Circle of Blue

The Colorado River's future is being negotiated by people who haven't stood on its banks together in decades. Photographer Pete McBride has a simple suggestion: get in the boat. Float it together. Don't leave until you have answers. buff.ly/cPFrUB6 #ColoradoRiver

Pete McBride's message to Colorado River water managers: get in the boat. Don't come back until you have a solution. 20 years of watching negotiations happen far from the river. Witness to Water is out now. Full interview: buff.ly/cPFrUB6 #ColoradoRiver #WaterCrisis

Two-thirds of a nuclear plant's energy gets dumped into Lake Ontario as waste heat. Data centers throw away nearly all of theirs. Sewage pipes run warm 24/7. Europe has been capturing all of it for decades. The Great Lakes? Just getting started. buff.ly/tU56IYq

He paddled the Colorado River to the sea. He may have been the last person to ever do it — and he doesn't say that proudly. Mariachi bands. Dancing horses. Lawyers in leather shoes. Watch our full interview with Pete McBride about "Witness to Water": buff.ly/yURVItI

In the age of AI, the most radical thing a photograph can say is: this is real. Pete McBride has been bringing people to the Colorado River through his lens for over two decades. You can watch the full interview at circleofblue.org

The AI boom is coming for the Great Lakes — and nobody's required to say how much water they'll use. New guides and legislation are trying to change that. Full story: circleofblue.org/2026/fresh-gre…

A State Department official says the administration is focusing on its backyard. Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: buff.ly/LBih4w0 #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

A Senate committee will hold a hearing this week on tribal water rights settlements in northeastern Arizona. Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: buff.ly/LBih4w0 #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

A House committee advances its version of the farm bill. Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: buff.ly/LBih4w0 #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

EPA sets out eight priorities for technical assistance to poor and rural water systems. Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: buff.ly/LBih4w0 #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

USFS publishes a final environmental impact statement for South32’s Hermosa project, a proposed manganese and zinc mine in southern Arizona. buff.ly/LBih4w0 #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

BLM publishes a final environmental impact statement and authorizes rights of way for the Pine Valley project, a proposed groundwater pumping and pipeline scheme in southwestern Utah. buff.ly/LBih4w0 #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

NOAA forecasts that runoff into Lake Powell this summer will be fifth-lowest on record. Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: circleofblue.org/water-tap/ #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

A new study suggests that “compound extreme” weather events in which severe heat waves precede droughts are becoming increasingly common across the globe. buff.ly/PihrHYf #WaterNews #GlobalWaterNews #EnvironmentalNews

North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality has rejected a federal project to widen Cape Fear amid concerns that the effort will worsen PFAS contamination. buff.ly/PihrHYf #WaterNews #GlobalWaterNews #EnvironmentalNews

Dozens of people have died in floodwaters in Nairobi, Kenya, after more than four inches of rain fell on the capital in just 24 hours. The Stream newsletter gives you access to the latest global water news: buff.ly/PihrHYf #WaterNews #GlobalWaterNews #EnvironmentalNews

Facilities that turn seawater into drinking water were bombed over the weekend in Bahrain and Iran as the conflict in the Middle East escalates to include public utilities. buff.ly/PihrHYf #WaterNews #GlobalWaterNews #EnvironmentalNews

225,000 acres of protected forest could soon be opened to mining. The United States Senate is poised to vote on ending a 20-year mining ban in the Superior National Forest. ✍️ @modeshift/@circleofblue thenewlede.org/2026/02/senate…

Lake Powell is nearing a level where Glen Canyon Dam can’t generate power. Federal officials are considering unprecedented cuts to water releases to keep turbines running — with ripple effects for ecosystems, water users, and the Colorado River Basin. buff.ly/LAE9KAx

Bureau of Reclamation officials outline options for propping up a shrinking Lake Powell. Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: buff.ly/CzoFuoi #WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews