LEO Network

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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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83,000 Hawaii homes dispose of sewage in cesspools. Rising sea levels will make the mess worse.
This rural part of the island of Oahu is not connected to city sewers — and waste from toilets, sinks and showers is mostly collected in hundreds of pits called cesspools. Rising seas are also pushing groundwater closer to the surface, allowing cesspool effluent to mix with the water table and flow into the ocean.
Waialua, Hawaii, United States
Anchorage Daily News

BLM to restore water quality, fish habitat along Upper Yukon River
The Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with the Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District and Trout Unlimited, are restoring mining-impacted streams along the upper Yukon River watershed. Projects will improve water quality and fish habitat along Nome and Wade Creeks.
Yukon, Alaska, United States
Alaska Native News

Invasive pike can use Cook Inlet to travel between freshwater systems, research finds
Now, for the first time, researchers have concrete evidence that northern pike could use the ocean to move between freshwater Alaska habitats.
Soldotna, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Indigenous communities in B.C., Alaska, declare state of emergency over Pacific salmon
A group of Indigenous communities from Alaska and B.C. has declared a state of emergency related to Pacific salmon populations, and says First Nations need to be more involved in managing traditional resources.
British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Salmon are disappearing on the Yukon and Kuskokwim. Here’s what to know about the crisis this summer.
Chinook (king) and chum are the major salmon species on the Yukon and Kuskokwim. They’ve been at historically low numbers in both rivers for years. The coho (silver) returns have also dropped.This will be the fourth year subsistence fishing has been closed or severely restricted on both rivers. The region is bracing for another dismal subsistence harvest.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

A large fish that fills freezers in Northwest Alaska could be in danger
Following a thaw slump, the water becomes cloudy and full of sediment, potentially suffocating the eggs of spawning sheefish. Scientists are concerned that permafrost thaw could lead to declines in the sheefish population, a staple food for many Alaskans.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

More than half of the world's largest lakes are shrinking. Here's why that matters
Researchers found the global decline in water storage was equivalent to 17 Lake Meads — the largest reservoir in the U.S.
Lake Mead, Nevada
KTOO

Citizen observers help scientists predict breakup flooding
As Alaska faces an increased risk of spring breakup flooding this year, scientists are asking residents to share photos documenting major rivers’ progress from ice to water to help them predict with more accuracy where flooding might occur.
Tanana, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Canadian experts decry continuation of Alaska study on parasite afflicting Yukon River chinook salmon
Alaska researchers will continue a controversial study this year on a parasite in Yukon River chinook salmon that requires killing hundreds of fish, a move that’s drawn sharp criticism from Canadian experts.
Yukon River, Alaska
CBC

Fish hatcheries, long seen as a last resort, get a new look amid Yukon River salmon crisis
First Nations groups in the Yukon Territory and Alaska GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy's administration are advancing discussions about whether hatcheries could help stem a steep crash in salmon populations on the Yukon River.
Alaska, United States

Y-K Delta women describe the realities of living with climate change for foreign dignitaries
The relocation between from Newtok to Mertavik has taken time and community members stay patient as local, state, and federal agencies figure out the complex funding and logistical hurdles.
Newtok, Alaska, United States

Water crisis in Catalonia
The region of Catalonia, northeastern Spain, is in its worst drought since measurements began. The sheep reservoir supplies water to the city of Barcelona.
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
NRK

California's 'phantom lake' returns with a vengeance, unearthing a bitter history of water
The 'phantom' Tulare Lake once the biggest lake west of the Mississippi and drained for agriculture purposes is slowly reemerging.
Stratford, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

Native knowledge of great lakes ecology: Climate changes to Odawa lands
Climate change has been observed for hundreds of years by the plant specialists of three Odawa Tribes in the Upper Great Lakes along Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the focus of two National Park Service (NPS) studies of Odawa Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of plants, ecosystems, and climate change. Data collected during these studies contributed to developing Plant Gathering Agreements between tribes and parks. This analysis derived from 95 ethnographic interviews conducted by University of Arizona (UofA) anthropologists in partnership with tribal appointed representatives. Odawa people recognized in the park 288 plants and five habitats of traditional and contemporary concern. Tribal representatives explained that 115 of these traditional plants and all five habitats are known from multigenerational eyewitness accounts to have been impacted by climate change. The TEK study thus represents what Native people know about the environment. These research findings are neither intended to test their TEK nor the findings of Western science.
Glen Arbor, Michigan, United States
Frontiers

This stubborn shrub is helping to keep Arctic river banks intact as permafrost thaws
A study published in Nature Climate Change examined how 10 big rivers in the Arctic had moved 50 years, and found they did not migrate as much as expected.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Juneau's wastewater has four times as much COVID as the national average
This weekend marks the third anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the global pandemic — and Juneau’s wastewater is awash with COVID.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Skjoma: Statkraft wants to make as much electricity as possible – now NVE recommends that they release more water
At times, the water level in the river Skjoma in Narvik is so low that the salmon freezes to death. But Statkraft has refused to release more water into the watercourse. Now the NVE intervenes.
Narvik, Nordland, Norway
NRK

Alaska's cold climate 'luck' with three consecutive La Niña years is about to run out
National Weather Service says Alaska has been lucky to have three La Niña years. Due to climate change we could see a shift into warmer La and El Nino's.
Alaska, United States

Why Are Alaska's Rivers Turning Orange?
Streams in Alaska are turning orange with iron and sulfuric acid. Scientists are trying to figure out why
Kiana, Alaska, United States
Scientific American

