Environment News and Investigative Reporting - Wisconsin Watch

A hand holds a glass under a running kitchen faucet as clear water fills it, with a sink and cabinets visible in the background.

Mississippi River groups tell feds to act on nitrate contamination

by Madeline Heim / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 12, 2026May 11, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Nitrate pollution is especially acute in rural areas and has been linked to disease. More than 80 groups nationwide say immediate action is needed.

A banner on a chain-link fence reads “Beaver Dam Data Center” and “Building for the Future,” with snow-covered ground behind it and a blurred vehicle passing in front.

Data Centers Watch, Economy, Environment

PSC approves Alliant-Meta data center power deal while criticizing ‘black box’ approach

by Paul Kiefer / Wisconsin Watch May 7, 2026May 8, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A setting sun is shown above a pond in which two beaver heads are poking out. The wake from the beavers' swim trails behind them.

Ag & Water, Environment

Pest or nuisance? The role of beavers in ‘Hoppers’ and the real world

by Bennet Goldstein / Wisconsin Watch April 18, 2026April 17, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A large green tractor is on a light brown field of crops, with wide tillage equipment attached as dust rises behind it, with bare trees and irrigation equipment in the background.

Economy, Environment

Already under financial pressure, Midwest soybean farmers are squeezed further by tariffs, Iran war

by Eric Ferkenhoff / Lee Enterprises and Josh Kelety / Associated Press April 14, 2026April 24, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person speaks at a podium with multiple microphones while people in suits stand in the background.

Environment, Forward

Funding for Wisconsin’s largest land conservation program could expire in three months. Here’s how we got here.

by Noe Goldhaber / Wisconsin Watch March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

An aerial view of a large industrial complex next to a pond and surrounding construction areas at sunset, with orange light along the horizon under a cloudy sky.

Data Centers Watch, Economy, Environment

Local data center critics praise Microsoft’s pledge to stop using NDAs, but remain skeptical

by Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Several ice fishing shanties dot a frozen lake, with trucks and vehicles parked on the ice nearby and a wooded shoreline in the distance.

A Wisconsin whitefish refuge offers lessons for Michigan. But will it last?

by Kelly House / Bridge Michigan March 14, 2026March 15, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person stands beside a narrow stream bordered by tall grasses, looking down at the water, with a cloudy sky in the distance.

A Superfund site in Minnesota is spreading, disrupting a tribe’s way of life

by Gabrielle Nelson / Buffalo’s Fire March 8, 2026March 6, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A beaver swims across a calm body of water, its head and back visible above the surface with ripples trailing behind.

Ag & Water, Environment

Pest or climate ally? DNR weighs new beaver management plan under mounting scrutiny

by Bennet Goldstein / Wisconsin Watch March 2, 2026February 27, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person wearing a winter coat, scarf, hat, and gloves with hands in pockets stands in falling snow beside a field and fence, looking off to the side.

Environment, Health & Welfare

Pesticide use and cancer risk rise together across America’s heartland

by Ben Felder / Investigate Midwest February 26, 2026February 25, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A narrow creek flows between snow-covered banks lined with leafless trees and fallen branches in a wooded area.

This little-known FEMA rule may be making flooding worse in rural Wisconsin

by Christian Thorsberg / Circle of Blue February 19, 2026February 18, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

An aerial view of a large industrial complex next to a pond and surrounding construction areas at sunset, with orange light along the horizon under a cloudy sky.

Environment, Government

Wisconsin debates how to pay for the power-hungry AI boom

by Kari Lydersen / Canary Media January 30, 2026January 29, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch