Geography Of The World
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.
The Only Lakes In The World With Freshwater Jellyfish
Most jellyfish live in the sea, but a rare few haunt warm, still lakes. See six spots worldwide where you can catch these harmless drifters in bloom.
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.
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 Lakes Where Native Fish Are Making A Comeback
See how lake trout, walleye, cutthroat trout, and river herring are making measurable comebacks across North American lakes.
The US Lakes That Will Disappear When Their Dams Come Down
Dam removals are erasing reservoirs across the US, from Lake Pillsbury to century-old New England mill ponds. These are the lakes set to vanish next.
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.
The US Coast With The Biggest Tides
Alaska’s North Pacific coast has the biggest tides in the US; learn more about Turnagain Arm’s record tidal range, bore wave, and beluga whales.
How Much America Spends Fighting Invasive Species In Its Lakes Each Year
America spends hundreds of millions a year battling mussels, lamprey, and carp in its lakes, and prevention is 25 times cheaper than the cleanup. The math.
Where Las Vegas Would Get Water If Lake Mead Failed
How the "Third Straw" Keeps Las Vegas Watered If Lake Mead Fails
The Rivers Where Salmon Returned After The Dams Came Down
The Klamath, Elwha and Kennebec all got their fish back after dam removal. Here is how fast salmon returned, and why Atlantic salmon still have not.
How Many US States Border A Great Lake?
Eight US states share the Great Lakes, but their shorelines look surprisingly different, with islands, cliffs, beaches, and major cities along the way.
How Long Would It Take To Refill The Great Salt Lake?
Could we refill the shrinking Great Salt Lake, and how long would it take? The honest answer is 5 to 30 years, and it depends entirely on us.
What Lies At The Bottom Of Lake Michigan
Shipwrecks, a mile-long stone line, a sunken crucifix and 40 unexplained craters: what researchers have confirmed on the bottom of Lake Michigan.
The Great Lakes Islands You Can Actually Visit
Among the largest bodies of freshwater in the world, the Great Lakes have no shortage of islands. Here are the ones you can actually visit.
The Florida Waters Where Swordfish Run Biggest
From Islamorada's Floyd's Wall to Key Largo and the Gold Coast, here are the Florida waters where swordfish run biggest, and what it takes to land one.
How Lake Tahoe Could Cover All Of California In Water
Lake Tahoe holds 39 trillion gallons in just 191 square miles. Here's the math on how it could cover all of California in 14 inches of water.
What Lies At The Bottom Of Crater Lake
What lies at the bottom of Crater Lake: submerged volcanic cones, landslide debris, lava plains, hot springs, and bacteria living without light.
The Ocean Animals That Can Regrow Body Parts
Oceans are natural wonders, with immense biodiversity. However, only a select few species have the power to regrow body parts.
5 Most Snake-Filled Bodies Of Water In Oklahoma
Cottonmouths, copperheads, and tens of thousands of watersnakes. Five Oklahoma lakes where the snake populations run highest, and how to stay safe.