Water Desk Stories

We talk to Laura Paskus, a journalist with New Mexico PBS, about her coverage of climate change and water issues in the state.

Journalist Heather Hansman floated the Green River to explore water issues in the American West, then wrote a fascinating book about her journey.

After nearly 136 years of work, the U.S. Geological Survey still faces problems mapping small streams. Now hikers and lasers are on the solutions menu.

Journalist Geoff McGhee talks to Water Desk Director Mitch Tobin about how still images and video footage captured by planes and drone help explain water issues.

We discuss a recent American Rivers report that examines the economic value of rivers and our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure. The report calls on Congress to invest $500 billion over 10 years in water infrastructure and river restoration.

The Trump administration’s new definition of “waters of the United States” dramatically shrinks federal protection of many wetlands and waterways under the Clean Water Act. The rule change cuts red tape for farmers and developers but could threaten ecosystems and drinking water, especially in the arid West.

Water Desk Director Mitch Tobin talks to Cynthia Koehler, director of the Water Now Alliance, about the many challenges facing water providers and the solutions they are pursuing to make water systems more resilient and sustainable.

We talk with Water Desk consultant Geoff McGhee about some of the ways that data visualizations can help journalists tell stories about water. We discuss dashboards on our website that allow users to track and analyze data on drought, precipitation, the snowpack and major dams and reservoirs.