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water and the environment

'In a pinch right now': Ex-DNRC director highlights growing pressures on Montana water rights

As water temperatures rise and volumes fall, groundwater rights in the Gallatin Valley are becoming increasingly turbulent. For some homeowners, this realization came last winter in the form of paper letters, issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, notifying them that the water rights they believed were guaranteed

Iraq fish die-off leaves farmers mourning lost livelihoods

Iraq fish die-off leaves farmers mourning lost livelihoods

On the banks of Iraq's Tigris River, Haidar Kazem mourned 300 tonnes of the fish he had carefully raised in ponds wiped out by a flood of polluted water. Water supplies in Iraq, the eastern half of what is known as the region's fertile crescent and

Court upholds stricter selenium standards for Lake Koocanusa

A Montana District Court this week upheld a 2020 state water quality standard for selenium in Lake Koocanusa, dismissing a rule enacted by the state Board of Environmental Review that sought to weaken the standard in 2022. In the order, Lewis and Clark District Judge Kathy Seeley found that the

Data Centers Could Ruin What Makes Montana Beautiful

AI has been a hot topic for the past year as its reach continues to expand. Rather than just generating your WRIT101 essay, it’s being used increasingly in medicine, materials science and for creating videos and images. The growing demand for AI has sparked the development of new data

Proposed AI data centers raise concerns from Montanans

Proposed AI data centers raise concerns from Montanans

The AI data center industry is making its way into Montana, raising a slew of concerns for many residents. Last Monday, the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) held a panel discussion at the Gallatin Gateway Community Center to discuss environmental and ethical issues surrounding the presence of AI data centers

Family of beavers released into wild for first time in 400 years

Family of beavers released into wild for first time in 400 years

By Faye Mayern A family of beavers has been released into the wild of one of the driest counties in England for the first time in 400 years. Two adults beavers, and two kits, were released following two years of preparation. The family of Eurasian beavers are housed in a

Big Sky touts water reuse as Montana panel examines expanding water recycling

Could one of Montana’s most expensive resort communities be an example of water reuse and conservation for the rest of the state? Or is the process so costly and complicated that reproducing Big Sky’s success at recycling as much as 170 to 190 million gallons of water a