Water/Drought - Inside Climate News

Baltimore Is Investing in Wetlands Restoration, a Climate Line of Defense

By Aman Azhar — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:05:00 +0000

Wetlands restoration and shoreline rehabilitation efforts in South Baltimore promise to make communities resilient against climate change and severe weather while spawning new green spaces. Scientists say it’s a new science that needs careful and closer scrutiny.

By Aman Azhar

Brad Rogers and Brett Berkley stepped carefully on the gravel sill along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River in South Baltimore, which when covered with sandy fill will serve as the bed for 11 acres of newly constructed wetlands.

New Study Finds Lakes in Minority Communities Across the US Are Less Likely to be Monitored

By Lydia Larsen — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 08:55:00 +0000

Researchers originally planned to compare water quality in white and minority communities, but found that the relevant data was less likely to be collected in communities of color.

By Lydia Larsen

Advocates and researchers have long known that minority and disadvantaged communities are more likely to settle in areas with low air and water quality and less access to natural resources.

A Thousand Lives Lost, and Millions Disrupted, by Flooding in Western Africa

Interview by Steve Curwood, Living on Earth — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000

The city of Maiduguri, in Nigeria, had been drought-stricken. Then the rains, amplified by climate change, began and wouldn’t stop, inundating homes and overwhelming a dam.

Interview by Steve Curwood, Living on Earth

From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Host Steve Curwood with intern and graduate student Nana Mohammed on the catastrophe in Nigeria and other nations in western Africa.

Can Mississippi Advocates Use a Turtle To Fight a Huge Pearl River Engineering Project?

By Illan Ireland, Mississippi Free Press and Elise Plunk, Louisiana Illuminator — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Armed with new protections, the Pearl River map turtle could be the catalyst for halting a controversial U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project in Jackson, Mississippi.

By Illan Ireland, Mississippi Free Press and Elise Plunk, Louisiana Illuminator

TYLERTOWN, Miss.—On a clear, hot summer afternoon along the Bogue Chitto creek at Walker’s Bridge Water Park in southern Mississippi, Noah Devros dives into the murky water with a flashlight and cheap plastic dive mask. He emerges holding a small turtle.

Midwest States Struggle to Fund Dam Safety Projects, Even as Federal Aid Hits Historic Highs

By Kristoffer Tigue — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 09:05:00 +0000

Many dams in the Midwest do not meet grant eligibility requirements, leaving safety officials and residents worried about how they’ll prevent future collapses as flood risks increase.

By Kristoffer Tigue

MINNEAPOLIS—A record amount of federal aid will soon flow to states to help fix, replace or demolish their aging dams, many of which are under increasing pressure as climate change fuels more frequent and severe extreme weather events.

California Ballot Asks Voters to Invest in Climate Solutions

By Liza Gross — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:55:00 +0000

California officials cut billions from ambitious climate programs to offset an unexpected budget deficit. Now they hope voters approve a multibillion-dollar bond to fill the gap.

By Liza Gross

Following yet another year of brutal heatwaves and devastating wildfires, Californians have the chance to tell elected officials they support urgent climate action by voting for a $10 billion climate resilience bond on the November ballot.

New Study Suggests Major Climate Reports May Be Underestimating Drought Risks

By Bob Berwyn — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:37:31 +0000

North America and Southern Africa, in particular, may endure longer dry spells than water managers expect, but research shows rising emissions magnifying both wet and dry extremes.

By Bob Berwyn

Droughts in the coming decades could be longer than projected by current climate models, a new study published Wednesday in Nature warns.

Alabama Environmental Group, Fishermen Seek to End ‘Federal Mud Dumping’ in Mobile Bay

By Dennis Pillion — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000

They say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to deepen a shipping channel would devastate local oyster reefs and seagrass beds that are building blocks for the marsh ecosystem. Their arguments are being challenged on numerous fronts.

By Dennis Pillion

For five generations, Avery Bates’ family has worked pulling fish, shrimp, crabs and oysters out of Mobile Bay in south Alabama.

The Key to Fix California’s Inadequate Water Storage? Put Water Underground, Scientists Say

By Caroline Marshall Reinhart — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000

A new study finds that the state should replenish groundwater aquifers to sustain agriculture.

By Caroline Marshall Reinhart

A new University of California Riverside study on California agriculture and climate proposes a plan for new water capture, storage and distribution systems throughout California that will sustain agriculture and keep up with climate trajectories.

Another Midwest Drought Is Causing Transportation Headaches on the Mississippi River

By Kristoffer Tigue — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 09:05:00 +0000

Abnormally dry conditions have caused low water levels that disrupt barge transports carrying fuel and grain. Climatologists say it could be part of a larger trend.

By Kristoffer Tigue

For the third year in a row, extreme drought conditions in the Midwest are drawing down water levels on the Mississippi River, raising prices for companies that transport goods downstream and forcing governments and business owners to seek alternative solutions.