Road salt is primarily to blame for the shift, though the water remains within safe levels for now.
Natural Resources
From River to Sea: Estimating Wood Cascades
Dams and deforestation have chipped away at the millions of cubic meters of wood that flow through rivers and out to sea.
Satellites Spy on Sand Mining in the Mekong
Concrete, used in everything from streets to skyscrapers, needs sand, often mined from active rivers in developing countries with little oversight. Researchers can now use satellites to keep watch.
Water Quality Policy Must Consider Stored Watershed Phosphorous
Phosphorous stored in watersheds and affects water quality for decades. A new model predicts phosphorus accumulation and depletion, and the consequences for water quality conservation measures.
Freshwater Mussel Shells May Retain Record of Alpine Snowpack
A new study explores a possible proxy for seasonal freshwater input that could elucidate changes in alpine snowpack as the planet warms.
Degraded Coral Reefs May Be More Resistant to Climate Change
New research on Kiribati’s beleaguered atolls paints a complex picture of reef recovery.
The Changing Climate’s Snowball Effect
Shrinking snowpack, thawing permafrost, and shifting precipitation patterns have widespread consequences. Can new technologies—and public policies—help communities adapt?
Collaboration in the Rockies Aims to Model Mountain Watersheds Worldwide
As Earth’s climate changes at an unprecedented rate, the Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory is studying precipitation on an unprecedented scale.
Forest Recovery in the Amazon Is a Slow Process
For the first time, a study analyzes Amazon forest loss and recovery at national and subnational levels. One finding shows that new plantings offset less than 10% of emissions associated with deforestation.
When Rivers Are Contaminated, Floods Are Only the First Problem
As floods increase in frequency and intensity, chemicals buried in river sediments become “ticking time bombs” waiting to activate.