In northernmost Alaska, a battle is on to limit the damages of permafrost thaw
Warming soils beneath Utqiagvik are triggering erosion that threatens homes, infrastructure and cultural resources. The North Slope has seen some of the fastest changes in coastal erosion in the nation.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Warming climate, wacky weather create skating trail trials and tribulations
Canada's outdoor skating on rivers and ponds is increasingly affected by warming winters due to climate change, resulting in unpredictable skating seasons.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
CBC News

An Unmistakable Stain in America’s Most Pristine Rivers
Dozens of once crystal-clear streams and rivers in Arctic Alaska are now running bright orange and cloudy, and, in some cases, they may be becoming more acidic. This otherwise undeveloped landscape now looks as if an industrial mine has been in operation for decades, and scientists want to know why.
Noatak River
The Atlantic

Frogs in Trouble - Gates Of The Arctic National Park and Preserve
There is a worldwide epidemic of deformed amphibians and the frequency of affected animals is higher in Alaska than in most parts of the United States. Wood frogs have been turning up in Alaska with abnormal legs and jaws, sometimes even with extra legs.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

NASA Warns Methane Is Being Belched From Newly Formed Lakes
These lakes form because warm temperatures in the Arctic are melting the permafrost.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Newsweek

As Yukon River chinook disappear, so does a way of life
Yukon River chinook salmon runs have been steadily declining, with 2022 the smallest run on record. As the fish disappear, Yukon First Nations fear the cultures and traditions built around the salmon over countless generations will too.
Pelly Crossing, Yukon, Canada
CBC North

Ancient disks revealed unsettled climate change in Svalbard
The temperature on the delar of Svalbard has risen to twice as fast as the time period known. No can forecast at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute document the greatest warming in the world.
Island of Karl XII, Spitsbergen
NRK

Two Years After Huge Arctic Spill, River Water in Norilsk Is Still Red From Diesel Fuel
While mining giant Nornickel has said the local ecosystem is "satisfactory," environmentalists paint a different picture.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

Expanding beaver pond distribution in Arctic Alaska, 1949 to 2019
Beavers were not previously recognized as an Arctic species, and their engineering in the tundra is considered negligible. Recent findings suggest that beavers have moved into Arctic tundra regions and are controlling surface water dynamics, which strongly influence permafrost and landscape stability. Here we use 70 years of satellite images and aerial photography to show the scale and magnitude of northwestward beaver expansion in Alaska, indicated by the construction of over 10,000 beaver ponds in the Arctic tundra. The number of beaver ponds doubled in most areas between ~ 2003 and ~ 2017. Earlier stages of beaver engineering are evident in ~ 1980 imagery, and there is no evidence of beaver engineering in ~ 1952 imagery, consistent with observations from Indigenous communities describing the influx of beavers over the period. Rapidly expanding beaver engineering has created a tundra disturbance regime that appears to be thawing permafrost and exacerbating the effects of climate change.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Nature

High water temperatures measured last year at Chilkat Lake weir
High water temperatures were measured at Chilkat Lake weir in Alaska, raising concerns for the salmon population, although no harm to the fish has been reported so far.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Alaska worries about salmon runs as climate change warms Arctic waters
With marine heat waves helping to wipe out some of Alaska’s storied salmon runs in recent years, officials have resorted to sending emergency food shipments to affected communities while scientists warn that the industry’s days of traditional harvests may be numbered. Salmon all but disappeared from the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) Yukon River run last year.
Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

A way of life disappears along the Yukon River with the decline of the salmon
The dam altered the subsistence gathering patterns of the Tagish Kwan, the Daḵká Kwa’an and the Kwanlin Dün people. Residences, cabins and fish camps along the Whitehorse rapids were dismantled, gatherings at M’Clintock stopped, and many people dispersed to Fish Lake and Whitehorse.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Fishery disaster declarations for Kuskokwim and Yukon salmon fisheries
Fourteen Alaska fisheries have been declared federal disasters by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Gina Raimondo issued the declarations on Jan. 21. The announcement includes Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta salmon fisheries, and could lead to federal funding for fishermen.
Emmonak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Weather year 2021
In 2021, the average temperature in Norway was normal, while precipitation was 10 percent below normal. The year is nevertheless marked by great contrasts. The summary of the weather in 2021 was presented at the Meteorological Institute's annual event Climate Status on 5 January. Here you can see video footage of Climate Status (Vimeo)
Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

Retreating glaciers will open up salmon streams in Alaska, study says
Deglaciation could increase salmon habitat by nearly 30% in the Gulf of Alaska by 2100.
Mendenhall Glacier

New source of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide found in Siberian permafrost
A previously unknown source of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide has been found in East Siberian Yedoma permafrost. Published in Nature Communications today, the observation was made by an international group of researchers, with the lead of researchers from the University of Eastern Finland.
Phys.Org

Miles from the sea, a Portland neighborhood finds itself in a new flood zone
Updated and more accurate federal maps put a cluster of homes near Capisic Brook in a zone that faces once-in-a-century risks.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

In Iraq's famed marshlands, climate change is upending a way of life
Drought and extreme heat that scientists link to climate change are altering the UNESCO-protected marshlands. Iraq's average annual temperatures are increasing at nearly double the rate of Earth's.
الجبيش, Dhi Qar, Iraq
NPR.org

A melting glacier could mean a chance for Alaska’s biggest hydroelectric project to expand
The Dixon Glacier, on the other side of Kachemak Bay from Fitz Creek, is rapidly receding. That’s true for glaciers around Alaska, and the world. But what’s special about Dixon is it sits just a few miles from Bradley Lake, a source of hydropower that supplies the railbelt with about 10% of its energy needs.
Fox River, Alaska, United States

