Sierra Taxonomy | Sierra Club

Data Centers Have a PFAS Problem

While air and noise pollution are common concerns, little is known about PFAS contamination from the AI buildout

By Tom Cassauwers May 5, 2026

In this story: data centers, water, sustainability, politics, technology

Data Centers Are Hogging This Town’s Water

A lawmaker wants to commandeer water access to quench the growing thirst of Big Tech

By Amal Ahmed May 3, 2026

In this story: data centers, national forests, water, environmental justice, technology

The Dalles Mayor Richard Mays looks at the view of his town and the Columbia River from his hilltop home in The Dalles, Ore. Residents of The Dalles should soon know how much of their water Google's data centers there have been using to cool the computers, after a lawsuit seeking to keep the information confidential was dropped.

Can the Colorado River Survive 2026?

This mighty river’s water levels are approaching dangerous lows, which could impact millions of people

By Morgan Sjogren May 1, 2026

In this story: water, drought, climate change

A Utah State University research team works at Lake Powell on June 7, 2022, in Page, Ariz. Confirming their worst fears for record-low lake levels, National Park Service fisheries biologists have discovered that smallmouth bass, a non-native predator fish, has made its way through Glen Canyon dam and appear to have spawned in the lower Colorado River, where it can prey on humpback chub, an ancient native fish they have been working to reestablish.

A Winter With Less Snow Could Create Huge Problems for the West

State leaders fret about the threats that could extend well into summer and beyond

By McKenna Sweet March 19, 2026

In this story: climate change, climate adaptation, snow sports, water

Sparse patches of snow highlight the dry conditions in Colorado

When More Than Just a River Runs Through It

A massive sewage spill in the Potomac points to the need for improved infrastructure

By Alexander Nazaryan March 4, 2026

In this story: toxics, public health, water

The Tijuana River Sewage Crisis is One of America’s Longest-Lasting Public Health Calamities

Political gridlock has allowed the situation to worsen for decades

Text and photographs by Wendee Nicole February 13, 2026

In this story: water, toxics, public health, community, activism

Every Watershed Deserves a Rock Opera

How an Oregon sewer inspired a live multimedia performance

By Michelle Nijhuis September 16, 2025

In this story: music, art, water, conservation

Photo-illustration shows four members of a choir wearing hard hats and two other actors in The Watershed Rock Opera.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Faces Uncertain Future Amid Budget Cuts

The Trump administration is also looking to revive mining in the popular wilderness area

Text and photographs by Will Matuska August 17, 2025

In this story: public lands, Trump, mining, water, rivers

Boston Takes On Dirty Stormwater

Rain is a hurdle in the city’s decades-long quest to clean up the Charles River

By Saima Sidik August 13, 2025

In this story: clean water, water, toxics, rivers, wetlands

Kayaking under the John W. Weeks Bridge in the Charles River with Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the background.

Floridians Offer Everyone a Playbook On Sustaining Environmentalism Against All Odds

Residents of the Sunshine State have pushed back on plans to develop state parks and drill for oil

By Ashira Morris April 22, 2025

In this story: activism, state parks, public lands, water, drilling

A group of protestors stand outside in sunny Florida, holding signs

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