States across the Mississippi River basin are experiencing drought more commonly found in the arid Southwest, federal data shows. As of Oct. 20, nearly two-thirds of Wisconsin’s land was experiencing at least “abnormally dry” conditions, while swaths of western and northern Wisconsin saw moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Tag: Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk
The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk is an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Wisconsin Watch is a member of the network.
Posted inEnvironment
To stay or to go: Increased flooding forces choices along the Mississippi River
As increased rainfall strains aging infrastructure, residents along the Mississippi River ask the same question: Do we pack up and move out?
Posted inEnvironment
The Mississippi River basin is getting wetter as climate change brings era of extreme rain, floods
Unprecedented heavy rains are increasing throughout the Mississippi River basin, changing communities and posing new challenges for farmers.
Posted inEnvironment
Nitrate pours into Mississippi River and other U.S. waterways, report says
Regulated industries in 2020 released at least 94.5 million pounds of potentially harmful nitrates into the Mississippi River basin. But some releases go untallied.
Posted inEnvironment
Research seeks ways to grow solar and crops together in the skeptical Corn Belt
Much Midwest land that could be used for solar power is tied up in row crops. Researchers examine how to build solar panels without taking out cropland.
Posted inEnvironment, Health & Welfare
Wisconsin’s French Island faces stark choices as PFAS water crisis lingers
A lifeline could disappear due to a pollution lawsuit that has implications for the 1.7 million Wisconsinites who rely on private wells.
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Government
Mississippi River mayors gather in St. Louis, push for program to safeguard lower basin
A coalition of Mississippi River mayors is celebrating the Senate approval of a lower river basin plan. At their annual meeting in St. Louis, members of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) discussed policy priorities and strategized ways to benefit the region.
Posted inEnvironment
Testing the waters: How groups monitor toxic algae in the absence of state testing
Toxic blue-green algae can sicken people and animals. Few states have routine testing programs to check for algae, so some local and volunteer groups are stepping in to fill that gap.
Posted inEnvironment
Midwest summer nights are heating up — and that’s hurting crops and livestock
Warm nights this summer hurt farmers and ranchers in Wisconsin and across the Midwest. It’s a long-term trend that’s expected to continue.
Posted inEnvironment
Millions spent to keep invasive fish out of the Great Lakes, but who is protecting the Mississippi River?
As silver carp draw most attention, more than two dozen other invasive species inch closer to the Mississippi River Basin.
Posted inEnvironment
Should you eat fish from the Mississippi River? Depends on which state you ask.
State fish consumption guidelines often conflict along the shared body of water, making it difficult to make informed health decisions.
Posted inEnvironment
How year-round crops could reduce farm pollution in the Mississippi River
“For years, Minnesota has struggled to reduce the farm pollution that runs into streams, lakes, the Mississippi River and eventually, the Gulf of Mexico. Crop breeders are working on 16 perennial and winter annual crops to suck up that nutrient pollution before it escapes.