Flood-displaced elder yearns to go home to Jean Marie River
Laura Sanguez had to flee Jean Marie River in May when floodwaters destroyed her home. Now, living in long-term care in Fort Simpson, the 83-year-old says she hasn't heard anything about the status of her home or whether she is getting a replacement home.
Jean Marie River, Northwest Territories, Canada

Pak farmers protest against water shortage
A large number of farmers on Saturday staged a protest march against the acute shortage of water at Dadu district located in Pakistan Sindh province located in Pakistan's Sindh province.
Islamabad, Islāmābād, Pakistan
Big News Network.com

Colorado River, Lifeline Of The West, Sees Historic Water Shortage Declaration
The first-ever shortage declaration on the Colorado River forces arid Western states to re-examine their relationship with resources many take for granted, drinking water and cheap hydroelectricity.
Colorado, United States
NPR.org

Climate change is endangering sacred land. For these Native women, it threatens ‘everything we are.’
Wildfires in Western states have razed structures, displaced residents and altered air quality - and fundamentally changed the relationship between Native women and the land they have historically stewarded.
Newell, California, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Forest Service set to approve Kensington expansion
The U.S. Forest Service said it plans to approve Coeur Alaska’s plan to expand facilities at the Kensington Gold Mine, extending the life of the mine by another 10 years.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

6 properties demolished along Matanuska River, putting an end to erosion-threatened home buyout
A contractor tore down six structures in the past few weeks, part of a process to remove erosion-threatened places that began almost a decade ago.
Sutton, Alaska, United States

Permafrost degradation affects hydrological factors in source area of Yellow River
Climate warming has accelerated the permafrost degradation, which influences the processes of water supply, runoff and discharge in the Source Area of the Yellow River (SAYR) in the northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Phys.Org

Elders in Líídlįį Kúę reflect on spring breakup, then and now
Líídlįį Kúę, in Dene Zhatie, means the place where two rivers meet. It has been a place for Dene to gather for millennia. It is also an area prone to flooding, sparking concern about how the community will be impacted by spring break-up, during a year of high water levels.
Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada

As endangered beluga whales head up the Kenai River, committed volunteers help ‘unravel the puzzle’
Citizen scientists fill an important gap in helping understand when and how Cook Inlet belugas use the river.
Soldotna, Alaska, United States

The Babushka of Baikal, the granny in her 80th year who has popularised the world’s deepest lake
Lyubov Morekhodova glides over the ice on skates made by her father not long after World War II. She has lived on the shores of Lake Baikal all her life, where winter temperatures plummet to minus 50C.
Khuzhir, Irkutsk, Russia
Siberian Times

Kalamazoo River Oil Spill: Facts and Environmental Impact
Learn about the Kalamazoo River oil spill, its environmental impact, and what made it one of the worst inland oil spills in US history.
Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
Treehugger

Plastic pollution threatens the Mekong, a wildlife wonderland
Plastic pollution is threatening the wildlife in the Mekong River Basin.
Mekong River
UNEP

Scientists puzzled by 30,000 chinook that seem to be missing from Yukon River
A meeting of the Yukon River Panel focused on a surprising discrepancy between measurements at two different sonar stations. This could mean fish are dying or being miscounted, or that harvesting is going unreported.
Eagle, Alaska, United States

No danger to fish from summer's Great Slave Lake plume: ENR
January 15, 2021 - Following a summer and fall of cloudy waters in Great Slave Lake and the Hay and Slave Rivers, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR)...
NNSL Media

Skaters Perform on Kazakhstan’s Lakes
See Kazakh figure skater Elizabet Tursynbayeva skating to “Znai (Know)” by Dimash Kudaibergen on the frozen lakes of Kazakhstan.
Qusmuryn, Qostanay, Kazakhstan
The Astana Times

Russian Swimmer Claims New World Record With Baikal Under-Ice Swim
See video of Yekaterina Nekrasova 40, swim an 85-meter distance beneath the ice of Lake Baikal. Nekrasova beat the current under-ice swim record of 70 meters set by South African Amber Fillary in Norway last year.
The Moscow Times

Yukon permafrost thaw reaching 'critical point' in some areas, says researcher
Permafrost in Canada's northwest is thawing much faster than researchers predicted 20 years ago, according to the president of the International Permafrost Association.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Deadly skin disease in dolphins linked to climate change
A closeup view of a bottlenose dolphin shows signs of skin lesions associated with a deadly skin disease known as ulcerative dermatitis. The increasing frequency and severity of storm systems drastically decrease the salinity of coastal waters, causing fatal skin disease in dolphins worldwide.
Gulf of Mexico
CTVNews

City of Iqaluit approves $64M plan to build new reservoir
Newspaper of record for Nunavut, and the Nunavik territory of Quebec
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Climate change is increasing winter drownings: study
As winters get warmer, the number of drowning deaths is going up. "I just don't think we have appreciated that is one of the costs," said one scientist.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Pebble Mine Denied Permit in Victory for Tribes, Waterways and Planet
Environmental campaigners stressed the need for the incoming Biden White House to put in place permanent protections for Alaska's Bristol Bay after the Trump administration on Wednesday denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine that threatened "lasting harm to this phenomenally productive ecosystem" and death to the area's Indigenous culture.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
EcoWatch

How Hardanger melted at a record pace from the last ice age
11,500 years ago, Norway experienced one of the fastest meltdowns the world has seen. Now scientists fear the same thing is happening elsewhere.
Folgefonna Hardangerfjorden glacier, Etne, Norway

