The Stream, February 11: Water Shortages in Northeast U.S.

Droughts and water scarcity in Texas, Colorado and Mississippi might be dominating the headlines, but some Northeast U.S. states are running into water-supply challenges of their own. The University of Connecticut, NPR reported, wanted to use water from a local river in its expansion plans, but some fear climate variability and distance from the river’s watershed make the supply too unstable.

Surveyor of Snowpack
Every year, California’s chief snow surveyor measures the Sierra Nevada snowpack, and his results affect the entire state’s water-supply system. This year, The New York Times reported, snowpack fell just below average after a strong start.

Running Dry in Mumbai
In Mumbai, India, a new study by a local governmental authority found that a third of the city’s water bodies could disappear soon. Whether through water-quality deterioration, evaporation or other means, the Hindustan Times reported, 36 out of 103 water bodies studied are close to vanishing.

Drilling on Mars
For the first time, NASA’s Curiosity rover drilled into Martian rock to collect samples that might tell scientists more about whether Mars could once support life. River valleys, grooves and stream networks have all appeared, Bloomberg Businessweek reported, features are that typically formed by large volumes of water.

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