Natural land-building deltaic processes of the Mississippi River Delta have been severely limited by artificial river levees, which prevent water and sediment from flowing over the banks during spring floods. To counteract the effects of severing the connection between the river and the delta, focus has been placed on reconnecting the river to the surrounding wetlands by the creation of artificial outlets, also called diversions.

Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, or other large bodies of water. This manmade debris gets into the water in many ways. People often leave trash on beaches or throw it into the water from boats or offshore facilities, such as oil rigs. Sometimes, litter makes its way into the ocean from land. This debris is carried by storm drains, canals, or rivers. The wind can even blow trash from landfills and other areas into the water. Storms and accidents at sea can cause ships to sink or to lose cargo.

NOAA's Weather Tower at the New Canal Lighthouse provides real-time data for a variety of water and air testing parameters.

The Sand Motor is a nature-based alternative to the Netherlands' famed network of walls, levees and sea gates, and much cheaper than the vast, multimillion-dollar beach rebuilds Louisiana is undertaking along its sandy barrier islands and rapidly deteriorating coastline. Where Louisiana's projects seek to re-create almost precisely what was lost, the Dutch simply pile the sand in a strategic location where it will be pushed naturally into places where it will still provide protection.

This module has three main purposes. It should help you to: (1) Understand when and how modeling can contribute to watershed assessment. (2) Learn approaches and tools that are useful for watershed modeling. Note that the requirements of watershed assessment can necessitate different tools and approaches from a traditional point source modeling problem. (3) Understand the considerations in choosing models for watershed assessments.

Dr. Jamie Dewitt explains her research in Phamacology and Toxicology and why water pollution might pose a problem no matter where you are... Her current scientific research focus is on how exposure to emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products, affect the adult and developing immune and nervous systems.

Wetlands are among the richest and most diverse places on earth. Thousands of fish, mammals and birds call the wetlands home. If you can believe it, wetlands, thick with plants and soggy soils, act as a sponge, soaking up pollutants to help keep our water clean. They also help protect people from floods and storms.

This webinar presented by Kay Stefanik discusses the ecosystem services provided by the wetlands of Iowa. In it, Stefanik explains the characteristics of a wetland, before further discussing the status of Iowa's wetlands and the reason they "matter" to communities in Iowa and elsewhere.

Voluntary public?private partnerships through conservation easements are important programs for conserving and restoring wetlands in the Great Lakes watershed. Little is known about what motivates landowners to participate, landowners' perceived value of the projects, the conservation management practices they undertake, and the impact of wetland restoration on property values. Therefore, the team evaluated wetland restoration projects based on biodiversity and environmental quality; hydrology and hydraulics; property owner knowledge, attitudes and behaviors; and impact on property value.

This widespread problem of water pollution is jeopardizing our health. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined. Meanwhile, our drinkable water sources are finite: Less than 1 percent of the earth's freshwater is actually accessible to us. Without action, the challenges will only increase by 2050, when global demand for freshwater is expected to be one-third greater than it is now. Still, we're not hopeless against the threat to clean water.