SpaceX ‘pinky promises’ no bad impacts for Louisiana locals — then forced to backtrack
In a tense meeting, SpaceX managers told locals the massive spaceport won’t affect them at all. Then locals pressed for specifics.
19 articles
Mississippi River mayors help cities navigate rising data center interest
More than three-quarters of member cities in a Mississippi River coalition have been approached to host AI infrastructure.
As data centers expand, advocates call for regulations on lights
The Midwest has more than 600 data centers, with hundreds in development. Light pollution rules would protect migrating birds and nighttime pollinators.
Scientists find smaller ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf than initially expected this summer
At approximately 1,332 square miles, the low oxygen area is the second-smallest in four decades of measurement
This summer’s ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf will be larger than average, but task force claims progress is being made
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects the oxygen-depleted zone to be about the size of the state of New Jersey
Burned before by ‘pesticide drift,’ vineyard owners enter growing season bracing for the worst
The Trump administration wants to continue the use of the herbicide dicamba. That’s despite fears it’s killing sensitive plants.
Climate experts say spring is coming earlier. How will that affect agriculture and ecosystems?
COLUMBIA, Mo. — As a row crop farmer in St. Joseph, Mo., Joe Lau said he’s noticing more extreme weather
‘This is my ’80s’: As Trump’s tariffs upend trade, farmers endure instability
The sale of US soybeans to China may rebound this year, but a fundamental shift in US policy is needed to break farmers out of their current cycle of hardship, agricultural economy experts said during an Ag & Water Desk, Arkansas Times & Investigate Midwest panel in February.
Chronic wasting disease threatens U.S. deer. But when one state took strong measures, the pushback was fierce.
Thirty-six states have detected cases of CWD, but many hunters are more fearful of losing game than the disease itself.
The duck hunters in the “poor line” pay into wetland conservation
In Missouri, the daily drawings at the poor line are crucial to prevent overcrowding. But they also help protect the state’s wetlands and the migratory birds that depend on them along the Mississippi Flyway. Desk reporter Héctor Alejandro Arzate explains.
A tool tracking billion-dollar disasters is back after the Trump administration retired it
It shows that in 2025, approximately $40 billion in damage was caused by severe storms and tornadoes that struck states like Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and others.
Mississippi River Basin communities launch new effort to deliver disaster relief within 72 hours
Mayors from cities and towns along the Mississippi River are taking action on natural disaster response. This week they launched
The impact of the Sackett ruling
Take an interactive tour through the Mississippi River Basin, from bog to bayou, that explores the changing wetland landscape.
