Water & Oceans

"Skimpy-clothed people splashing amid the red sandstone canyons of Utah define our images of Lake Powell. But six months ago, engineers and water officials from the seven states of the Colorado River Basin quietly met in Santa Fe to consider a more serious possibility: Continued drought could leave too little water in the reservoir for the eight giant turbines in Glen Canyon Dam to produce electricity."

Columnist Allen Best reports for the Denver Post December 8, 2013.

"Plan grants increased water access to all three parties, but environmentalists warn of unpredictable consequences."

"Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and state officials today announced the latest and largest slate of proposed projects to be funded by BP PLC to restore environmental damage and lost public use from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill."

"Over a four-year span, the United States lost more than 360,000 acres of freshwater and saltwater wetlands to fierce storms, sea-level rise and booming development along the coasts, according to a newly released federal study."

"A mysterious pathogen is wiping out starfish along the Pacific coast, a potential catastrophe that has flummoxed marine biologists who are joining forces to find the culprit."

"A case involving the disposal of industrial wastewater pits two interests that are dear to many Texans against each other: oil and gas resources versus private property rights."

"Most of the pilot whales that were stranded in the Florida Everglades swam into deeper water on Thursday while rescuers tried to chase the rest out to sea by banging on pipes and revving their boat engines."

"Everglades National Park, Florida (CNN) -- The outlook for dozens of short-finned pilot whales stranded in shallow water off Florida's Everglades National Park "does not look good," wildlife officials said Wednesday."

"Traces of 18 unregulated chemicals were found in drinking water from more than one-third of U.S. water utilities in a nationwide sampling, according to new, unpublished research by federal scientists. Included are 11 perfluorinated chemicals, an herbicide, two solvents, caffeine, an antibacterial compound, a metal and an antidepressant."

"Tiny bits of plastic rubbish ingested by marine worms is significantly harming their health and will have wider impact on ocean ecosystems, scientists have found."