Brett Walton
@waltonbrett.bsky.social
Reporting on water and society
Years ago I saw a sticker that roughly said:
"Nature makes a hazard, man makes a disaster."
The distinction is important. As the planet warms, the world is becoming more hazardous. Hotter fires, melting glaciers, bigger storms. Where we place people and assets can increase risk. Or decrease it.
"Nature makes a hazard, man makes a disaster."
The distinction is important. As the planet warms, the world is becoming more hazardous. Hotter fires, melting glaciers, bigger storms. Where we place people and assets can increase risk. Or decrease it.
July 18, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Years ago I saw a sticker that roughly said:
"Nature makes a hazard, man makes a disaster."
The distinction is important. As the planet warms, the world is becoming more hazardous. Hotter fires, melting glaciers, bigger storms. Where we place people and assets can increase risk. Or decrease it.
"Nature makes a hazard, man makes a disaster."
The distinction is important. As the planet warms, the world is becoming more hazardous. Hotter fires, melting glaciers, bigger storms. Where we place people and assets can increase risk. Or decrease it.
Reposted by Brett Walton
What's the state of the Great Lakes blue economy?
Join us for a town hall featuring reporters behind a Great Lakes News Collaborative series examining the relationship between the region’s economy and its most abundant natural resource — water.
Stream it June 4 at 7 PM: youtube.com/live/iOwYSSc...
Join us for a town hall featuring reporters behind a Great Lakes News Collaborative series examining the relationship between the region’s economy and its most abundant natural resource — water.
Stream it June 4 at 7 PM: youtube.com/live/iOwYSSc...
Great Lakes Blue Economy Virtual Town Hall
Join the Great Lakes News Collaborative for a LIVE conversation about the state of the blue economy in the Great Lakes region. Great Lakes Now host Anna Sysling will moderate a panel of journalists di...
youtube.com
June 2, 2025 at 5:01 PM
What's the state of the Great Lakes blue economy?
Join us for a town hall featuring reporters behind a Great Lakes News Collaborative series examining the relationship between the region’s economy and its most abundant natural resource — water.
Stream it June 4 at 7 PM: youtube.com/live/iOwYSSc...
Join us for a town hall featuring reporters behind a Great Lakes News Collaborative series examining the relationship between the region’s economy and its most abundant natural resource — water.
Stream it June 4 at 7 PM: youtube.com/live/iOwYSSc...
Reposted by Brett Walton
When disasters strike already-stressed housing markets, they disproportionately damage affordable housing stock and put tremendous downward pressure on the market, further squeezing those at the bottom of the ladder. This story features both dynamics: www.npr.org/2025/06/02/n...
Months after Hurricane Helene, some North Carolinians still struggle to find housing
Eight months after Hurricane Helene, communities in western North Carolina still see evidence of the storm's destruction. For many, the biggest problem remains finding an affordable place to live.
www.npr.org
June 2, 2025 at 5:34 PM
When disasters strike already-stressed housing markets, they disproportionately damage affordable housing stock and put tremendous downward pressure on the market, further squeezing those at the bottom of the ladder. This story features both dynamics: www.npr.org/2025/06/02/n...
US govt water news:
- Supreme Court affirms narrow environmental reviews that do not assess upstream or downstream effects
- Summer forecast for high wildfire risk and heat
- Army Corps posts draft EIS for Line 5 tunnel
- USGS reports on Boise River water quality
www.circleofblue.org/newsletter/f...
- Supreme Court affirms narrow environmental reviews that do not assess upstream or downstream effects
- Summer forecast for high wildfire risk and heat
- Army Corps posts draft EIS for Line 5 tunnel
- USGS reports on Boise River water quality
www.circleofblue.org/newsletter/f...
Federal Water Tap, June 2, 2025: Supreme Court Affirms Narrow View of Environmental Assessments
● Justices rule unanimously that environmental reviews can be limited to the project at hand and not its implications. ● Army Corps publishes a draft environmental review for the Line 5 oil pipeline t...
www.circleofblue.org
June 2, 2025 at 5:49 PM
US govt water news:
- Supreme Court affirms narrow environmental reviews that do not assess upstream or downstream effects
- Summer forecast for high wildfire risk and heat
- Army Corps posts draft EIS for Line 5 tunnel
- USGS reports on Boise River water quality
www.circleofblue.org/newsletter/f...
