Watershed Watch Student Congress at Rancho de los Golondrinas on April 29, 2010 

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 photo by Joe Avalos (Ruidoso High School & Just Shoot Me Photography)

Youth for a Secure Water Future at the NM State Legislature on February 2, 2010.

For teachers: Download by clicking here (10 mb file) the presentation on the Water Quality and Quantity Law, threats to water and what students can do

Beaver Survey in the Santa Fe Watershed Canyon - Summary of Results for the City of Santa Fe Water Division click here to downloand

Watershed-related Newsfeeds (content for information only):

EnviroLink News Service The EnviroLink News Service compiles the most relevant news stories of interest to the global environmental community from sources around the Internet.
Gulf seafood tested for oil but not dispersant.

No one is testing seafood to tell whether it has absorbed the toxic compounds found in the nearly 1.8 million gallons of dispersants BP has poured into the water to break up the oil.

Ten Nations at 'Extreme Risk' Because of Water Shortages, Report Says

Ten countries worldwide, including five African nations, are at "extreme risk" because of limited access to clean, fresh water, according to a new global water security index. And the effects of climate change and population growth will exacerbate the stress on these water supplies, potentially threatening stability in many regions, according to the analysis by Maplecroft , a UK-based consulting group.

Tests of new containment cap to determine whether it can hold oil in place.

In perhaps the most significant development since BP's runaway well began spewing oil in the Gulf of Mexico 85 days ago, crews placed a tight-fitting cap over the leak Monday evening designed to give the company its greatest chance so far at stopping the flow of oil into the sea.

Climate change can be hazardous to your health.

From heat stress to sewage overflows, climate change promises to bring extreme weather that can throw our nation's ill-prepared public health infrastructure 'back to the 1890s,' according to experts.

Salazar revises rules for deepwater drilling ban.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued revised rules on Monday for a six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, replacing an earlier one that had been declared invalid by federal courts.

ENN: Top Stories ENN RSS News
The Might of the Spider

Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring. Spider silk is as strong as many industrial fibers. There is commercial interest in duplicating spider silk artificially, since spiders use renewable materials as input and operate at room temperature, low pressures and using water as a solvent. However, it has been difficult to find a commercially viable process to mass produce spider silk.

Health Risks at the Beach

Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water... Sharks can be scary to encounter when swimming in the ocean. But they are not the most dangerous threat one can face at the beach. A new study from the University of Miami suggests that microbes in the water should be of much greater concern, especially in warmer waters. The team found that swimmers at sub-tropical beaches face an increased risk of illness.

Mekong dams threaten rare giant fish

Wild populations of the iconic Mekong giant catfish will be driven to extinction if hydropower dams planned for the Mekong River go ahead, says a new report by WWF. Current scientific information suggests the Mekong giant catfish migrate from the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia up the Mekong River to spawn in northern Thailand and Laos. Any dam built on the lower Mekong River mainstream will block this migration route.

Galapagos Removed From Endangered List

The Galapagos Islands have been removed from the UNESCO list of sites endangered by environmental threats or overuse. The island chain, about 620 miles off Ecuador's coast, is home to unique animal species that inspired Charles Darwin's ideas on evolution.

Ten key indicators show global warming "undeniable"

Melting glaciers, more humid air and eight other key indicators show that global warming is undeniable, scientists said on Wednesday, citing a new comprehensive review of the last decade of climate data. Without addressing why this is happening, the researchers said there was no doubt that every decade on Earth since the 1980s has been hotter than the previous one, and that the planet has been warming for the last half-century. This confirms the findings of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which reported in 2007 with 90 percent certainty that climate change is occurring. The IPCC also said that human activities contribute to this phenomenon. The new report was released after U.S. Senate Democrats delayed any possible legislation to curb climate change until September at the earliest. Prospects for U.S. climate change legislation this year are considered slim.

The Arctic Continental Shelf

The Arctic still has unmapped and unknown areas. In particular, there is the continental shelf that extends out from the American and Canadian northern lands. Who controls it? Who has the right to drill for example which then leads into the complicated morass of environmental rules and controls. American and Canadian scientists are setting sail this summer to map the Arctic seafloor and gather data to help define the outer limits of the continental shelf. Each coastal nation may exercise sovereign rights over the natural resources of their continental shelf, which includes the seabed and subsoil. These rights include control over minerals, petroleum, and sedentary organisms such as clams, crabs and coral.

Elevated Ozone in New England

This past June and July have been some of the hottest months ever for the northeastern United States. The unwelcome heat wave has not only raised the mercury, but also the concentration of ground-level ozone. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has predicted that the elevated ozone will significantly decrease air quality in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Ford: Lincoln Hybrid Now Priced Equal to Non-hybrid Models

Many consumers have become comfortable with hybrid cars' higher sticker price, figuring they will save money on gas in the long run. Now Ford is turning hybrid pricing on its head. Its 2011 Lincoln MKZ hybrid, upon this fall's release, will have a sticker price identical to its twin that runs solely on gasoline. Ford touts that it is the first automaker to offer a luxury hybrid vehicle with a manufacturer’s suggest retail price equal to the same model only using gas.

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