In 2012, Indiana began protecting Flat Creek, a 54-mile stream affected by pollution. 10 years later, multiple stretches had recovered enough to be removed from the listFlat Creek in Indiana experienced significant water quality issues for years. A 2012 plan initiated watershed improvement efforts and best ...
03 Sep, 2026, 02.51 AM IST
In 2012, Indiana farmers adopted cover crops that helped stop 5,695 tons of soil from reaching waterways each year. 9 years later, Prairie Creek scored 50 and was removedPrairie Creek in Indiana was once impaired for aquatic communities. A watershed management plan implemented in 2012 led to significant impr...
03 Sep, 2026, 02.01 AM IST
In 1994, Idaho listed Rapid Creek for sediment after grazing added excess sediment. 20 years later, 3 reaches were delisted after BMPs improved habitat and water qualityRapid Creek in southeastern Idaho was listed for sediment impairment in 1994 after assessments found that several streams did not support c...
03 Sep, 2026, 12.40 AM IST
In 2015, scientists released fluorescent dye into Florida’s Silver River: Here’s what they discoveredA 2015 University of Florida experiment used five gallons of fluorescent dye to track water movement through a 5.1-mile section of Florida’...
02 Sep, 2026, 11.33 PM IST
In 1998, officials listed Arkansas' L’Anguille River as impaired for siltation and turbidity. Six miles of Lateral 1A were restored; today, landowners have restored two more milesL’Anguille River restoration is gaining ground in eastern Arkansas, years after the river was listed as impaired. In 1998, officials cited ...
01 Sep, 2026, 06.43 PM IST
In 1918–1921, one dam built on California's Carmel River provided water storage but blocked fish runs; in 2015 it came down, reopening 25 miles of habitat for steelhead troutA century-old dam on California's Carmel River was removed, restoring fish spawning grounds. Crews rerouted the river and dismantled the st...
01 Sep, 2026, 01.40 PM IST
In 1996, West Virginia's BRWA and WVWRI developed a plan to treat Swamp Run’s acid mine drainage. 28 years later, 2 projects had dramatically improved the stream’s pH with lasting gainsSwamp Run in Upshur County, West Virginia, faced decades of water quality problems caused by acid mine drainage from buried coal refuse lef...
01 Sep, 2026, 12.20 AM IST
In the late 1990s, Arkansas agencies urged landowners to use BMPs to keep cattle from streams. Today, 2 agencies and local owners protect these sensitive waters togetherFulton County faced water quality issues, prompting conservation efforts in the late 1990s. Landowners embraced livestock exclusion and con...
31 Aug, 2026, 10.38 PM IST
In 2006, Virginia flagged the Rapidan River for failing swimming standards. 18 years later, DEQ removed it from the impaired list after BMPs restored water qualityRapidan River water quality in Virginia has finally turned a corner after nearly two decades of concern. A section once flagged for failing...
31 Aug, 2026, 09.00 PM IST
In 2014, Arizona used fish poison to clear an invasive fish from Virgin River after mechanical removal methods failed. Then the red shiner came backFor years, conservationists waged a relentless battle against the invasive red shiner in the Virgin River. Initial rotenone treatments show...
31 Aug, 2026, 05.11 PM IST
"God saved us all": 36-member Malayali group caught in Nepal flash floods returns to KeralamA 36-member Malayali group narrowly escaped Nepal's flash floods and returned home. They travelled approximately 100 kilometers from the Ne...
30 Aug, 2026, 10.11 AM IST
In 1994, Idaho listed Rapid Creek for sediment impairment. 18 years later, restoration improved habitat scores and Lower Rapid Creek was removed from the 2012 impaired waters listRapid Creek in southeastern Idaho offers a compelling example of how long-term watershed restoration can transform water quality and aquati...
29 Aug, 2026, 08.28 PM IST
In 2002, Idaho listed the South Fork Palouse River as bacteria-impaired after livestock grazing. 14 years later, restoration helped remove it from the 2016 impaired listThe South Fork Palouse River restoration began with a problem Idaho could not ignore. In 2002, the river was listed as bacteria-impaired, w...
28 Aug, 2026, 11.29 PM IST
In 1990, a rural Idaho community of 17 homes made one final phone call. It marked the end of America's last known hand-cranked telephone systemIn July 1990, a small community in Idaho’s remote Salmon River Canyon said goodbye to a telephone system that had survived for decades. Sev...
28 Aug, 2026, 06.25 PM IST
In 2016, researchers restored 452 meters of Maryland's Muddy Creek with woodchips, sand and gravel. 2 years later, monitoring found suspended sediment fell 73.8%, improving stream functionMuddy Creek is a tributary of the Rhode River and flows through the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, an important site for ecolog...
28 Aug, 2026, 03.07 AM IST
In 1923, a geologist said a sudden, catastrophic Ice Age flood carved Washington's landscape. Scientists rejected him for decades. At 96, he received geology's highest honorJ. Harlen Bretz, a pioneering geologist, introduced a groundbreaking theory about the Ice Age floods sculpting eastern Washington's terrain...
24 Aug, 2026, 10.26 PM IST
Once home to hundreds, Kentucky town was abandoned in 1962. Decades later, its residents' voices still echo from 'ghost' buildingsBlue Heron, Kentucky, once a bustling coal mining town, now stands as a silent monument. The Stearns Coal and Lumber Company operated mines...
24 Aug, 2026, 03.00 PM IST