Geography Of The World
What Happens If Lake Powell Drops Below Its Power Intakes
Cross a single line on the gauge and Glen Canyon Dam stops making power, reshaping who pays for Colorado River water and what survives downstream.
The Deadliest Beaches In America
The water looks ordinary right up until it kills someone. Rip currents, brutal shore break, sharks, and lightning define America's deadliest beaches.
The Lakes Where Snakeheads Are Spreading
The air-breathing "Frankenfish" is invading US waters. From the Potomac to Arkansas and New York's lakes, here's where snakeheads are spreading, and why.
The Deepest Shipwreck Ever Found In The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes’ deepest known shipwreck rests in near-total darkness far below the surface, where cold water preserved a vessel lost for generations.
The Lakes Where Striped Bass Grow Largest
The Lakes Where Striped Bass Grow Largest: from California's record-setting O'Neill Forebay to South Carolina's Santee Cooper, the reservoirs that grow giant stripers.
The Largest Lakes Entirely Inside One US State
Some lakes never leave home. These ten are the largest natural lakes held entirely inside one US state, from Alaska's Iliamna to Maine's Moosehead.
The American Waters With The Most Sea Life
The marine life found in these American waters is abundant, featuring humpback whales, vibrant and colorful schools of fish, and more.
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Kansas
Kansas wetlands and rivers shelter watersnakes, ribbonsnakes, and western massasaugas across five top wildlife-rich locations.
The Lakes Where Bowfin Grow Largest
The bowfin world record has stood since 1980 at 21 pounds. Where these prehistoric fish grow largest, and the 2022 study that split them into two species.
What Would Happen If All The Ice In The Ocean Melted
What Would Happen If All The Ice In The Ocean Melted? Coastlines would vanish, ocean currents would stall, and Earth itself would spin a little slower.
Why Lake Okeechobee Is So Hard To Manage
Lake Okeechobee has a unique climate and collection of manmade structures that make it particularly difficult to manage.
The Only Lakes With Freshwater Stingrays
Freshwater stingrays live far from the ocean in rare South American lakes where tropical floodwaters create an unexpected underwater world.
Why Scientists Added A Fifth Ocean
Discover why the Southern Ocean is recognized as the fifth ocean and what makes the waters surrounding Antarctica unlike anywhere else on Earth.
The Lakes Where Carp Reach Enormous Sizes
Discover eight North American lakes and reservoirs that have produced giant common carp, including verified catches exceeding 40, 50, and even 60 pounds.
The US Lakes Where Brain-Eating Amoeba Has Been Found
No quick test can clear a lake of the brain-eating amoeba. See the US waters, from Texas to Iowa, where scientists have confirmed Naegleria fowleri itself.
How Many Shipwrecks Are On The Ocean Floor?
How Many Shipwrecks Are On The Ocean Floor? Scientists estimate more than 3 million, though fewer than 1% have ever been mapped or explored.
The Longest Canal Still In Use In America
America's longest working canal is New York's 200-year-old Erie Canal, still moving boats across the state. Why it beats longer, long-abandoned rivals.
How Sewage Overflows Still Reach The Great Lakes Every Year
Untreated sewage keeps reaching the Great Lakes, sometimes by design and sometimes through gaps nobody meant to leave. See the routes it takes.
The Year The Mississippi Ran Backwards
In 1811-1812, the New Madrid earthquakes were so violent the Mississippi ran backwards for hours, built Reelfoot Lake, and rang church bells in Boston.
The US Lakes Where Paddlefish Still Survive
Some spawn wild, some survive only by hatchery hand. Here are the American reservoirs where a fish older than the dinosaurs still holds on today.
The US Reservoirs Holding The Most Water Right Now
Ranked by capacity, Mead and Powell win. Ranked by water on hand right now, the northern Plains take over. The ten fullest US reservoirs, latest figures.
The Strangest Things Ever Found On The Ocean Floor
Steam locomotives off New Jersey, Apollo 11 engines in the Atlantic, and a sunken Egyptian city: the strangest finds on the ocean floor.
The US Lakes Where Manatees Swim In From The Sea
In Florida, rivers such as the St. Johns provide aquatic corridors that connect the Atlantic Ocean with a chain of inland lakes.
The US Lakes Stocked With The Most Fish Every Year
The US Lakes Stocked With The Most Fish Every Year include Oneida Lake, Lake Michigan, and Fort Peck, where agencies release millions of fish annually.
The Next Great Lakes Invader Scientists Fear Most
A filter-feeding fish sits about 47 miles from Lake Michigan, and a $1.15 billion barrier near Chicago is meant to keep it out of the Great Lakes.
How Lake Michigan Compares To The Biggest Lake On Every Other Continent
How Lake Michigan Compares To The Biggest Lake On Every Other Continent, larger than four of them and smaller than only the Caspian Sea and Lake Victoria.
How Long Would It Take To Refill Lake Powell?
Lake Powell just hit a record low, 180 feet below full. How long would it take to refill? The sobering answer has less to do with time than with the river.
The 10 Largest Lakes in Minnesota
The 10 Largest Lakes in Minnesota include Red Lake, Mille Lacs, and Leech, all entirely within state lines, with walleye fishing and quiet shorelines.
The Lakes Where Smallmouth Bass Grow Largest
From record-setting Dale Hollow to the goby-fueled giants of Lake Erie, these are the lakes where smallmouth bass grow largest, and where records fall.
6 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In The United States
Warm shallows and thick cover pull snakes to the water in huge numbers. Meet six US waters where serpents gather, from earthquake lakes to python swamps.
The Longest Coastlines In The United States
See which US states have the longest coastlines, led by Alaska, Florida, and Louisiana, using NOAA measurements that include the Great Lakes.
The Longest Uninterrupted Beach In America
America's longest unbroken beach runs some 65 wild, roadless miles along Texas' Padre Island. Why it wins, and how it beats Long Beach and Virginia Beach.
The Rivers The West Would Turn To If The Colorado Failed
No single river can replace the Colorado. From the Columbia to the Mississippi, here are the waters the West eyes, and why each rescue plan keeps failing.
The Lakes Where Yellow Perch Grow Largest
A few lakes have produced yellow perch that shattered expectations, with record fish topping three pounds and holding their place for decades.
The Best Fly Fishing Lakes In America
Some hold record-class trout worth crossing the country for, others put newcomers on fish from shore. Ten of the best fly fishing lakes in America, ranked.
Which State Has The Warmest Lakes For Swimming?
No cold-water shock here. Ten Arizona lakes, from busy Havasu waterfronts to quiet Patagonia in the south, stay bathwater-warm deep into the summer.
The Year The Colorado River Stopped Reaching The Sea
When did the Colorado River stop reaching the sea? Around 1960, when Glen Canyon Dam choked off its flow, with only rare returns since, including a 2014 revival.
American Cities That Reversed Rivers To Protect Their Drinking Water
Can a city really make a river flow backward? Chicago did it in 1900 to save its drinking water, and we are still paying for it today.
The US Coastlines Where Jellyfish Are Worst
The US Coastlines Where Jellyfish Are Worst run from the Chesapeake Bay to Hawaii, where sea nettles, lion's mane, and box jellies turn beach days painful.
Which State Has The Most Fishable Lakes?
Which state has the most fishable lakes? Not Alaska, despite its 3 million. The honest answer is Minnesota, with Wisconsin close behind.