Water & Oceans

"Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, top aide Rich Baird and former health director Nick Lyon have been told they will face criminal charges resulting from Flint's water crisis, according to a source with knowledge of the situation."

"Federal and state wildlife officials are investigating who wrote the name “Trump” on the back of a manatee that was spotted in a popular wintering spot for the threatened creatures.

The agencies don’t think the manatee was hurt — the letters appear to have been formed by scraping away algae that often coats the backs of the slow-moving mammals — but the prank appears to be a clear violation of laws against harassing them.

"At least 50 countries committed to protecting 30% of the planet, including land and sea, over the next decade to halt species extinction and address climate change issues, during a global summit Monday aimed at protecting the world’s biodiversity."

"The warming climate is intensifying drought, contributing to fires and drying out the river's headwaters, sending consequences cascading downstream."

"The second-warmest year on record brought storms, fires and floods that killed at least 8,200 people and cost the world $210 billion in losses, according to a report by Munich Re."

"California’s salmon populations have been dangerously close to extinction for decades. A new partnership may help tip the scales toward recovery."

"A Michigan judge has overruled state regulators who approved a key permit for a proposed open-pit mine in the Upper Peninsula, another delay for a project that has been debated for nearly two decades."

"Chris Wilkerson used to get phone calls in the middle of the night about poop."

Some of last year's top water stories are likely to stay in the news for 2021. They will include water scarcity in the drying colorado river basin, the Biden administration's infrastructure and social justice agenda, the growing burden of customer water debt, and PFAS lawsuits.