Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Nowhere to hide: Microplastics are polluting western North Carolina watersheds
December 11, 2024
A year-long study finds an alarming trend about the distribution of microplastics in a remote section of a mountain watershed.
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The Biden administration weighs in on Colorado River management
December 03, 2024
Amid mounting drought, changing federal leadership and stalled state negotiations, new federal proposals aim to chart a forward path.
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Rural water utilities in North Carolina are still reeling from Helene
November 22, 2024
Dozens of rural water systems were knocked out by the hurricane. Full recovery may take years.
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For tens of thousands of West Virginians who need clean water, a $1 billion investment is a drop in the bucket
October 31, 2024
Mountain State Spotlight reporters spoke with residents in all 55 counties, folks everywhere brought up water quality and access. Despite the increased investments from state and federal officials in recent years, the need still outweighs the available funds.
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Scientists are closing in on an explanation for what contaminated Orange County’s water supply — and it’s not making residents feel safer
September 18, 2024
Despite the early suspicion that the contamination came from the river, now the investigators from the Virginia Health Department and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality think that it originated in the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant.
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Cattle Production That Enhances Water and Environmental Quality
August 08, 2024
Michigan State’s Jason Rowntree is out to prove that ranching is an ecological asset.
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Warmer temperatures mean devastating E. coli outbreaks like the one at Lake Anna could become more common
August 06, 2024
Considering that there are dozens of beaches closed nationwide this summer due to high E. coli concentration in the water, there are reasons to be more cautious and thoughtful before entering the natural waters.
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Texas Water Board details how it will spend $1 billion for water infrastructure projects
July 29, 2024
About $45 million will go to Texas towns with fewer than 1,000 residents — a boon for municipalities without a viable tax base.
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GRAPHIC: Top commodity crop and CAFO states are responsible for the most nutrient pollution, USGS model shows
July 09, 2024
An estimated quarter of all phosphorus runoff in the Midwest and 40% of all nitrogen runoff from farming practices comes from just three states — Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.
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A Biden effort to conserve oceans is leaving out Indigenous peoples, report finds
July 03, 2024
U.S. Pacific territories bear the burden of marine protected areas while missing out on economic benefits.
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Proposed state cuts could end emergency water aid for thousands of San Joaquin Valley families
June 21, 2024
A Visalia-based nonprofit that helps low-income valley residents with housing and water needs said cutting funding for such a crucial program would have devastating effects on rural and disadvantaged communities.
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Colorado River Water Use in Three States Drops to 40-Year Low
June 14, 2024
Arizona, California, and Nevada take less water from the struggling river.
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On any given day, this Pa. community might not have running water. Residents are at a loss.
June 03, 2024
A four-month Spotlight PA investigation found customers served by Rock Spring’s roughly 20-mile system have been failed by the company, state regulators, and elected officials.
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Community forum on manure management spreads information and raises more questions
May 17, 2024
The League of Women Voters of Door County hosted a forum titled “The Big Stink: A Question of Manure.” The event shared information the League gathered in a study of manure management and groundwater contamination.
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Rivers are the West’s largest source of clean energy. What happens when drought strikes?
April 26, 2024
With rivers across the West running low, utilities must get creative if they are to meet demand without increasing emissions.
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