Center for Environmental Journalism

Want to predict wildfires? The key may be underground

Annie MacKeigan, in this story from The Water Desk, explores how researchers across the West are using soil moisture data to better understand wildfire risk, forecast fire behavior, and support prevention efforts. As monitoring networks expand, scientists say the key to predicting future fires may lie beneath our feet.

Read more: https://waterdesk.org/2026/06/want-to-predict-wildfires-the-key-may-be-underground/

As Lake Powell recedes, a remarkable ecological transformation is unfolding across Glen Canyon.

Streams, wetlands, native vegetation, beaver dams, and wildlife are reappearing in canyons that were submerged for decades, offering researchers a rare opportunity to study ecosystem recovery and resilience in a changing climate.

Produced by The Salt Lake Tribune in partnership with the Colorado River Collaborative, with support from The Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Read more: https://waterdesk.org/2026/06/as-lake-powell-drops-a-thriving-ecosystem-is-emerging/

In this story for MPR News, former Ted Scripps Fellow Ben Cathey examines how the 2024 Gannon solar storm interfered with GPS-guided farm equipment during the spring planting season, costing Corn Belt farmers an estimated $1 billion in lost productivity.

Read more: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/06/11/gannon-solar-storm-cost-corn-growers-a-billion-dollars