- Supreme Court affirms narrow environmental reviews that do not assess upstream or downstream effects
- Summer forecast for high wildfire risk and heat
- Army Corps posts draft EIS for Line 5 tunnel
- USGS reports on Boise River water quality
www.circleofblue.org/newsletter/f...
That one weekend a year when Seattle resembles New Orleans
June 1, 2025 at 8:57 PM
That one weekend a year when Seattle resembles New Orleans
Reposted by Brett Walton
LA's 2025 wildfires didn’t just burn homes, they disrupted water systems, hitting smaller providers & vulnerable communities hardest. New research led by @gregspierce.bsky.social reveals the hidden toll & calls for equitable recovery innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/2025/05/29/u... #UCLA #UCLALuskin
UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation provides an early overview of how LA’s water systems and their residents were impacted by the 2025 wildfires | UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
From boil-water advisories to direct infrastructure damage, findings underscore the need for equitable and resilient recovery
innovation.luskin.ucla.edu
May 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
LA's 2025 wildfires didn’t just burn homes, they disrupted water systems, hitting smaller providers & vulnerable communities hardest. New research led by @gregspierce.bsky.social reveals the hidden toll & calls for equitable recovery innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/2025/05/29/u... #UCLA #UCLALuskin
It was great chatting with @waterloop.bsky.social about our recent reporting project on the Great Lakes region's blue economy
www.waterloop.org/in-the-newsr...
www.waterloop.org/in-the-newsr...
In The Newsroom With Brett Walton: A Blue Economy For Great Lakes
Explore Circle of Blue's coverage of the Great Lakes Blue Economy—how water tech, infrastructure, and innovation are reshaping the region’s sustainable future.
www.waterloop.org
May 30, 2025 at 12:43 AM
It was great chatting with @waterloop.bsky.social about our recent reporting project on the Great Lakes region's blue economy
www.waterloop.org/in-the-newsr...
www.waterloop.org/in-the-newsr...
Big problems for a big river. In-depth look at the Mississippi River delta as this highly engineered and altered system faces saltwater intrusion, erosion, shipping industry changes, rising seas, aging flood control structures
www.nola.com/news/environ...
www.nola.com/news/environ...
The River's Reckoning: The Mississippi created Louisiana, but can we contend with its new era?
Louisiana’s reliance on the Mississippi means the mighty river can take away as much as it gives – and both the state and the nation are reaching a moment of reckoning.
“The river’s constantly trying...
www.nola.com
May 29, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Big problems for a big river. In-depth look at the Mississippi River delta as this highly engineered and altered system faces saltwater intrusion, erosion, shipping industry changes, rising seas, aging flood control structures
www.nola.com/news/environ...
www.nola.com/news/environ...
Wildfire smoke is drifting into the Great Lakes region again
Latest wildfire smoke forecast from weather.gc.ca/firework/fir... shows a significant Canadian smoke incursion into MN, WI, and MI on Fri, advancing into the E U.S. on Sat. The pink colors: AQI> 182 (Red, Unhealthy). Left image: 7 pm EDT Fri. Right: 7 pm Sat. The HRR Smoke model is similar.
May 29, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Wildfire smoke is drifting into the Great Lakes region again
Gateway to the azalea kingdom
May 27, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Gateway to the azalea kingdom
Reposted by Brett Walton
9 people were killed in a tornado last night in KY. The NWS office responsible for that area has faced some of the most extreme cuts by the Trump administration, including the loss of overnight forecasting.
Last night, they were rushing to find help for the office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...
Last night, they were rushing to find help for the office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...
After Cuts, a Kentucky Weather Office Scrambles for Staffing as Severe Storms Bear Down
www.nytimes.com
May 17, 2025 at 1:24 PM
9 people were killed in a tornado last night in KY. The NWS office responsible for that area has faced some of the most extreme cuts by the Trump administration, including the loss of overnight forecasting.
Last night, they were rushing to find help for the office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...
Last night, they were rushing to find help for the office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...
Reposted by Brett Walton
My story on Rio Grande & Pecos River water use in oil and gas drilling during an extreme drought is out today in @insideclimatenews.org insideclimatenews.org/news/1305202...
