The Bureau of Reclamation’s $4 Billion Drought Question

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the agency with more than twice its annual budget for drought response.

Two Generations and $70 Million Later, Muskegon Lake Is Restored

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Cleared of pollution and debris, Muskegon again sees lake as…
© J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

Dry: A Weekly Western Drought Digest — August 9, 2022

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The U.S. Senate passes a major climate bill, which includes $4 billion to tackle drought.

‘A Tsunami of Human Waste’: Half of South Africa’s Sewage Treatment Works Are Failing, Says Report

Rivers and water bodies across South Africa have become too polluted for use, and the government is doing an increasingly poor job of addressing the situation, according to a long-awaited audit of the country's wastewater.

Eastern Kentucky Floods Continue Cycle of Poverty

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The hardest-hit areas are some of the poorest in the United States.

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Latest Stories

The Bureau of Reclamation’s $4 Billion Drought Question

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the agency with more than twice its annual budget for drought response.
Read more

Two Generations and $70 Million Later, Muskegon Lake Is Restored

1 Comment
/
Cleared of pollution and debris, Muskegon again sees lake as…
Read more
© J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

Dry: A Weekly Western Drought Digest — August 9, 2022

0 Comments
/
The U.S. Senate passes a major climate bill, which includes $4 billion to tackle drought.
Read more

‘A Tsunami of Human Waste’: Half of South Africa’s Sewage Treatment Works Are Failing, Says Report

Rivers and water bodies across South Africa have become too polluted for use, and the government is doing an increasingly poor job of addressing the situation, according to a long-awaited audit of the country's wastewater.
Read more

Eastern Kentucky Floods Continue Cycle of Poverty

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The hardest-hit areas are some of the poorest in the United States.
Read more

Arizona and California Farmers, Targets for Colorado River Cuts, Draft Their Conservation Strategy

Nearly 1 million acre-feet of compensated water cuts are being discussed.
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© J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

Dry: A Weekly Western Drought Digest — August 2, 2022

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The U.S. House of Representatives passes a wildfire and drought package to address declining water levels and dry conditions.
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Saltwater Intrusion, a “Slow Poison” to East Coast Drinking Water

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At a rate of 400 feet per year, saltwater is migrating west from the ocean to once-secure inland groundwater reserves.
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A Colorado River Glossary: Jargon Explained

How to tell your DCP from your ICS
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© J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

Dry: A Weekly Western Drought Digest — July 26, 2022

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The Albuquerque stretch of the Rio Grande is drying up for the first time in almost 40 years.
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Concrete River

Water, Life, Pollution, And The Future Of The Los Angeles River
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Big Water Pipelines, an Old Pursuit, Still Alluring in Drying West

Diverting Mississippi River is not happening, though.
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More WaterNews

Water’s True Cost – The Great Lakes News Collaborative

Water’s True Cost: In Photos

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Five Fixes for Michigan’s Drinking Water Woes

The Great Lakes News Collaborative asked state and national experts how Michigan could break the cycle of underfunding and poor decision-making that has left water systems across Michigan in sorry shape.
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Michigan’s ‘Very Big Opportunity’ in Infrastructure Windfall

More communities gain access to the largest federal infusion in a half-century.
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Some Michigan Water Systems Are Overbuilt, Underfunded. Are Mergers The Answer?

Customers get cheaper, cleaner water when communities share the cost of infrastructure.
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High Cost of Water Hits Home

Rising rates hurt the state’s poorest residents.
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Short-Changing Michigan Local Governments Has Resulted in Deteriorating Water Systems and Other Services

Many of Michigan’s 1,773 cities, villages, and townships are reaching a water infrastructure crisis point.
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Michigan’s Lack of Septic System Regulations is Causing Problems for Some of its Most Pristine Lakes

Failing systems can allow contaminated water to seep through the earth into nearby bodies of water.
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Michigan’s 20th Century Water Systems Too Big For Its Shrinking City Populations

Cities around the Great Lakes region struggle with the cost of water maintenance and operation as their populations decline.
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Many Rural Towns Have Neglected Drinking Water Systems for Decades

As some rural towns lose population and government funds shrink, some drinking water systems are one failure away from crisis.
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Water Woes Loom for Michigan Suburbs, Towns After Decades of Disinvestment

Michigan cities rich and poor, big and small have been delaying maintenance on their water systems for decades. Now, even wealthy towns are suffering the consequences of past reluctance to pay for water system upkeep.
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After Decades of Neglect, Bill Coming Due for Michigan’s Water Infrastructure

Federal and state governments begin to reverse course on underinvestment to address water’s true cost.
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  • In Australia, a scathing new government report shows profound environmental deterioration over the past five years. The report says that—amongst other findings—water levels in the Murray-Darling Basin dropped to all-time lows in 2019, despite restoration efforts.
  • In Europe, last week’s record-melting heat wave was the latest misfortune in a year of climate disruptions. According to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, drought stress is gripping about half the continent of Europe.

This week Circle of Blue reports on the enduring allure of big water supply pipelines in the drying American West.