Russian Government Body Links Norilsk Arctic Fuel Spill To Shoddy Construction, Not Permafrost Melt
A spill that dumped thousands of tons of diesel fuel into the Russian Arctic earlier this year was caused by violations during construction and operation of a storage tank, not permafrost melt, according to a preliminary investigation.
Норильск, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

Mystery of hundreds of elephant deaths in Botswana solved
The sudden deaths of some 330 elephants in northwestern Botswana earlier this year may have occurred because they drank water contaminated by toxic blue-green algae, the government announced Monday.
Okavango Delta

Mercury released by permafrost thaw puts Yukon River fish at risk: study
If carbon emissions continue at current rates, so much mercury will leach from thawing permafrost that fish in the Yukon River could become dangerous to eat within a few decades.
Yukon River
Reuters

Red Dog Mine starts water purification project
The Red Dog Mine announced last week that it was able to start the use of a new waste water treatment system to purify water after record-breaking warm weather in 2019 caused the sediment levels to rise in the Ikalukrok and Wulik Rivers.
Red Dog Mine, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Permafrost thaw results in $20 million in water management expenses for Alaska zinc mine
Permafrost thaw surrounding the massive Red Dog Mine is releasing higher natural levels of dissolved minerals and other particles into streams, Teck Resources Ltd. says
Red Dog Mine, Alaska, United States

Dramatic growth in glacial lakes globally
In the largest study of glacial lakes ever conducted, researchers using satellite data from NASA and Google Earth have found the volume of water in glacial lakes has increased by 50 per cent since 1990 as glaciers melt due to climate change.
Nepal
CTV News, Calgary

A large waste depository is being reclaimed in the Russian Arctic
In the Murmansk region, the reclamation of a large waste storage facility for the former Snezhnaya poultry farm, which ceased to exist about 15 years ago, has begun. The total cost of the project is over 461 million rubles.
Murmansk, Murmansk, Russia
Russian newspaper

In Colorado’s climate change hot spot, the West’s water is evaporating
The largest part of the continental United States to warm more than 2 degrees Celsius since 1895 feeds the Colorado River.
Grand Valley, Colorado, United States

For first time in 8 years, 100% of Colorado is under drought or abnormally dry conditions
A combination in Colorado of paltry spring snow, warmer temperatures that triggered earlier melting of winter mountain snowpack, feeble rain through summer, and parched soil from previous dry years led to this formal label.
Colorado, United States
The Denver Post

Rivers are threatened by both shallowing and flooding
The Russian region is threatened by water- both its excess and its absence. This was announced on Monday at a weekly conference at the National Anti-Crisis Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia
Черкесск, Karachayevo-Cherkesiya, Russia
Российская газета

The number of people infected with coronavirus in Russia has reached 800,000
The number of deaths was more than 13,000
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
The Moscow Times in Russian

Anoxic events in P.E.I. waterways: 9 already this year
Nine waterways on P.E.I. have experienced anoxic events so far this year, something experts say is unusual.
Estuaries of P.E.I., Canada

Who pours fuel into Baikal? We're going to ask an expert
Maksim Tokarev, the head of the Save Baikal project, told Sputnik radio about new initiatives aimed at maintaining the cleanliness of the lake.
Байкал, Irkutsk, Russia
Радио Sputnik

Historic low numbers of large wild Atlantic salmon
A group advocating for the conservation of wild Atlantic salmon says the number of adult salmon returning to North America rivers fell to near historic lows last year.
Rivers of Eastern Canada

Explosion of beavers on the Baldwin Peninsula is part of their march north of the Arctic Circle
How the beavers got to the Baldwin Peninsula, which is surrounded by salt water and extends north of the Arctic Circle, is anyone’s guess.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

Beaver invasion on the Baldwin Peninsula
Scientists have documented a recent population explosion of beavers on the Baldwin Peninsula near Kotzebue.
UAF Geophysical Institute

Fall chum salmon run failed to hit escapement goal on Porcupine River
Numbers from Fishing Branch, a tributary of the Porcupine River, fell below management and treaty goals, experts from Alaska and the Yukon said at the Yukon River Panel’s meeting in Whitehorse earlier this month.
Yukon News

On land, Australia's rising heat is 'apocalyptic'; in the ocean, it's even worse
BRUNY ISLAND, TASMANIA (WASHINGTON POST) - Even before the ocean caught fever and reached temperatures no one had ever seen, Australia's ancient giant kelp was cooked.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Australia
The Straits Times

Salmon frenzy in western Arctic reaches historic high
The Arctic Salmon Project collected 2,400 samples from the western Arctic this year — more than the past 20 years combined.
Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada

Napakiak Erosion Accelerating
For as long as anyone remembers, Napakiak has been retreating from the Kuskokwim. The village of about 400 people sits on a bend in the river, and every
Napakiak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Monitoring water quality after wildfires
The first storm of the season not only tamped down the fire, it also began the process of flushing an unknown mixture of metals, toxic organic compounds, and other chemicals from the air, ash, and debris into the region’s creeks and rivers.
Paradise, California, United States
Chemical & Engineering News

Alaska Town Fleeing to Higher Ground
Rising sea levels will threaten three times more people in the next 30 years than previously thought, according to the latest scientific estimates. Among the hundreds of millions of people worldwide facing the threat are the 400 residents of Newtok, Alaska. Rising river and eroding land is pushing the entire community to relocate, despite emotional and logistical hurdles.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
PBS News

