Freshwater Stories From National Geographic: Water Conservation and Pollution

Climate Change Poses Existential Water Risks

The U.S. Southwest and Great Plains will almost certainly experience unprecedented “mega-droughts” this century.

Picture of aerial view of Colorado River

Is This the World’s Largest Freshwater Fish?

A giant freshwater stingray caught and released in Thailand provides new insight on threatened species.
6 Ways to Save the Salton Sea and Colorado Delta

Both ecosystems are critical freshwater sources for humans and wildlife.
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Epic California Drought

The good news is that new methods of monitoring water from space work very well. The bad news is that we are running out of it.
India’s Food Security Threatened by Groundwater Depletion

Mining groundwater would unleash painful social and economic consequences for a nation of 1.25 billion people.
Saving the Colorado River Delta, One Habitat at a Time

A trickle of water is being returned to a few parts of the dried-out delta-and those parts are blooming.
Algae "Rock Snot" Filling Up Rivers

A type of algae that's carpeting rivers and lakes worldwide is likely spreading due to our warmer climate, a new study says.
Record Drought Changes Iconic River

With Lake Powell, the Colorado River reservoir, at historic lows, kayakers have new channels to explore. But alarm about drought in the West is rising.
Freshwater Hero: Pete McBride

Pete is a photographer and visual storyteller with an emphasis on freshwater conservation.
Two Snapping Turtle Species Found

The alligator snapping turtle, the biggest freshwater turtle in North America, is actually three separate species, a new study says.
Aral Sea's New Low

Once the world's fourth largest lake, the vast Asian lake was drained for irrigation.
Water Flows Into Delta

A historic "pulse flow" returns life to the Colorado Delta, which has been parched for decades.
Relief on Tap for Colorado Delta

A groundbreaking agreement between two nations allows for restoration of a rich ecosystem.
Can California Farmers Save Water?

Two fast-approaching deadlines threaten to undermine the future success of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, which aimed to wean California off its overdependence on Colorado River water.
Is America's Water Safe?

Yes, water in the U.S. is mostly safe to drink. But the answer is murkier than you might like.
Lessons From California's Ancient Droughts

Scientists have mounting evidence of centuries-long droughts in the West's distant past. They warn that Californians are now vulnerable to a drought that is measured in decades—or even hundreds of years.
Start of the Amazon River

Why are researchers and explorers still arguing over where the Amazon River starts?
Defending a Western River

Kirk Klancke has watched over the Fraser River for decades. "Education is what is going to save these rivers," he says.
The Rise of "Peecycling"

Human waste can be converted into valuable fertilizer, if people can get past the "ick" factor.
Ice Cover Affects Lake Levels

The announcement last week that $300 million was included in the 2014 federal spending bill for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was followed this week with more good news about water levels.
New Species of River Dolphin

The Araguaian boto is a proposed new species in Brazil that is thought to be highly endangered.
Exporting the Colorado River

As the West suffers long-term drought, experts look for ways to save water while still supporting local farmers.
Waterworks Weaknesses Exposed

Utilities can't afford to test for every chemical, and infrastructure is aging.
Ecological Effects of West Virginia Spill

Scant data available on spilled chemical, raising concerns about its long-term ecological effects.
Vast "Lake" Found Inside Greenland

Scientists say the unlikely liquid water trapped inside Greenland's ice sheets may hold clues to the effects of global warming.
Cahokia's Mysterious End

Researchers have found evidence of a massive flood around 1200 C.E. that may help explain the demise of Cahokia, then the largest city in North America.
Collapse of Civilizations Explained

A new study shows that drought spurred the collapse of Bronze Age civilizations on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.
Bizarre Mystery Fish Identified

What mysterious fish has a large head and is covered with sharp spines on the top and bottom of its body?
7 Giant River Otter Facts

Reddit users are crazy about giant river otters—here are seven facts you otter know about this South American critter.
New Species of Giant Fish

This huge, air-breathing fish plies the waters of the Amazon.
Kenya's Giant New Aquifer

Kenya's recently discovered aquifer could help the impoverished, drought-ridden country develop. But are aquifers a sustainable source for water?
Colorado Flooding Leads to Oil Spill

Deluged oil and gas wells have been shut down, and at least one significant spill of crude has been reported.
Climate Change Spells Trouble for Anglers

New science reveals threats to prize fishing streams in warming world.
Eight Glasses of Water a Day?

