A rare turtle found only in Louisiana and Mississippi now has a slow but steady plan from the federal government to save its species from decline.

Mississippi River conservation groups are among a broad coalition urging the federal government to take action against nitrate contamination in drinking water, which they say has reached "crisis levels" and is a public health emergency.

Author Mark Twain, a proud son of Missouri, once reportedly mused that “whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.” Some natural resources officials in the Midwest would seem to agree. Get the story from The Beacon and the Missouri River Basin Ag & Water Desk.

So great to have the team all together! Our staff photo from the Society of Environmental Journalists gathering in Chicago, #SEJ2026. https://agwaterdesk.org/2026/05/04/invasive-appetizers-high-tech-tractors-and-river-reversal-our-executive-directors-report-from-sej-2026/

Paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and just a sip is fatal, but tens of thousands of pounds of it are being released in the Mississippi Basin.

Residents and town leaders are in the dark about who would build a $1B center or where it would go. They used zoning to block the plan.

We'd like to invite you to a discussion Investigate Midwest is hosting on pesticides and cancer, coming up May 7. More: https://agwaterdesk.bluelena.io/index.php?action=social&chash=8f121ce07d74717e0b1f21d122e04521.277&s=bad97c655476f96a390a72c05a742011 

We're all set up at #SEJ2026 in Chicago. Come visit us in the main foyer near registration to say hello and get some Ag & Water Desk gear!

Spring is arriving earlier across the Basin. Reflections and reporting on phenology, the study of seasonal cues from budding flowers to migrating birds – all in this week's newsletter. Read more: https://agwaterdesk.bluelena.io/social/eda80a3d5b344bc40f3bc04f65b7a357.265 

Today, on #LocalNewsDay, our executive director Sara Shipley Hiles is in Chicago speaking at the Midwest Press Forward Summit about regional collaboration and how it can boost the impact of local news. Sara is shown here with Tracy Baim, executive director of Press Forward Chicago.

From school boards to city councils, so much of what affects our daily lives starts locally. This year on the inaugural #LocalNewsDay, you can amplify reporting from your town. The Desk is proud to be a founding member of this movement to support local media. Learn more at LocalNewsDay.org

The Trump administration wants to continue the use of the herbicide dicamba. That’s despite fears it’s killing sensitive plants.

Data centers are going to be one of the Desk's major focuses for the foreseeable future. Read more from Editorial Director Chas Sisk in this week's newsletter.

Last month, Climate Central, a non-profit specializing in communicating climate science, published an analysis which found that spring is trending to an earlier arrival from 1981 to 2025 in most of the United States.

This week in the newsletter, Desk reporter Bennet Goldstein of Wisconsin Watch shares how he has spent the last few years reporting on the impacts of beavers in Wisconsin, parallels with the new Pixar movie "Hoppers," and the shared science experts between the two.

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.

This week in the newsletter, local stories from Desk reporters on power generation projects and their myriad impacts from South Dakota to Ukraine. Read more and subscribe:

Desk reporter Gabrielle Nelson of Buffalo's Fire spoke to Minnesota Public Radio about her story on toxic pollution on the Leech Lake Reservation. Listen here: https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/03/10/hazardous-waste-site-impacting-life-on-leech-lake-reservation-despite-40-year-cleanup-effort 

Many wildlife managers see the rodent as a nuisance that harms trout. But scientists argue they’re essential to controlling floods and wildfires.

This week in the newsletter, Desk Expert Journalist Kathleen Davis shares a recent episode she produced for Science Friday and asks: is there still a use for Farmers' Almanacs in 2026?

This week in the newsletter, Desk Expert Journalist Kathleen Davis shares a recent episode she produced for Science Friday and asks: is there still a use for Farmers' Almanacs in 2026?

Elon Musk’s xAI has fired up dozens of polluting, gas-powered generators to fuel the Grok chatbot — and wants to add more. New Desk reporting from Illan Ireland and the Mississippi Free Press.

Cotton Plant, Ark., can’t maintain water infrastructure for its residents. With an aging population and a lack of state resources, long-term solutions seem far from reach. New reporting from the Ag & Water Desk:

Millions of rural Americans get their water from districts that serve 10,000 people or less. Thousands of those systems are failing to meet federal standards. New reporting from the Ag & Water Desk:

This week in the newsletter, we're talking to essayist and author Ralph Eubanks about his new book, "When It's Darkness on the Delta: How America's Richest Soil Became Its Poorest Land." Read more:

Residents of Canton, Miss., say traffic and dust have already made life a ‘mess’. And they worry what will happen when hundreds of backup diesel generators go online. New story from Desk reporter Illan Ireland and the Mississippi Free Press.