Metlakatla, which depends on water, has moved quickly to accommodate the realities of drought
Following a season of drought, the Southeast Alaska community of Metlakatla is navigating a different relationship with water, like a number of other places in the region.
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Iqaluit water reservoir is almost full, just in time for winter
An emergency project to pump water from Unnamed Lake started in mid-August, and has been successful. The city's reservoir at Lake Geraldine is projected to be filled ten days ahead of schedule.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

California Sinking
For more than a century farmers in California's Central Valley have been pumping water out of the ground — so much so that the land is slowly sinking, a process known as subsidence. In fewer than 100 years, it's dropped 8½ metres.
Corcoran, California, United States

It was the warmest ever Arctic summer
The top of the world saw record-beating average temperatures flashing through all three summer months.
The Independent Barents Observer

Warm August with record-late tropical heat
The monthly temperature for the entire country was 1.7 degrees above normal.
Åndalsnes, Møre og Romsdal, Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

Canada's Pollution Problem Is So Bad That It's Currently Raining Plastic
Microplastics from the breakdown of plastics and from microbeads used in toothpaste and exfoliants, are so small, they are able to travel in the atmosphere.
Canada

'They're flat broke': Salmon fishermen demand disaster relief for failed season
With some of this year's salmon runs projected to be the lowest on record, West Coast salmon fishermen are demanding disaster relief from the federal and provincial governments.
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Genetic study of sockeye salmon in B.C. river suggests 75% decline since 1913
A new study that suggests sockeye returns have dropped by three-quarters in the Skeena River over the last century should serve as a "wake-up call" for B.C., the lead researcher says.
Skeena River, British Columbia, Canada

Warm waters across Alaska cause salmon die-offs
From the Koyukuk River, to the Kuskokwim, to Norton Sound, to Bristol Bay’s Igushik River, unusually warm temperatures across Alaska this summer led to die-offs of unspawned chum, sockeye and pink salmon. Warm waters also sometimes this summer acted as a “thermal block” — essentially a wall of heat salmon don’t swim past, delaying upriver migration.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Alaska records warmest month ever in July with coastline barren of sea ice
Average temperature for month amid Arctic heatwave was 58.1F (14.5C), nearly 1F above previous high set in July 2004
the Guardian

Insect 'apocalypse' in U.S. driven by 50x increase in toxic pesticides
Bees, butterflies, and other insects are under attack by the very plants they feed on as U.S. agriculture continues to use chemicals known to kill.
United States
National Geographic

Summer Chum Salmon Die-Off Likely Caused By Heat Stress, Say Scientists
Salmon have been found dead in rivers across Western Alaska this summer. The largest die-off reported comes from the Koyukuk River, a tributary of the Yukon.
Huslia, Alaska, United States
KYUK

The heatwave accelerates the melting: - An eye opener
Record-breaking temperatures are nothing new for Norwegian glaciers. If temperatures become warmer, more glaciers may disappear.
Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway

Napakiak moves buildings threatened by erosion along Kuskokwim River
A city council member estimated the Western Alaska village has lost about 20 feet of riverbank since May.
Napakiak, Alaska, United States

Toxic Blue-Green Algae Is Taking Over Canada This Summer
Cities around Canada are urging swimmers to take caution as toxic blue-green algae warnings are in effect throughout the nation. This algae, if in contact with humans and pets, can be extremely harmful.
Canada
narcity.com

The dragonfly, Alaska’s state insect, is a nimble flying machine
The article discusses the unique dragonfly species in Alaska, including the lake darner and the treeline emerald, which thrive in cold climates and have a high prey capture success rate.

Water shortage on Salt Spring Island
The North Salt Spring Island Waterworks District and the Capital Regional District have partnered to request $50,000 from the B.C. government for a "Water Service Optimization" study.
Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Arctic waters are actually warmer than Great Lakes right now
Heading north this summer for a refreshing swim? If you're looking for the warm water, you might want to give the Great Lakes a pass and head straight to the Arctic.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
The Weather Network

Homes near Akiak's eroded riverbank need to move, but some people choose to stay
Akiak lost a mile-long stretch of riverbank to erosion last month. Six houses are now within 100 feet of the riverbank and need to be moved as soon as possible, but some people don’t want to move.
Akiak, Alaska, United States

Glowing 'Blue Tears' in China's Seas are Incredibly Toxic and Growing
The glowing algae is suffocating sea life.
Matsu Islands, Taiwan, East China Sea
Live Science

Bullhead City, Arizona Was a Retiree Paradise. Then Came a Biblical Plague of Flies.
Environmentalists often decry the loss of species diversity in rivers that have been dammed. But while some species lose when we meddle with rivers, others win, sometimes in dramatic and ways.
Bullhead City, Arizona, United States
OneZero

Lethal Virus Confirmed in Canadian Turtle for 1st Time
The Ranavirus virus has been found in a turtle in Hamilton's Cootes Paradise wetland. It generally leads to organ failure and death within four weeks.
Cootes Paradise, Ontario, Canada

Uruguay´s soybean crop forecasted to drop 43% because of devastating drought
Due to the recent devastating drought, soybean production in Uruguay is forecast to drop to 1.7 million tons in 2017-18, according to an April 30 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Uruguay
MercoPress

Climate change threatens water supply
Warming trend means Arkansas River won't meet demand.
Pueblo, Colorado, United States
The Pueblo Chieftain

Melting ice is disrupting daily life in the Y-K Delta in the worst possible way
This spring has seen record-breaking warm temperatures across Alaska. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the Kuskokwim River is melting early — with devastating consequences.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