First Lady Michelle Obama has called for adding a glass of water to your daily hydration. But how many glasses do you need to drink each day?
Water Wars: Egyptians Condemn Ethiopia's Nile Dam Project

The building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has ignited a water debate between Egypt and Ethiopia.
Amid Drought, Explaining Colorado’s Extreme Floods

Flash floods in Boulder area may also have ties to fires and climate change.
Arizona Irrigators Share Water

Farmers in the Verde River Basin employ new technology to benefit a desert environment.
The Old Man and the River

Montana Senator Max Baucus and the fight to protect a wild gem: the North Fork of the Flathead.
Hellbender Giant Salamanders Reintroduced

Also called snot otters and devil dogs, the big amphibians get a chance for a comeback.
200-Year-Old Shipwrecks Invaded

On the bicentennial of the sinking of the armed schooners Hamilton and Scourge in Lake Ontario during the War of 1812, invasive mussels are threatening the remarkably intact shipwrecks.
Feds Slash Colorado River Release

A multiyear drought spurs new restrictions on a dam that serves millions of people. With interactive before-and-after.
Missing Frog Resurfaces in Honduras

A critically endangered "rain frog" makes an appearance, but is still threatened by illegal logging.
Freshwater Organisms Survived Asteroid

The same biological adaptations that some creatures evolved to deal with living in freshwater also helped them survive the asteroid impact.
New Twist in Fracking's Link to Quakes

A study finds that wastewater injection from fracking can make faults more vulnerable to tremors triggered by far-off seismic events.
Turtles Flourishing in Golf Courses

New studies show that well-managed courses offer better habitat than some farm and park ponds.
Largest Freshwater Turtle Almost Extinct

In June, the last known pair of the near-extinct Yangtze giant softshell turtle mated again—and, scientists hope, made babies.
Cities Expose Buried Rivers

The latest trend in urban renewal involves opening up underground streams, many of which support new parks.
Light Paths Reveal Water Currents

British photographer Joel James Devlin makes haunting images of night landscapes.
Endangered Frogs Released With Tiny Transmitters

California's mountain yellow-legged frog gets new hope from captive breeding.
Rebirth of Lake Sturgeon

An ancient species shows signs of a comeback in the Great Lakes.
Photos: Europe Underwater

Germany and nearby countries brace themselves as record-breaking water levels burst over river banks.
'Extinct' Frog Rediscovered in Israel

The first amphibian to officially be declared extinct has been rediscovered in Israel.
Billion-Year-Old Water Found

Water seeping out of a Canadian gold mine is not only ancient, it harbors life.
The Turtle and the Town

Port Deposit, Maryland, is reviving its economy by saving a reptile.
China Compensates Clean Water

New programs reward those who protect water supplies.
Water Bank Revives Parched Delta

Local communities work together along the Colorado River.
A Plea for Water

Each American uses 2,000 gallons of water per day—mostly for food. How can we provide a nutritious diet with less water?
Saudi Arabia Stakes a Claim on the Nile

After draining four-fifths of its massive aquifer for unsustainable agriculture, the Saudi Kingdom turns to verdant Ethiopia.
Mali Drained by Foreign Business?

Subsistence lifestyles and diverse wildlife hang in the balance in Mali's inland delta, thanks to ambitious plans to divert water for irrigation.
California Farms Welcome Birds

Migratory birds are taking refuge on farms in California's Staten Island as part of a conservation plan.
Drought Reaches New Orleans

The record temperatures and lack of rain that have devastated crops in America’s heartland upstream also have weakened the once mighty Mississippi River’s defenses against saltwater intrusion.
Going Back in Time

Sandra Postel believes we have the ability to restore the Colorado River.
The High Costs of Free Water

We’ve all witnessed the power of a price signal when the cost of gasoline rises. The problem with water, many economists say, is the fact that it is essentially free.
Lake Trout Are Bad News for Lake Yellowstone

Ospreys, bears, and especially cutthroat trout suffer because of the non-native fish.
Pictures: The Life-Giving Nile River

For more than 5,000 years, the Nile has directed the development of civilization in northern Africa, but it has also been the source of immeasurable damage and destruction.
Grabbing Water From Future Generations

Many of the world's aquifers are being pumped dry to support unsustainable agriculture.
How Drought on Mississippi River Impacts You