Texas Oil and Gas Companies Drill With River Water During Extreme Drought - Inside Climate News
Oil and gas companies have used billions of gallons of Rio Grande and Pecos River water for drilling in the past four years, according to an exclusive Inside Climate News analysis.
insideclimatenews.org
May 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
My story on Rio Grande & Pecos River water use in oil and gas drilling during an extreme drought is out today in @insideclimatenews.org insideclimatenews.org/news/1305202...
Reposted by Brett Walton
new from me for @wired.com : the EPA is moving to reorganize its scientific research office, which will likely kill off a small but crucial program devoted to studying the impacts of toxic chemicals—which has been a target of industry groups for years
The EPA Will Likely Gut Team That Studies Health Risks From Chemicals
Reorganizations at the EPA may get rid of the agency’s fundamental program for research around the risks of toxic chemicals.
www.wired.com
May 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
new from me for @wired.com : the EPA is moving to reorganize its scientific research office, which will likely kill off a small but crucial program devoted to studying the impacts of toxic chemicals—which has been a target of industry groups for years
An information hotline operating since 1953. A person on the phone to answer questions, no matter how mundane or obscure. For callers without the internet or who need to hear a voice. This was a delight to read
oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-a...
oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-a...
The Alabama Landline That Keeps Ringing
oxfordamerican.org
May 12, 2025 at 6:49 PM
An information hotline operating since 1953. A person on the phone to answer questions, no matter how mundane or obscure. For callers without the internet or who need to hear a voice. This was a delight to read
oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-a...
oxfordamerican.org/oa-now/the-a...
The runoff forecast for the Colorado River this summer wasn't great. Now it's looking worse. And that poses challenges for a basin already in contentious debate about how to cut water use
www.circleofblue.org/2025/supply/...
www.circleofblue.org/2025/supply/...
Dry Colorado River Forecast Gets Drier
What a difference a month makes. The forecast for how much water will flow this year into Lake Powell, a bellwether reservoir on the Colorado River, was already meager. Now, after a dry April, it’s ev...
www.circleofblue.org
May 7, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The runoff forecast for the Colorado River this summer wasn't great. Now it's looking worse. And that poses challenges for a basin already in contentious debate about how to cut water use
www.circleofblue.org/2025/supply/...
www.circleofblue.org/2025/supply/...
For a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of mobile dog salons
May 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
For a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of mobile dog salons
This neighborhood wisteria is a little miracle every spring
May 5, 2025 at 4:28 PM
This neighborhood wisteria is a little miracle every spring
Coots a plenty on Union Bay during this rare stretch of cold nights, sunny days
January 27, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Coots a plenty on Union Bay during this rare stretch of cold nights, sunny days
Reposted by Brett Walton
EDGI, as part of the Public Environmental Data Project, has been working for the last two months to archive critical federal environmental data. We're working to build public access, so check back here for updates. If you would like to be involved, reach out: envirodatagov.org/volunteer/
Volunteer – Environmental Data and Governance Initiative
Loading…
envirodatagov.org
January 22, 2025 at 8:52 PM
EDGI, as part of the Public Environmental Data Project, has been working for the last two months to archive critical federal environmental data. We're working to build public access, so check back here for updates. If you would like to be involved, reach out: envirodatagov.org/volunteer/
Another wetlands lawsuit to watch
www.wglt.org/2025-01-20/s...
www.wglt.org/2025-01-20/s...
A Midwest farmland owner tests a longstanding wetland conservation law called 'swampbuster'
Under a 40-year-old law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can withhold subsidies, like crop insurance and disaster payments, from farmers who clear, drain or convert wetlands. A company that owns fa...
www.wglt.org
January 23, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Another wetlands lawsuit to watch
www.wglt.org/2025-01-20/s...
www.wglt.org/2025-01-20/s...
Slew of federal agency reports last week:
▪️EPA, health risk of two PFAS in biosolids
▪️EPA, enviro impact of biofuels mandate
▪️USGS, water supply and demand
▪️EPA, toxicity review of inorganic arsenic
▪️NREL, floating solar panels on fed reservoirs
That and more..
www.circleofblue.org/2025/federal...
▪️EPA, health risk of two PFAS in biosolids
▪️EPA, enviro impact of biofuels mandate
▪️USGS, water supply and demand
▪️EPA, toxicity review of inorganic arsenic
▪️NREL, floating solar panels on fed reservoirs
That and more..
www.circleofblue.org/2025/federal...