A slippery slope: How climate change is reshaping the Arctic landscape
Increasing ground temperatures in the Arctic are indicators of global climate change, but until recently, areas of cold permafrost were thought to be relatively immune to severe impacts. A new study by Antoni Lewkowicz, a professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Ottawa and published in the journal Nature Communications, however, shows that areas of cold permafrost can be vulnerable to rising summer temperatures.
Aulavik National Park, Banks Island, Northwest Territories
Phys.org

100 months of temperature above normal in Svalbard
March becomes the hundredth month in a row with temperatures above normal. "It is unique and shows how fast climate change is happening in the Arctic," says climate scientist Ketil Isaksen at the Meteorological Institute (MET).
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Meteorologisk institutt

River ice and white hares: Signs of climate change in Finnish nature
The latest statistics on the mountain hare (or blue hare) population of Finland, for instance, show that the species' numbers are plummeting while the European (or brown) hare is thriving, especially in southern parts of the country.
Kuopio, Northern Savo, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Climate Change Bethel Pays the Price
The Kuskokwim River in Southwest Alaska is taking longer to freeze. Mark Leary, a volunteer for Bethel Search and Rescue, talks about what that means for winter transportation in the region.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Huerfano County prepares for potentially major flooding
Huerfano County says it's preparing for the worst when it comes to this year's flood season and it wants residents to be prepared.
Walsenburg, Colorado, United States
KOAA.com

No more shinny? Thousands of lakes are losing their winter ice
If the trend of reduced ice on the world's lakes continues at its current pace, the Canadian tradition of shinny could become a thing of the past, according to new research.
Canada

Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming in Svalbard
Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming on Svalbard.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Miljodirektoratet

Inuvik infrastructure may not be ready for climate change
The Arctic is expected to get warmer and wetter by the end of this century and new research says that could mean trouble for infrastructure in Inuvik.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Drought turns part of Iran into a new dust bowl
In this corner of the Middle East, a changing climate and debilitating dust storms have brought life to a standstill.
Southeastern Iran
National Geographic

Expect more extreme hurricanes on the East Coast due to faster ice melts in Greenland, study says
A new study suggests Greenland ice has hit a new tipping point with unprecedented melting since the early 2000s — and this will have consequences for East Coast cities.
East Coast of Canada

Saugeen Ojibway Nation confronts effects of climate change on whitefish fishery
The fishing communities of Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash are finding higher winds and warmer temperatures are affecting populations of lake whitefish in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, which many rely on for their livelihoods.
Lake Huron / Georgian Bay

The pursuit of climate change
Slik har Norge forandret seg. Sakte, nesten umerkelig.
Sør-Odal, Hedmark, Norway
NRK, Norsk Rikskringkasting

British Columbia chinook salmon populations in decline
Only one, located in British Columbia's Thompson River, is considered stable.
Southern British Columbia, Canada
Global News

Climate Change Is Fueling Wildfires Nationwide
Global warming has already resulted in more forest fires out West, according to the latest National Climate Assessment. The future could see more of the country burn.
Western United States
New York Times

Drying Canadian Wetland Drives Muskrat Decline
A new study shows loss of habitat in Canada’s Peace-Athabasca Delta is likely responsible for the decline of semi-aquatic muskrat, and could have larger implications.
Peace-Athabaska Delta
Stanford Earth

Lake Erie algal blooms 'seeded' internally by overwintering cells in lake-bottom sediments
Western Lake Erie's annual summer algal blooms are triggered, at least in part, by cyanobacteria cells that survive the winter in lake-bottom sediments, then emerge in the spring to "seed" the next year's bloom, according to a research team led by University of Michigan scientists.
Western Lake Erie, United States
Phys.org

Climate change threatens the kittiwake – extreme weather and altered prey availability reduce recruitment
Bad weather is bad news, also for the red-listed kittiwake. New research reveals that wind conditions combined with the availability of different prey species are determinants of chick production in this seabird.
Myre, Nordland, Norway
SEAPOP, Norwegian institute for nature research

Yukon considers ice boom to help form Dawson ice bridge this winter
Researchers from the National Research Council Canada investigated why the Yukon River didnt freeze at the George Black ferry crossing, where the ice bridge is usually built, for the last two winters.
Dawson, Yukon, Canada

This Stretch of Water Is Losing Oxygen Faster Than Almost Anywhere Else in The Ocean
A new study links rapid deoxygenation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to two powerful currents: the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current.
Gulf of St. Lawrence
ScienceAlert

Gulf of St. Lawrence shows a dramatic oxygen decline
The Gulf of St. Lawrence has warmed and lost oxygen faster than almost anywhere else in the global oceans due to large-scale climate change, raising the possibility the Gulf could soon be unable to support marine life, according to a new study.
Gulf of St. Lawrence
Digital Journal

Changements climatiques: la forêt boréale va fructifier, puis décliner
Climate change: the boreal forest will grow, then decline: The acceleration of growth will be fueled by warming in the north of the boreal forest, while the south (Abitibi, Lac-Saint-Jean, Gaspésie) will suffer from a lack of water.
Quebec, Canada
Le Devoir

The Kerala Floods
Since 2018, Kerala has faced increasingly severe and frequent floods, a stark contrast to its historical rarity, driven by factors like Indian Ocean warming and local environmental changes, underscoring a global trend of climate-driven extremes and the urgent need for improved flood management and climate adaptation.
Arukutti, Kerala, India

Wisconsin Reservation Offers A Climate Success Story And A Warning
Climate change is causing more severe flooding around the country, and a disproportionate number of Native American communities are on the front lines.
Odanah, Wisconsin, United States
NPR.org

