Serious problems with surface and ground water quality continue to occur in most parts of the US. There are many sources of information that can help you cover these issues.
Get details on breaking and recent developments, along with big-picture perspective, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tornado website.
The Bureau of Reclamation report says major changes often are expected, with the magnitude varying substantially by location. The data and information provided allow you to dig into the details to some degree for the watersheds of interest to your audience.
To illustrate those impacts in each state — and related attempts at mitigation and collaborative projects — the US Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing a new article every weekday for fifty consecutive days. For example, one story is on Wisconsin's innovative native prairie restoration program.
A National Fish Habitat Board report, which includes maps and mitigation efforts, identifies the primary human sources of US fresh- and saltwater habitat degradation as urban development, livestock grazing, agriculture, point source pollution, and areas with high numbers of active mines and dams.
Last year's grant winners have efforts under way, so reporting can focus on progress that is being made, or not. Reporting on the new winners, announced in mid-April 2011, can inform the community about what is in the works, who is in charge, and what future benchmarks can be used to see if the money is being well spent.
Public meetings in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming from April 26 to May 5, 2011 will likely be newsy events, with advocates and critics representing industry, environmentalists, local governments, and other interested groups and individuals voicing their opinions.
New tools provide limited information on substances used in specific wells during the oil and natural gas extraction process called hydraulic fracturing. From 2005-2009, 780 million gallons of 750 substances were injected underground — a starting point for your coverage of this angle.
The Dept. of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation released a report
Topics to be discussed April 20-25, 2011, in Bismarck, Denver, and Little Rock include "best management practices, disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids, well construction and integrity, production wastewater management, and other techniques for protecting drinking water resources."