Federal Water Tap, January 20: EPA Identifies Health Risks from PFAS in Biosolids
The Rundown EPA releases draft health risk assessment for two PFAS in biosolids. EPA publishes final toxicity review for inorganic arsenic, a naturally occurring drinking water contaminant. USGS releases study on water supply and demand in the Lower 48 states. EPA evaluates environmental impact of federal biofuels mandate. New study assesses potential for floating solar […]
www.circleofblue.org
January 20, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Slew of federal agency reports last week:
▪️EPA, health risk of two PFAS in biosolids
▪️EPA, enviro impact of biofuels mandate
▪️USGS, water supply and demand
▪️EPA, toxicity review of inorganic arsenic
▪️NREL, floating solar panels on fed reservoirs
That and more..
www.circleofblue.org/2025/federal...
▪️EPA, health risk of two PFAS in biosolids
▪️EPA, enviro impact of biofuels mandate
▪️USGS, water supply and demand
▪️EPA, toxicity review of inorganic arsenic
▪️NREL, floating solar panels on fed reservoirs
That and more..
www.circleofblue.org/2025/federal...
Reposted by Brett Walton
Tomorrow we are going to record a special episode of Water Talk focused on wildfires and water supply + infrastructure. Let us know if we (me and @gregspierce.bsky.social) can address any particular issues on your mind.
We are back after a short winter break with a new episode on the stories we tell about water, including disasters like floods. You don't want to miss this conversation with
@creekthinker.bsky.social and Marty Holtgren. Listen where you get your podcasts and at watertalkpodcast.com 💦
@creekthinker.bsky.social and Marty Holtgren. Listen where you get your podcasts and at watertalkpodcast.com 💦
January 20, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Tomorrow we are going to record a special episode of Water Talk focused on wildfires and water supply + infrastructure. Let us know if we (me and @gregspierce.bsky.social) can address any particular issues on your mind.
Draft report from EPA advisory board makes clear that water affordability is more than customer assistance programs. It includes what is built, how it's operated, and how rates are designed.
www.epa.gov/system/files...
www.epa.gov/system/files...
www.epa.gov
January 7, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Draft report from EPA advisory board makes clear that water affordability is more than customer assistance programs. It includes what is built, how it's operated, and how rates are designed.
www.epa.gov/system/files...
www.epa.gov/system/files...
While you were wrapping gifts, the federal government was wrapping up its end-of-administration business.
EPA reports on water affordability and wetland health
Congress adds $100 billion in disaster relief
Plus Yakima dairies polluting groundwater w/ nitrate
www.circleofblue.org/2024/federal...
EPA reports on water affordability and wetland health
Congress adds $100 billion in disaster relief
Plus Yakima dairies polluting groundwater w/ nitrate
www.circleofblue.org/2024/federal...
Federal Water Tap, December 23: EPA Reports on Water Affordability, Wetland Health
The Rundown EPA publishes a report on drinking water affordability and a status update on the health of the nation’s wetlands. Congress funds the federal government and includes $100 billion for disas...
www.circleofblue.org
December 23, 2024 at 3:20 PM
While you were wrapping gifts, the federal government was wrapping up its end-of-administration business.
EPA reports on water affordability and wetland health
Congress adds $100 billion in disaster relief
Plus Yakima dairies polluting groundwater w/ nitrate
www.circleofblue.org/2024/federal...
EPA reports on water affordability and wetland health
Congress adds $100 billion in disaster relief
Plus Yakima dairies polluting groundwater w/ nitrate
www.circleofblue.org/2024/federal...
Reposted by Brett Walton
Tap water avoidance is a big problem indeed. We've estimated around 61 million Americans do not drink their tap water - see these papers:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
&
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
&
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
&
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
&
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Examining recent trends in the racial disparity gap in tap water consumption: NHANES 2011–2018 | Public Health Nutrition | Cambridge Core
Examining recent trends in the racial disparity gap in tap water consumption: NHANES 2011–2018 - Volume 25 Issue 2
www.cambridge.org
December 17, 2024 at 4:16 PM
Tap water avoidance is a big problem indeed. We've estimated around 61 million Americans do not drink their tap water - see these papers:
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
&
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
&
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
&
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
&
www.nature.com/articles/s44...