Environment

Water withdrawals for irrigating crops in Wisconsin reached their highest level ever reported in 2023 as a flash drought prompted growers to pump more water from high capacity wells, according to a state report.

Fred Strand, member of the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors, spoke with WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” about efforts on the statewide level to reel in the adverse effects of wake boating. 

State and local fire officials explained their process for fighting a 750-acre wildfire in south central Wisconsin, and they also shared what more to expect during the spring.

New report cards from the Wisconsin Waterworks Excellence Project show that water quality around the state is high, while there is room for improvement in infrastructure.

Enbridge said its investigation of valves at sites along the company’s Line 6 pipeline revealed no active leaks after a valve failure caused an oil spill in Jefferson County last year.

Recent moves at the Environmental Protection Agency to remove dozens of regulations and cut staff by 65 percent are raising concerns from advocates about impacts to the Great Lakes.

It was the first time in more than 100 years that cougar kittens had been verified in Michigan, and it happened in a county just 20 miles from Wisconsin’s border.

Congress provided billions of dollars to help communities remove lead pipes under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The funding will help water systems pay for those projects. Almost all of them can apply for forgivable loans. But Superior’s water utility is barred from doing so.

Gov. Tony Evers’ latest budget calls for more than $145 million to address “forever chemical” pollution. For residents of French Island, an end to their PFAS problem might be in sight.

The Raptor Resource Project monitors birds across the Midwest. Viewers can watch and learn about the once nearly extinct species through a free webcam and see the hatchings of Wisconsin’s “Mrs. and Mr. T” bald eagles.