Biologists survey invasive crawfish in Kodiak Island lake
A team of biologists is surveying a lake on Kodiak Island for crawfish, an invasive species in Alaska that has been observed in higher frequency over past several years.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Toxic algae blooms spike in Upstate NY this week
Sixteen water bodies were added to this week's list.
Upstate New York, United States
syracuse.com

90 percent of Lake Okeechobee smothered in blue-green algae bloom
EUMETSAT satellite shows blue-green algae bloom covering Lake Okeechobee.
Lake Okeechobee, Florida, United States
TCPalm

Harmful algae blooms found across Central Montana
Harmful algae blooms are something Montana has to worry about every summer, and now there have been a couple places in central and western Montana confirmed to have the harmful blue green algae. T...
Central and Western Montana, United States
Fox Montana

Photos: How climate change is transforming Canada
From floods to fires, drought to coastal erosion, climate change is already having an impact on Canada's communities, landscapes and wildlife
Canadian Geographic

How to Stop Toxic Algae From Overwhelming Florida's Largest Lake
Blue-green algae has bloomed again in Lake Okeechobee, filling waterways with putrid sludge that can contaminate local water and marine animals.
Lake Okeechobee, Florida, United States
Pacific Standard

Feel like a swim? Here’s the lowdown on Anchorage lakes
Water quality in Anchorage's lakes is generally good, but swimmer's itch is a risk.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

The catastrophic thermokarst lake drainage events of 2018 in northwestern Alaska: fast-forward into the future
The combination of abundant rain and snowfall and extremely warm mean annual air temperatures may have led to the destabilization of permafrost around lake margins. Rapid snow melt and high amounts of excess meltwater further promoted rapid lateral breaching at lake shores and consequently sudden drainage of some of the largest lakes of the study region.
Kotzebue, Alaska
The Cryosphere

Researchers see 'very reassuring' early results in N.W.T. contaminants study
The initial results represent 330 participants from six communities. Around 98 per cent of participants had mercury levels below the health guidance value - a baseline to assess health risks.
Kakisa, Northwest Territories, Canada

Insurers say Canadian weather getting hotter, wetter and weirder
Average number of days with heavy rain or snow across Canada has been outside norm since spring 2013
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Beavers Emerge as Agents of Arctic Destruction
Climate change may be enabling beavers to move deeper into the Arctic. And as they move, they magnify climate change’s effects.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
New York Times

Study: ‘Unprecedented’ rain, warmth for Alaska by end of century
Climate warming is likely to bring more episodes of heavy rain, above-freezing winter thaws and scorching hot summer days in the coming decades, says a study by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Alaska Dispatch News

Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon returned to Sacramento River in 2017
Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon, once one of the biggest salmon runs on the Sacramento River and its tributaries, returned to the Sacramento Valley in 2017, according to a report sent to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) by the...
Livingston Stone Fish Hatchery
Daily Kos

Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak Starts Crayfish Monitoring Program
In August 2017, Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak was awarded funding by USFWS Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) Program. The two-year project, titled “Distribution, Movement and Diet of Invasive Crayfish Populations in Buskin River Watershed on Kodiak Island, Alaska” focuses on characterizing the distribution (snorkel/scuba diving surveys), movement (radio tagging) and diet (stable isotope analyses) of the Signal Crayfish population within Buskin Watershed.
Bushkin Lake, Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Sunaq.org

Work begins on $1M trench to stave off Matanuska River erosion
The 500-foot, rock-filled trench won't be as long as experts advise and wasn't engineered to protect private property.
Butte, Alaska, United States

Crawdad pie, anyone? In Kodiak, an invasive species proliferates
There's somewhat of a slow motion invasion of a fresh water crustacean happening in Buskin River and Buskin Lake. It has a hard shell, two claws and tastes great in pies.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Fuel contamination the next concern in flood-ravaged Hay River, N.W.T. | CBC News
Janice Moore, who lives along the West Channel, is worried about fuel contamination after intense flooding in Hay River, N.W.T., left multiple fuel containers strewn about her property. "You can smell the diesel smell and fuel smell," she said.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada

First Nation warns of 'ecocide' as spring melt poses risk to tailings pond at Yukon mine site
The Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation is warning spring melt could cause the tailings dam at the abandoned Mount Nansen mine in central Yukon to overflow or breach, which would send a toxic slurry into the environment.
Mt. Nansen, Mine

'Sensitive clay' behind massive northern Quebec landslide
IThe Great Whale River landslide, which happened about eight kilometres upstream from the Cree and Inuit villages of Whapmagoostui and Kuujjuarapik, was too far south to be caused by melting permafrost, and too deep to be caused by variations in the climate, says a landslide expert.
Whapmagoostui, Quebec, Canada

Nunavut sees 5-year high for water advisories in 2021
Nunavut communities have seen a five-year high of water advisories in 2021, without counting Iqaluit’s ongoing water emergency. As of Friday, about a month before the year’s end, 14 water advisories had been issued in seven communities outside of the capital city this year, more than tripling the four advisories issued in 2017.
ArcticToday

Tuluksak Will Lose Only Source Of Running Water During Breakup
For the residents of Tuluksak, breakup means that they will once again be losing their source of running water.
Tuluksak, Alaska, United States

In Fountain, Colorado, There’s Plenty Of Room For New Homes. But There Isn’t Enough Water
Colorado Springs' housing boom is expanding into nearby cities, like Fountain. But new homes require water — and there are currently fewer than 9,000 taps to Fountain’s water supply.
Fountain, Colorado, United States
Colorado Public Radio

