Kaleb Roedel
Mountain West News Bureau ReporterKaleb is an award-winning journalist who joined KUNR as a reporter in November 2021.
As KUNR’s Mountain West News Bureau reporter, Kaleb covers issues related to the environment, wildlife and water in Nevada and the region.
A graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, Kaleb has reported for media outlets in a variety of locations, covering everything from sports to music to business news. Before joining KUNR, he reported on the economy for three years at the Northern Nevada Business Weekly in Reno.
When he’s not cultivating stories or trying to keep up with his kids, Kaleb enjoys noodling on the guitar, going to concerts, and skateboarding.
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Disputes over water are becoming more common across the Mountain West as populations grow and supplies tighten. Now, a coalition of counties, ranchers and water advocates in Utah and Nevada is appealing federal approval of a groundwater pipeline project in southern Utah. -
New funding is aimed at helping fossil fuel-dependent communities in the Mountain West navigate a changing energy economy, with one project focused on the Four Corners region. -
In the arid Mountain West, rivers are under growing pressure — from climate change, drought and rising demand for water. But new research from New Mexico suggests some river ecosystems may be more resilient than they appear. -
Stretches of calm weather in the mountains might seem harmless, but they can quietly increase avalanche danger over time. And traveling in groups doesn’t always make skiers and snowshoers safer. That’s one of the key takeaways from experts in the Sierra Nevada, where one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history recently struck near Lake Tahoe. -
Hot days and polluted air may be doing more than making people uncomfortable — they could also affect mental health. A new study from the University of Utah finds that short bursts of extreme heat, combined with certain types of air pollution, are linked to an increased risk of suicide. -
Salt lakes in the American West are shrinking — from Utah’s Great Salt Lake to smaller lakes scattered across the Great Basin. In her new book “Salt Lakes: An Unnatural History,” writer Caroline Tracey explores why these unusual landscapes matter, and what their decline reveals about humans’ impact on the environment. -
Snowpack is often described as the West’s largest natural reservoir, storing water through the winter and slowly releasing it into rivers and reservoirs each spring. But new research suggests the way forests are managed can influence how much of that snow actually becomes part of the water supply. -
A new national report finds access to nearby nature in the United States is deeply unequal. And that the gap is closely tied to race, income and pollution exposure. Researchers say the pattern shows up across the country, including in the Mountain West. -
States across the Mountain West added record amounts of wind and solar power in 2024. Now, a new industry report shows the region is also becoming a national leader in battery storage. -
Conservation groups filed a lawsuit on March 2 challenging the Trump administration’s rollback of federal protections for the greater sage-grouse across nine states: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
