Circle of Blue

By Annie MacKeigan, The Water Desk Western wildfires start and spread because of a whole host of factors—wind, temperature, drought, forest health. But scientists are finding that the most important indicator of where the next big fire might ignite isn’t held in the trees themselves, but in the soil their roots are buried in. Recent […]

Gamblers now have a chance to put their money where the water isn’t. Kalshi, an online prediction market, is offering wagers on Lake Mead’s water level at the end of June. Prediction markets like Kalshi and its competitor Polymarket allow users to bet on the outcome of events – things like elections, interest rate decisions, […]

The Rundown And lastly, a Justice Department settlement with Chemours over the company’s PFAS water pollution angers top North Carolina officials. “This is not simply a temporary drought condition. I want to make clear that what we’re witnessing is a long-term shift in the baseline of conditions in the West’s water systems…Now is the time […]

Explore how soil moisture wildfire prediction is changing the way scientists forecast fire risks and locations across the country.

The Rundown *The Federal Water Tap will be on summer break starting next week. The weekly briefing will resume on August 17.* And lastly, a USDA report outlines changes in manure management in the U.S. hog industry. “America must win the AI race, but working families should not be forced to subsidize it. No data […]

The iconic waterway, fundamental to the region’s modern existence – its desert metropolises, its high-tech industries, its agriculture, and its recreation economy – is on the verge of crashing. A two-decade drying trend, aided by carbon pollution in the atmosphere and water use that exceeds supply have

Learn how AI is influencing fossil fuels and water resources in Indiana, shedding light on local environmental issues.

Uncover the origins of Legionnaires' disease illness linked to the 1976 Philadelphia conference and its tragic impact.

● Officials in the Netherlands have declared a water shortage as ongoing drought and heatwaves stalk the nation. ● New research raises alarms about the pervasive spread of microplastics through urban centers in the Amazon basin. ● Desalination plants in Kuwait and Iran were reportedly struck over the weekend as the war over the Strait of Hormuz ramps back up. ● Hundreds of people in central Bosnia with lead in their blood, which they suspect comes from a nearby mine, are calling for the government to protect their health.

Ohio EPA Data Center Discharges proposal rejected, safeguarding waterways from untreated waste and stormwater pollution.