Americas
Water levels on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have reached their lowest point since record keeping began in 1918, surpassing the previous record low set in 1964, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. While warm, dry weather has drawn lake levels down, dredging of the St. Clair River has also contributed to a long-term decline in water levels on the Great Lakes.

Activists who oppose the Minas Conga gold and copper mine project in Peru are planning another wave of protests this year, as well as a referendum to take place in July, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Opponents of the mine are concerned that it will contaminate local water supplies.

Africa
Shortages of fresh water in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, are raising concerns about the spread of disease, SW Radio Africa reported. Some residents have been without fresh water for days, and are forced to use boreholes that have been commandeered by “unemployed youths” who charge for the water.

Pacific
A tsunami, triggered by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake, killed four people, destroyed 100 homes, and cut water and electricity in regions of the Solomon Islands, Bloomberg News reported.

Energy
Efforts by the oil and gas industry to develop nontoxic fluids for hydraulic fracturing could reduce the risk of environmental contamination, but salty wastewater remains a concern, the Associated Press reported. The cost of the new fluids and variations in shale rock that require different fluid mixes, however, could limit their acceptance.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Yeager-Kozacek is a reporter for Circle of Blue based out of Enterprise, Alabama. She studied journalism and biology as an undergraduate at West Virginia University and graduated summa cum laude from the university’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism. She has done research at the College of the Bahamas Gerace Research Center on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, and her study on coastal dune plants is currently pending publication in the Bahamas Natural History Proceedings. Her interests include food security and ecology. She co-writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Email: Codi Yeager-Kozacek  :: Follow on Twitter :: More Articles