Water & Oceans

"The Mississippi River basin has gotten a report card from a group that monitors watershed health and economic impact — and the grade is D+."

"RALEIGH, N.C. -- Conservation groups have asked judges in Wake and Mecklenburg counties to reject a $7 million agreement between [North Carolina] and Duke Energy to settle years of groundwater contamination violations."

"The food chains of the world’s oceans are at risk of collapse due to the release of greenhouse gases, overfishing and localised pollution, a stark new analysis shows."

"There are more than 87,000 dams in America and, like most infrastructure, they go largely unnoticed — until something goes wrong. That was the case in and around South Carolina's capital this week, when at least 20 dams collapsed during catastrophic floods."

Climate Central has published a new mapping tool that illustrates what areas in the U.S. will be flooded by sea level rise resulting from climate change.

"Researchers at the Oklahoma State University South Central Research Station in Chickasha for the first time Monday will begin using wastewater to irrigate crops grown on one of its test fields."

"The US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit granted a temporary stay against the Water of the United States rule on Friday."

"Gov. Jerry Brown of California signed legislation on Thursday that bans plastic microbeads, giving his state one of the country’s strongest laws against the tiny abrasives used in exfoliators and other products."

"South Carolina's governor warned on Thursday that several coastal areas were about to be hit by a second round of major flooding, while residents inland hauled soaked furniture and appliances from homes left in ruins by unprecedented rainfall."

"More than a year after residents of Flint, Mich., were switched onto a water supply that has since been linked to rising levels of lead in the blood of some children, state and city officials abruptly reversed course, announcing on Thursday that Flint would return to its old water source."