Entries by Brett Walton

Federal Water Tap, April 15: Climate Change Had Little Role in 2012 Drought; President Obama’s Budget

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The most severe drought in 117 years of recordkeeping on the Great Plains came quickly, without warning, and without any dominant cause, according to an analysis by university and government scientists. It was largely not a result of climate change, they claim, and it was not the result of the drought conditions in Texas from […]

Looking To Buy: Dry Year Means Higher Prices on California’s Water Market

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Scarce surface water supplies will lead to an active market, research firm says.

Don’t Believe the Hyperbole: Kansas’ Reputation as a Backward-thinking State is (Partially) Wrong

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When it comes to water management, Circle of Blue reporter Brett Walton thinks Kansas is a beacon on the plains.

With Locals at the Helm, Kansas Charts New Course for Groundwater Management

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As they have been doing for decades, political leaders and water managers in Kansas are upending Western water law traditions that originated before the state was even part of the Union.

Federal Water Tap, April 8: Progress Report on the National Water Census; Arkansas Oil Spill Photos

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The most comprehensive study of water resources ever in the United States is proceeding slowly, according to a U.S. Geological Survey progress report. A substantial amount of new data are required for the project, which will be “an ongoing and continuous activity,” the report states. The most detailed studies, of streamflow ecology, will require most […]

Texas High Plains Prepare for Agriculture Without Irrigation

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Southern farmers are making changes now to wean themselves from the Ogallala Aquifer, a water source that gave rise to industrial agriculture and modern life on its plains.

Federal Water Tap, April 1: Saltier Water for Some Coastal Cities

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As oceans climb because of climate change, utilities that pull drinking water from rivers near the coast could see their supplies getting saltier, according to new research from the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS used climate models and observational data to look at the interaction between river flows, sea-level rise and tidal changes along the […]

Report: USDA Says Farmers Expected to Plant More Water-efficient Crops in 2013

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Though corn acreage is forecasted to rise slightly over last year’s planting, the biggest jump is predicted for sorghum, which uses less water.

Bad Report Card: Low Marks — Again — For U.S. Water Infrastructure

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The American Society of Civil Engineers says that more money needs to be spent on infrastructure. Photo courtesy of the Nebraska State Historical Society In 1889, the streets of Kearney, Nebraska, were ripped open so that workers could install sewer pipes. In some U.S. cities, pipes this old are still in the ground. Click to […]

UNICEF Warns of a ‘Lost Generation’ for Syria’s Children

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The humanitarian agency lacks the money to serve the millions displaced by the Syrian civil war. Graphic courtesy of UNICEF The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has requested $US 195 million to help Syrians affected by the country’s civil war. The humanitarian agency has received just over 20 percent of its request and may have […]

Federal Water Tap, March 25: Twenty Percent of U.S. River-Miles Are Healthy, EPA Says

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Only one of every five miles of river in the United States is ecologically and biologically healthy, according to a first-of-its-kind assessment of national water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency used random sampling to estimate river and stream health in the lower 48 states. Based on data from 1,924 sites monitoring rivers, streams and ponds, […]

Report: UN Proposes a Common Definition for Water Security on World Water Day 2013

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Water security should have a common language, and it should be a priority for global sustainable development goals, according to a new report by UN-Water.