto goes by 鈥淲esternWaterGirl,鈥� and her clips regularly garner hundreds of thousands of views. Since joining the app in April, she鈥檚 amassed nearly 48,000 followers who tune in for her fast-paced, snarky and often profanity-laced takes on the West鈥檚 water crisis. -
With drought conditions lowering water levels, some local leaders are calling on the federal government to take charge. The seven states rely on the Colorado River for agriculture and electricity. -
Last week, a deadline passed for the seven states that use the Colorado River to get the federal government a regional conservation plan. Some are criticizing the feds' lack of enforcement action.
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The seven states that rely on the river blew past an August 16 deadline without a plan to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water. -
New federal forecasts show the nation's two largest reservoirs on the river are expected to continue their rapid decline 鈥� putting the water supply for 40 million people in the southwest in jeopardy.