States need a major disaster declaration to access federal aid, but the wait time ranges from a few days to a few months. New reporting from Desk reporter Cassandra Stephenson and Tennessee Lookout.

Little progress has been made despite 40 years of cleanup on Leech Lake Reservation. Locals fear for the health of surrounding lakes and the Mississippi River downstream.

LIVE PANEL: Joana Colussi, Purdue prof and expert on South American agriculture, says Brazil is setting records for soybean production thanks to trade w/ China, but it comes as a cost. "They are making money but at the same time, it's over-dependence." https://t.co/ZSSuT2j2Ce 

LIVE PANEL: Jared Phillips, U. of Ark. ag historian, says six decades of ag policy focused on exports has limited the country's ability to respond to crisis. "There's not a lot of wiggle room anymore." https://t.co/ZSSuT2j2Ce 

LIVE PANEL: April Hemmes, Iowa farmer who's visited China 8 times to talk trade, says the main use of soybeans there is as feed. "At the end of the day, South America can't service all their needs," she says of U.S. exports. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83118281931?pwd=ofocP7ZhQMFqS4xzs8dTpbSdGFW3CP.1

HAPPENING NOW: We're underway with our panel discussion on how ag tariffs are reshaping global trade. Join us! [Registration required] https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83118281931?pwd=ofocP7ZhQMFqS4xzs8dTpbSdGFW3CP.1

Last chance to sign up for our panel on tariffs, trade wars and agriculture, which is today at noon! Sign up at the link:

Don't miss your chance! Apply now for six new environmental reporting positions with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. Deadline is today! @Report4America https://t.co/PTvy7zes4k 

Reporters: Apply now for six new environmental reporting positions with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. Deadline is Monday, Feb. 16!

Reaching a goal of 1,000 buffalo will require more land and fencing. An alliance of tribal nations may help.

Consolidation in ag, higher input prices, land access issues and other obstacles are making it hard for young farmers to gain a foothold in U.S. agriculture

This week in the newsletter, a look at the incredible career of Mark Schleifstein. From Pulitzers to pollution, he's seen it all in environmental journalism. Read and subscribe:

An interesting piece of data from Desk reporter Illan Ireland's recent story on threats to community air monitoring in Louisiana: most chemical plants exempted from the HON rule are in the Mississippi River Basin. Explore the map in the story here:

The Trump administration was quick to mobilize initial aid, but it’s not clear how a shrunken agency will handle the long-term recovery costs.

This week in the newsletter: a special message from our new editorial director after a month on the job, some fascinating recent stories from Desk reporters, and a very exciting update on our fundraising campaign! Read more:

Reporters: Apply now for six new environmental reporting positions with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk! Applications are due Feb. 16. More info:

Thirty-six states have detected cases of CWD, but many hunters are more fearful of losing game than the disease itself. Read more from Héctor Alejandro Arzate and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk:

Join us Feb. 19 to explore how tariffs and China’s global investment are reshaping U.S. farming. Investigate Midwest, the Arkansas Times, and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk will host a live virtual panel examining the impacts on U.S. farmers. More info, and sign up here:

Some exciting news to share: we've selected our next cohort of newsrooms! 6 outlets will join the Desk in 2026, hosting a full-time reporter through Report for America. Read more:

For these faithful, nurturing the Earth is rooted in spiritual beliefs. Five activists in Wisconsin share how belief has driven them to be better stewards of the earth. New reporting from Desk reporter Madeline Heim and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It’s not just that sea levels are rising. Scientists believe fossil fuel extraction and river engineering are also factors behind coastline disappearance.

As the state limits sharing of independent data, the Trump administration is delaying new testing requirements for dozens of chemical plants around the Mississippi River Basin

As the cost of everything, especially energy, increases, nonprofit organizations stockpile wood to help neighbors stay home through winter.

We're in the final hours of our 2025 fundraising campaign, and every bit counts! Donate to the Ag & Water Desk today! We appreciate the support. https://formizzou.missouri.edu/campaigns/63912/donations/new