Kenai Peninsula borough declares flooding emergency
Kenai River flooding began last week when glacier-dammed lakes burst and caused water levels to rapidly rise. Water levels were already high due to recent rainfall.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

Utah Debates Solutions to Water Shortage
Growing population and limited water has Utah lawmakers and conservation groups discussing how to replenish the state's water sources. A new state grant program will help farmers convert idle land in an effort to mitigate the environmental and economic effects of drought on the state.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Premature Mortality Observations among Alaska’s Pacific Salmon During Record Heat and Drought in 2019
Widespread mortality of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. returning to spawn in Alaska coincided with record-breaking air temperatures and prolonged drought in summer 2019.
Western Alaska, United States
Fisheries Magazine

Finnish fisherwoman turns to driving taxi due to climate change
Due to anticipated continued increased temperatures, Finland's inland fishing problems are likely to continue.
Kajaani, Kainuu, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Great Salt Lake is shrinking fast. Scientists demand action before it becomes a toxic dustbin
Great Salt Lake is also known as America's Dead Sea -- owing to a likeness to its much smaller Middle Eastern counterpart -- but scientists worry the moniker could soon take new meaning.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
CNN

In 'momentous' act, regulators approve demolition of four Klamath River dams
Federal regulators have approved a plan to demolish four Klamath River dams, a historic act that is intended to save imperiled salmon. “The Klamath salmon are coming home,” Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph James said in a statement. “The people have earned this victory and with it, we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained our people since the beginning of time.”
Klamath, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

Evacuation alerts in areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake, and Lewes River Road
An evacuation alert has been issued by Yukon Emergency Measures Organization for areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake and Lewes River Road. This alert is due to high water and flooding in the areas. Water levels have exceeded what they were in the 2007 flood.
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada

Alaska’s most prominent permafrost cliff is one of a kind
Called yedomas in Russia, the mounds of land are much more populous there.
Itkillik River

AFN delegates push for measures to decrease salmon bycatch
Two resolutions brought before the Alaska Federation of Natives during this year’s annual convention called for efforts to reduce salmon bycatch for fish that return to the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
KDLG

An Anchorage man spent more than a decade planning and building a micro-hydropower project in his backyard. Now, it can power more than 300 homes.
“This sort of became my purpose in life, to make something for my children and for humanity going forward,” said Dave Brailey, the mastermind behind the Juniper Creek Hydroelectric Project.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Climate change threatening Indigenous ways of life
Cecelia Brooks remembers a time when the deep forest of New Brunswick was so cold, snow could still be found in its depths in August. That rarely happens anymore. Brooks, who lives on St. Mary's First Nation in Fredericton, is one of many Indigenous people in the Wabanaki region who say climate change is threatening traditional plants and medicines. Those changes, Brooks says, could alter their way of life.
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Observed Evidence of Changing Forests:Testimonial for the Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report
The Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Tribes and Climate Change Program is publishing a report called the Status of Tribes and Climate C...
Spokane, Washington, United States
YouTube

As lower Kuskokwim River breaks up, Bethel sees highest river gauge level in almost 20 years
Amid the highest water levels seen since 2005, the city urges residents to be prepared for things to get worse.

Lake Superior Summer: Blue-green algal blooms come to a lake once believed immune
As the deepest and most northern of the Great Lakes, Superior was once thought immune to algal blooms, which is why it was such a shock when the first report of blue-green algae came in 2012.
Lake Superior
Great Lakes Now

‘The economy of the Lower Yukon is gone’
Second of three parts: As salmon stocks have crashed on the Yukon River, so has a key source of income in fish-dependent communities.
Emmonak, Alaska, United States

Arctic Lakes Are Disappearing Fast, and Scientists Are Just Figuring Out Why
Recently, however, scientists have observed not just shrinking lakes but lakes that have completely gone away. A paper published this year in Nature Climate Change, based on satellite imagery, found widespread lake loss across the Arctic over the past 20 years.
Arctic Alaska
Scientific American

There's a crisis in the Yukon River
When Jody Potts-Joseph was growing up, her family mushed sled dogs during the harsh Alaskan winters to hunt and trap, feeding them salmon caught from the Yukon River by the thousands. But after rebuilding her sled dog team as an adult, Potts-Joseph, a member of the Han Gwich'in tribe, had to turn to store-bought dog food. The river that was once renowned for its salmon doesn't have enough to offer anymore.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
Yahoo News

Several drownings reported during Northwest heat wave
Several people have drowned or been reported missing after swimming in Pacific Northwest bodies of water during the record-breaking heat wave in the past few days.
Bellingham, Washington, United States
Bellingham Herald

New wave of Kenai Peninsula fishery closures takes effect
State officials said that king salmon runs are not showing signs of improvement and that conservative measures are needed to ensure future fishing opportunities.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

Low water in Yellowknife Bay not increasing arsenic risk says official, researcher
An official with the Giant Mine remediation project and a local researcher aren't worried the low water in Yellowknife Bay is exposing people to more arsenic in areas along the shore line.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Bad weather hampers military efforts to purify Iqaluit river water
Task Force Iqaluit is making plans to move its water purification operation indoors, after a winter storm knocked down the tent housing its purifying system. Meanwhile, city staff are being redeployed due to the crisis, leading to some cuts to recreation services.

What happens when the ice disappears?
Lake Superior is warming faster than any of the Great Lakes, with impacts on ice fishing, wildlife and Indigenous ways of life
Lake Superior / *Gitchigumi*
The Narwhal

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