Originally published by SEJournal Online, the weekly news magazine of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Published October 22, 2025. When I first decided to write an article about immigration enforcement and water access in California, I didn’t expect to be making revelations about the reality of journalism in the United States today. And I definitely […] The post Feature: Targets on Their Backs … and Ours? Reporting on Immigrant Farmworkers appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
CAPE TOWN — Pictographs of the golden gills of Clanwilliam sandfish, endemic only to the Olifants-Doring River basin, stretch across rocky walls of sandstone caves in South Africa’s Cederberg Mountains — a range north of this coastal city that straddles two biodiversity hotspots, the Cape Floristic Region and Mars-like Karoo. Annual migrations of the glistening […] The post To Save A Disappearing Fish, South African Farmers Open Their Ponds appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
Lakes Mead and Powell, the largest reservoirs on the Colorado River, do not just store water. Their dams, Hoover and Glen Canyon, also generate electricity. This hydropower drives irrigation pumps and fuels industries. It keeps the lights on for customers on tribal lands, in the basin’s largest cities, and in sleepy desert towns. But less […] The post Two-Decade Hydropower Plunge at Big Colorado River Dams appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
In late May, as the outside temperature approached 100 degrees, Arizona’s top water policy officials gathered in an air-conditioned Phoenix conference room. Their purpose that day was to decide whether the state should extend a longstanding drought emergency declaration. The standard indicators – minimal precipitation, low reservoirs, the second-hottest 12-month period on record – were […] The post Solar Growth Cushions Colorado River Hydropower Declines appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
For just one mournful yet brilliant day — the first day of October 2025, the day Jane Goodall died — the deepening menace of our era was eased by the shining example of her life. People around the world took time to simultaneously grieve her passing and exult in her enduring achievements as scientist, conservationist, […] The post Jane Goodall’s Legacy Included Protecting Clean Water appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
By Stephen Starr, Great Lakes Now; September 30, 2025 The ready access to nature and winter sports is what prompted Elizabeth Scott and her family to up sticks from Portland, Oregon, to Houghton on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula in summer 2021. With 29% of Michigan’s territory and only 3% of its population, to many, the Upper Peninsula […] The post Boom or burden? Climate migration’s impact on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
By Stephen Starr, Great Lakes Now, September 24, 2025 Stroll along Cleveland’s Edgewater Pier on a summer evening, and you’ll hear Arabic, Spanish, and other languages wafting through the lake air. For decades, international immigrants have found a home in the city of Lake Erie. But now, there’s an increasing chance that future waves of migrants […] The post How Great Lakes cities are preparing for climate migration appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
The world is awash in flames. Nearly 22 million acres in Canada have burned this year, the second highest annual total for the country in the last four decades. The European Union is experiencing its worst fire year in the last two decades. Much of the damage has occurred in Portugal, where three times more […] The post A World on Fire Is a Water Risk appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
Last February, when Elon Musk called the U.S. Agency for International Development “a criminal organization” that had outlived its usefulness, the full calamitous measure of closing the world’s most important human aid organization was not yet apparent overseas or in America. Seven months later it is brutally apparent. Across the planet a shameful retreat is […] The post “America First” Puts Big Hurt on International Water Programs appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
By Fatima Syed, The Narwhal The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water. This independent journalism is supported […] The post What’s going on in Wasaga Beach? Profit, piping plovers and an ...| Circle of Blue
Every dollar that the federal government directs to state environment departments enables the Great Lakes and every other region to steward natural resources, yielding many times the value of the federal contribution. State environment departments make the case daily that they merit more financial support, not less. That is why Circle of Blue’s opinion desk […] The post Slashing Federal Budget Is Big Problem for State Environment Agencies appeared first on Circle of Blue.| Circle of Blue
Explore the impact of Lake Superior invasive mussels on the ecosystem and water quality in the Great Lakes region.| Circle of Blue
Circle of Blue delivers award-winning water journalism, science, and data. Get trusted water news on climate, policy, and global challenges.| Circle of Blue
Weekly and special podcasts from Circle of Blue, highlighting the competition between water, food, and energy.| Circle of Blue
Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States for Circle of Blue. Brett also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He has an MA in Central Asian studies from the University of Washington and a BA in English from the University of Richmond. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental jou...| Circle of Blue
Originally published by SEJournal Online, the weekly news magazine of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Published October 22, 2025. When I first decided to write an article about immigration enforcement and water access in California, I didn’t expect to be making revelations about the reality of journalism in the United States today. And I definitely […]| Circle of Blue
By Mitch Tobin, The Water Desk Every spring, high-country streams and rivers in the American West begin to swell with water as the region’s snowpack starts to dissipate. It’s easy to assume that the liquid flowing in these water bodies is just fresh meltwater emanating from the preceding winter’s snowpack. But a recent study of […]| Circle of Blue
Learn about the dangers of cigarette butt pollution Great Lakes face and how it affects local wildlife and communities.| Circle of Blue
People are unprepared for smoke from forest fires worsened by intense drought and heat.| Circle of Blue
Era of megafires endangers water supplies in American West.| Circle of Blue
Uncover the realities of the Flagstaff Pipeline Fire and how it affects communities, wildlife, and the environment at large.| Circle of Blue
Explore the rising presence of blue-green algae in Ontario lakes and its implications for local ecosystems as temperatures rise.| Circle of Blue
Explore the quantum shift in Chicago’s economy as it transforms the former U.S. Steel South Works site into a sustainable future.| Circle of Blue
Explore the significance of irrigation in the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation Canal for sustaining valuable farmland and orchards in Washington.| Circle of Blue
Explore the hidden caches of fresh water and the emerging threats to this vital resource as the planet changes.| Circle of Blue
Discover the implications of Trump's proposed cuts to infrastructure funding for drinking water and sewer systems.| Circle of Blue
Explore the Klamath River's transformation as salmon return home following the historic removal of four dams.| Circle of Blue
Explore the beauty of the Great Lakes, where breathtaking sand dunes meet the crystal-clear waters of Lake Michigan.| Circle of Blue