Water in the News
Towards Sustainable Water Use in the Ogallala Aquifer
"Kansas Farmers Dramatically and Profitably Pare Water for Irrigation," Circle of Blue This article reviews recent management and research activities in the Sheridan LEMA (Locally Enhanced Management Area) in Kansas. In the face of dropping water tables, farmers in...
Promises Betrayed: Trump and the Inflation Reduction Act
Donald Trump's antipathy towards the Inflation Reduction Act - Biden's signature energy/climate legislation - is well known. But it is worth spending a few minutes reading about how Trump's illegal cuts to IRA funding are creating harm on the ground in two of our most...
The Uncertain Future of the Columbia River Treaty
"A Crucial River Treaty is Tangled in Trump's Feud With Canada," The New York Times (gift link) The Columbia River Treaty is an example of the benefits that cooperative management of international river basins can bring. The treaty, in place since 1964, allowed for...
Ignoring Climate Change Won’t Make It Go Away
Three recent news items illustrate the Trump Administration's contempt for science and its attempt to degrade the information we need to manage water problems and other environmental issues: 1. "US Government to Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather," New York...
Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Louisiana
“Fighting Louisiana Floodwaters With Patches of Green,” New York Times (gift link) Bioswales and other green stormwater infrastructure can provide multiple benefits, including flood mitigation, water-quality improvement, heat mitigation, and groundwater recharge (less...
Environmental Flows and the Belo Monte Dam
“On a Dammed River, Amazon Villagers Fight to Restore the Flow,” Yale E360. The construction of the Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River has devastated the ecology and indigenous communities of the “Volta Grande” (Big Bend); those communities are trying to force...
Syngenta Settles Lawsuit Over Herbicide
"Weedkiller maker moves to settle suit over Parkinson's disease claims," The Guardian The herbicide paraquat - which may increase the risk of Parkinson's and other diseases - has been banned in many countries, including the EU, but is still used in the US. Syngenta,...
Forever Chemicals in South Carolina Farmlands
April 2025: Sludge Contaminated 10,000 Acres of Farmland. What Should be Done?, New York Times (gift link) Another excellent piece of reporting on PFAS chemicals from Hiroko Tabuchi (see also these pieces). These widely-used "forever chemicals" tend to concentrate in...
The First Step in India’s River Linking Project
February 2025: "Why a mega river-linking plan has sparked massive protests in India," BBC. India's long-planned "river interlinking project" would create new dams and aqueducts throughout the country to move water from rivers that are judged to have "excess" water...