Environment News and Investigative Reporting - Wisconsin Watch

A narrow creek flows between snow-covered banks lined with leafless trees and fallen branches in a wooded area.

This little-known FEMA rule may be making flooding worse in rural Wisconsin

by Christian Thorsberg / Circle of Blue February 19, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

An outdated federal rule is routinely blocking projects to improve water quality, prevent erosion and reduce flooding.

An aerial view of a large industrial complex next to a pond and surrounding construction areas at sunset, with orange light along the horizon under a cloudy sky.

Environment, Government

Wisconsin debates how to pay for the power-hungry AI boom

by Kari Lydersen / Canary Media January 30, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

An aerial view shows a sandy beach and greenish lake water with a wooden breakwater, a wooded bluff behind the shore, houses along the top, and a small wooden structure near the sand.

Environment, Government

Municipal judge rules against man challenging private beach access

by Noe Goldhaber / Wisconsin Watch January 29, 2026January 29, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

An aerial view of a large industrial complex next to a pond and surrounding construction areas at sunset, with orange light along the horizon under a cloudy sky.

Environment, Government

Disputes over clean energy may doom Wisconsin data center bills

by Kari Lydersen / Canary Media January 20, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person holds a shovel that is holding a leafy plant with roots and soil attached in a green field, with a vehicle parked in the field in the background under a blue sky with some clouds.

For these faithful, nurturing the Earth is rooted in spiritual beliefs

by Madeline Heim / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel January 17, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A large yellow crane's lifting line is attached to a large concrete wall panel at a construction site with rollers, dirt piles, traffic barrels, and vertical posts behind a fence.

Data center boom follows decades of declining electricity and water use in Wisconsin

by Rich Kremer / WPR January 13, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A sandy beach is next to greenish lake water, with a wooden breakwater extending into the water. Stairs behind a brown and orange structure lead up a wooded bluff to houses above the shoreline.

Environment, Government

Public property. No trespassing? Man hopes his $313 ticket will reshape Lake Michigan shoreline access

by Dan Egan for Wisconsin Watch January 8, 2026January 8, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Open water ripples in the foreground as people and small shelters sit scattered across a snow-covered frozen lake, with buildings and trees along the far shoreline.

Environment, Health & Welfare

On thin ice: Falls through the ice on Wisconsin lakes are becoming more common. There’s more than just warm weather to blame.

by Jess Miller for Wisconsin Watch January 8, 2026January 9, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Two green harvesting machines move across a large tan field, leaving parallel rows and dust clouds, with patchwork farmland and trees on the horizon.

Economy, Environment

China is investing billions in Latin America, potentially sidelining US farmers for decades to come

by Mónica Cordero / Investigate Midwest January 1, 2026January 15, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A man stands next to a creek and a small foot bridge of logs while surrounded by forest.

As data centers boom, rural Waldo braces for high-voltage lines over wetlands and homes

by Christian Thorsberg / Circle of Blue December 29, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Arial view of a ship in icy, moving waters on a gray day.

‘We can put a man on the moon … but we can’t get a tugboat out of a harbor’: Who will move the abandoned Donny S.?

by Emily Small / Door County Knock December 25, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person wearing a hooded sweatshirt with "STEIGER" on the front stands on grass in front of several large corrugated metal grain bins with "WESTEEL" on them.

Economy, Environment

Soybeans have been a top US ag export for decades. What happens when the top buyer stops buying?

by Cassandra Stephenson / Tennessee Lookout, Gabby Nelson / Buffalo’s Fire and Mónica Cordero / Investigate Midwest December 24, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch