Human-caused climate change is having varied and unpredictable effects on maple harvests in Wisconsin, Iowa and elsewhere, experts say.
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
It’s prime eagle-watching time on the upper Mississippi River: Here’s how to get the best views
Many people might go their entire lives without seeing a bald eagle. But if you live within driving distance of the upper Mississippi River, that’s not a problem.
Posted inEnvironment
PFAS is piling up in our trash. Can we keep it contained?
Toxic “forever chemicals” are sitting in landfills. Researchers are studying whether PFAS might escape from trash into the air.
Posted inEnvironment
Poopspotting: How AI and satellites can detect illegal manure spreading in Wisconsin
Applying manure atop snow or frozen soil heightens the risk of runoff. Researchers are using aerial photographs — snapped by satellites orbiting the globe — to teach computers to recognize winter spreading.
Posted inEnvironment
Upper Mississippi River flooding unlikely after relatively dry winter
Unless thunderstorms dump rain on the Midwest in the coming months, there’s little chance of spring flooding on the upper Mississippi River this year, forecasters say.
Posted inEnvironment
Latest farm data ‘a wake-up call’ as Midwest farmers face ever steeper challenges
The latest Ag Census data show alarming trends in the upper Mississippi River basin, one of the most intensive agricultural areas in the U.S.: Less diverse farmers, more and more farms are going out of business, and farmland is being consolidated, making it even more difficult to get into the industry.
Posted inEnvironment
Renewed legislation aims to safeguard Mississippi River amid growing environmental concerns
A proposal to create a federal funding program to protect the Mississippi River is back in front of Congress. Advocates say it would mirror those of other major watersheds and is long overdue.
Posted inEnvironment
Heavy snowfall that walloped Midwest could bring drought relief
Several winter storms have barreled through the Midwest since the start of the year. As the snow and ice melt, water will bleed into parched waterways, helping restore stream flows decimated by drought.
Posted inEnvironment
Here’s how the locks and dams on the Mississippi River work — and why they exist
The construction of locks and dams has transformed how the Mississippi River runs. Here’s what to know about them.
Posted inEnvironment
How much trash does the Mississippi River funnel from Midwest to Gulf of Mexico?
How much trash does the Mississippi River take along with it? That’s what a group of researchers and environmental advocates wanted to find out when they began a litter analysis.
Posted inEnvironment
Kohler Co. golf course plans along Lake Michigan dealt another setback. Here’s what to know.
The fate of Kohler Co.’s decade-long effort to build a championship golf course atop wetlands and forest in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, remains in question following a court ruling applauded by the project’s opponents.
Posted inEnvironment
Nonstop dredging kept Mississippi River open this year, but moving sand creates its own problems
Historic low flows turned the Mississippi River into a construction area in 2023 as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged huge quantities of sand to keep the channel open for barge traffic.