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Federal regulators say the Iowa Department of Natural Resources should add half a dozen river segments to the state’s 2024 list of impaired waterways.

The EPA says nitrate levels in sections of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, Raccoon and South Skunk rivers exceeded safe drinking water standards... 

To read more:

EPA says more Iowa river segments are impaired due to high nitrate levels - Radio Iowa

Nitrates and other forms of nutrient pollution from agricultural applications are contaminating aquifers and federal intervention is needed to protect drinking water supplies, wrote a coalition of 23 groups from five states to Environmental Protection Agency official Bruno Pigott. The threat is particularly clear in places like Iowa, where Des Moines Water Works operates one of the largest nitrate-removal facilities in the world on an as-needed basis and has had to keep it going for two months in a row to combat elevated levels of nitrates. "The Clean Water Act is very good at reducing pollution from point sources, but for non-point sources, like row crop agriculture, the Clean Water Act has proven not to be a sufficient tool," said Michael Schmidt, a staff attorney at the Iowa Environmental Council.

Ag Pollution Is Keeping Des Moines Water Works Busy. Can It Keep Up? - Inside Climate News

By Keenan Penn II

Published: Sep. 30, 2024 at 7:03 PM CDT

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The final meetings for the Kansas water conservation plan took place on Monday morning in east Wichita.

The public meeting took place at the Wichita State Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex and brought Kansans in to discuss how to allocate funds intended for the water conservation plan.

Focal points include drought, proper filtration and the longevity and sustainability of water long-term.

“Everyone has a role to play in water conservation,” said Lead Facilitator for the Kansas Water Plan Implementation, Julie Lorenz. “...There’s never enough time or money to do everything that everyone wants, so you have to prioritize... we get to the most pressing problems first. "

To read the full article:

Kansans gather to discuss water conservation priorities, investment (kwch.com)

Protecting North Dakota’s water interests in the Missouri River from downstream and western states will be critical in coming years.

That was the message several elected officials and members of the public heard Tuesday at a public meeting held by the Missouri River Joint Board as part of its “Educate. Advocate. Engage” initiative. The initiative is designed to educate residents and policy makers and ensure their voices are heard in how the river system is managed.

“The Missouri River is our greatest natural asset because it’s our most reliable and plentiful source of fresh water. It accounts for over 95 percent of the riverine flow in our state,” said Clay Carufel, an engineer with the North Dakota Department of Water Resources.

To read the rest of the article:

ND looks to protect Missouri River interests | News, Sports, Jobs - Minot Daily News

States, Native American tribes and local communities could get help accessing federal funds for water infrastructure projects in drought-stricken areas under new U.S. Senate legislation.

The Water Project Navigators Act – sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Brittany Pettersen and Juan Ciscomani – would create a program in the Bureau of Reclamation to place “navigator” positions in local, state and tribal communities. Navigators would help connect communities to resources.

Sen. Moran helps introduce bill to fund water preservation | Business | derbyinformer.com

By Angela Smith

Published: Sep. 19, 2024 at 12:32 PM CDT

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The City of Wichita said it will increase enforcement as it continues Stage 2 water restrictions.

The city enacted the water restrictions in August. They were set to expire on October 5, but the city said it has seen an uptick in usage.

To read full article:

Wichita to continue Stage 2 water restrictions, increase enforcement (kwch.com)

MICHIGAMME TOWNSHIP, Michigan — In the sun-drenched forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stands the black, gaping mouth of the nation’s only operating nickel mine.

Hundreds of feet below in the darkness, heavy machinery blasts, scrapes and prepares to haul up to the surface rock rich with tiny flecks of high-grade nickel and copper formed more than 1 billion years ago.

The Eagle mine’s steady stream of dark, gray ore will eventually be shipped to a nearby mill to be processed, placed on rail cars and sent to smelters in Canada before being sold into a global market to feed booming demand for stainless steel — and increasingly, batteries for electric vehicles.

Deep in the nation’s only nickel mine, industry fights to green its image - E&E News by POLITICO (eenews.net)

The Biden administration announced a goal Tuesday to protect and restore 8 million acres of wetlands over the next six years in an effort to counter development pressures and recently weakened federal regulations.

The bold new target seeks to reverse the ongoing loss of U.S. wetlands, which help keep pollutants out of rivers and streams and act as a natural buffer against flooding. Over 60 percent of wetlands now lack protections under the Clean Water Act for the first time in decades after the Supreme Court curtailed the law’s scope last year.

Biden admin vows to restore 8M acres of wetlands - E&E News by POLITICO (eenews.net)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation will send $242 million to five projects in Western states to improve water storage and clean drinking water supply.

The money, part of the president’s domestic infrastructure and manufacturing agenda and funded through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, is expected to develop 1.6 million acre-feet of water storage, supporting 6.4 million people per year. Projects in Colorado, Arizona, Washington state and California will receive funding.

The Arkansas Valley Conduit, a major pipeline project in Colorado that has stalled for decades, is set to receive $90 million. Once completed, it will bring clean water to 50,000 people in 39 communities across the southeastern portion of the state, according to a release from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Five water projects in Western states to receive $242M from feds - The Columbian

Saltwater moving up the Mississippi River is again threatening southeast Louisiana drinking water supplies, forcing the Army Corps of Engineers to build an underwater levee to combat it for the third year in a row.

Corps to build sill in Mississippi River to battle saltwater | Environment | nola.com