The drought-plagued Mississippi River is holding up barge traffic, impacting everything from Japanese feedstock to American beer.
Fishing the Forgotten River in the Nation's Capital

Thousands of people consume fish from Washington, D.C.'s highly polluted Anacostia River, despite safety warnings.
Pictures: Greening the Desert

From Texas to Saudi Arabia, people are growing food and fuel in the desert—sometimes with deleterious effects.
Colorado Wildfires Threaten Water Supplies

As fires are contained, water managers assess the damage, draw more on the Colorado River, and try to prepare for a dry future.
Philadelphia Cleans Up Storm Water With Innovative Program

City officials deploy permeable paving, rain barrels, tree trenches, and other water-saving technology.
Groundwater Depletion Accelerates Sea-Level Rise

As aquifers are pumped out around the world, the water ultimately makes it to the oceans.
Bugs Help Measure Impact of New Transoceanic Highway on Amazon

Scientists deploy "leaf packs" to survey threatened water quality in Peru.
Scientists Race to Save World's Rice Bowl From Climate Change

More frequent floods and droughts expected in Southeast Asia.
Warm Spring May Mean Drought and Wildfires in West

Decreased snowpack in the Rocky Mountains may compound problems for Colorado, Arizona, California, and other Western states.
Climate Change Linked to Waterborne Diseases in Inuit Communities

A recent study of Inuit communities may warn of more widespread threats to water quality.
Under Unspoiled Rivers

Photographer Michel Roggo takes an intimate look at water.
Pictures: Hindu Pilgrims Leave Mark on Mountain

Pilgrims visiting a holy cave along the Amarnath Yatra route in Kashmir in the Himalaya are melting and polluting the glaciers.
Artificial Glaciers Water Crops in Indian Highlands

Villagers discover that it is easier to store water in ice than in a reservoir, and less is lost to evaporation.
Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking

A new report highlights advancements in reclamation technology and predicts growth in water treatment programs.
Fate of the Mighty Mississippi

Scientists propose solutions to the environmental and socioeconomic costs of industrial agriculture on the river.
Fish Are Midair Body Snatchers

For the first time, researchers have observed fish leaping into the air to prey on birds on the wing.
New Film Shows Great Lakes Climate Change

A dramatic drop in lake levels was the most surprising discovery for director William Kleinert.
Eco-Artist Basia Irland and Her “Ice Books”

Her aim is to connect people to their local waters and watersheds in ways that will motivate concern, caring, appreciation, and stewardship.
A Reflection on Water

In a world divided by race, tribe, gender, and religion, it is water that connects us all.
Water Resolutions for a Sustainable Planet

Each of these water-saving measures is important, and practicing them should be part of everyone’s water conservation ethic.
Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals Linked to Fracking

Fracking poses potentially serious risks to drinking water quality and human health.
Botulism Bacteria Blamed for Deaths of Waterbirds on Lake Ontario

Botulism bacteria was blamed for the death of birds in northern Lake Michigan in 2012 and in eastern Lake Ontario in 2013.
Grand Experiment Flows From Lake Mead

A dam release on the Colorado River offers a unique opportunity for scientists to study how plants, trees, birds, and fisheries respond to an experimental pulse of river water.
Helping the Colorado River With a Text

Minnesotans helped our campaign “Change the Course” restore seven million gallons of water to the Colorado River in a single day.
Smarter Irrigation Returns Water to Arizona’s Verde River

Instead of drying up for miles during the irrigation season, the Verde keeps flowing.
Lake Science Goes High-Tech

By studying lakes, scientists can gain insights about the effects of storms on the surrounding landscape.
Film Highlights Concerns in Cambodia

Scientists and conservation experts are urging the government of Cambodia to put a moratorium on the development of hydropower dams.
Some Cranberries Have a Smaller Water Footprint

A new technique to growing cranberries promises to be more water-efficient.
Students Rally Around Water Conservation

A school integrated freshwater into its curriculum—and now the students are teaching their community about water's long road to the faucet.
In Ireland, Water Will No Longer Be Free

Billing is scheduled for the first quarter of 2015.
Worst Weather Ever: Is It Cliché Yet?

Changing landscape and climate threaten local and migratory wildlife.
On Flood and Thirst

How communities are adapting to the age of unpredictable water.