News We are Following

Five out of seven Colorado River basin states are failing to maximize a critical resource that could help alleviate the region’s long-standing water crisis, a new report found.

Across all the states, just 26 percent of treated municipal wastewater is being reused, according to the research, released by the University of California, Los Angeles, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

As Colorado River declines, states are failing to tap an alternate resource

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — As a legal battle continues over water rights in central Kansas, two communities involved are celebrating a $15.8 million grant that could help them. Hays and Russell are getting the Build Kansas Grant to help pipe water 70 miles from a ranch in Edwards County.

“This investment is crucial for ensuring our community’s long-term sustainability and resilience against drought conditions that have historically challenged our region,” Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty said in a statement.

Kansas water battle: $15.8M for Hays and Russell

The Ogallala aquifer that sustains parts of western Kansas has been declining rapidly, and some farmers say the solution is an aqueduct running across the state. But critics of the idea say it isn’t practical and is a distraction from real solutions to water issues.

GRANT COUNTY, Kansas— Nature isn’t easy on farmers in western Kansas.

On a day when the temperature reached as low as -6 degrees, the frigid cold didn’t stop farmer Clay Scott. He still needs to get out and feed the cattle as a rare snowstorm is approaching his neck of the woods.

In between patches of snow lies arid land that sustains Scott and his family. Luckily, Scott farms wheat, corn and milo over the Ogallala aquifer, an underground source of water that has defined western Kansas, and supported the irrigation that turned the area into an agricultural powerhouse.

To see full article:  Could an aqueduct bring water to western Kansas, or is it a pipedream?

Water scarcity is often viewed as an issue for the arid American West, but the U.S. Northeast’s experience in 2024 shows how severe droughts can occur in just about any part of the country.

Cities in the Northeast experienced record-breaking drought conditions in the second half of 2024 after a hot, dry summer in many areas. Wildfires broke out in several states that rarely see them.

By December, much of the region was experiencing moderate to severe drought. Residents in New York City and Boston were asked to reduce their water use, while Philadelphia faced risk to its water supply due to saltwater coming up the Delaware River.

Drought can hit almost anywhere: How 5 cities that nearly ran dry got water use under control

The Corps is currently tracking three ice jams on the Missouri River described in order from upstream to downstream (below). Included are descriptions with either USACE stage plots or NWS plots. Since these are ice-affected rivers, please disregard the flows, which are NOT accurate.

1.  Above Sioux City near Ponca, NE. The Ponca, NE gage shows some evidence of ice blockage, which had held up water flowing to Sioux City. Ponca gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/pone.jpg. At Sioux City, IA, water with 30% floating ice was moving through Sioux City and the gage has returned to a more normal level following the drop that occurred on Jan. 21. Sioux City gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/sux.jpg.

2.  Below Blair, NE. A large ice jam has been in place somewhere below Blair (RM 648) and above north Omaha (RM 627). The jam extends upstream to somewhere near Blencoe, IA. The river stage at Blair has risen about 1.5 feet since Thursday afternoon. Blair gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/blne.jpg. The river stage at Decatur, NE (RM 691) has also risen due to addition ice stacking up downstream. Decatur gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/dene.jpg.

3.  South Omaha, NE. An ice jam is occurring somewhere near RM 606 and has backed up ice through the Omaha riverfront. Stages continue to be high at the Omaha gages (Omaha: https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/OMHN1; Highway 92: https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/MOMN1); however, a stage drop of 3 feet continues downstream at Bellevue, NE due to the upstream ice jam. Bellevue: https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/MTLN1.

Temperatures will moderate over the weekend with daytime highs in the mid 30s (deg F) and overnight lows in the teens to 20s before a warm-up on Monday. The Gavins Point release of 14,000 cfs will be extended again through noon on Tuesday, January 28. The Corps MRBWM office will re-evaluate this release plan on Monday and Tuesday morning. As a reminder, the USACE Gavins Point and Missouri River forecast can be found at: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/reports/pdfs/GRFT.pdf. Official river forecasts for the Missouri River issued by the National Weather Service may be found at: https://www.weather.gov/mbrfc/.  

This information was supplied to MOARC by PortKC

Across the U.S., states have been grappling with increasing water supply and water quality complications largely driven by climate change, aging infrastructure and pollution. A new research and data resource from the U.S. Geological Survey looks to help inform policymakers' and other stakeholders’ efforts to address water supply risks in their communities. 

In Kansas late last year, for instance, several communities’ water supplies were contaminated by nitrate pollution from crop fertilizer. The situation led to the city of Pratt turning off two wells that make up a quarter of the town’s water supply, sparking concerns of future water shortages if municipalities like Pratt have to continue shutting off that supply. 

To read the full article:  Feds offer new data, research to refresh states’ water woes - Route Fifty

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