Water wins are all around us, but reading about the latest policy rollback can be disheartening. So when we come across a headline that leaves us feeling hopeful, we think it’s important to share.
Every few months, we highlight a few pieces of good news for the water movement––efforts to strengthen ecosystems, protections for clean water, and local policy wins––that can help us all envision a better future.
Here are five stories worth celebrating:
“California Needs Water and Clean Power. It Might Have a Fix for Both.” by Quinn Glabicki for The New York Times. Published June 22, 2026.
“A pilot program is building solar panels over irrigation canals to generate electricity. As a bonus, the shade prevents water from evaporating.”
Read the full story here.
“A shrinking strip of New Orleans marsh helps protect 1.5 million people. Louisiana wants to save it” by by Tristan Baurick for Verite News. Published June 16, 2026.
“The on-again, off-again effort to restore the land bridge could get a jump-start next year with a $101 million project aimed at reviving a large patch of marsh that protects the mouth of Lake Pontchartrain, a shallow estuary whose waters swelled with storm surge during Hurricane Katrina, contributing to catastrophic flooding.”
More on this story here.
“The curious comeback of Putah Creek’s salmon” by Ben Goldfarb for High Country News. Published June 16, 2026.
“Although it lacked salmon for decades, in 2025 more than 2,000 chinook returned to spawn — an improbable triumph that reflects both human-led restoration and the resilience of the fish themselves.”
Read the full story here.
“Detroit River restoration receives $10 million boost from EPA, state” by Isabelle Tavares for Planet Detroit. Published June 8, 2026.
“The EPA is providing $6.5 million and Michigan is adding $3.5 million to clean up contaminated sediment and restore habitat along the Detroit River.”
Read more here.
“Acadia tackles climate change with its largest-ever restoration project” by Sabrina Martin for Bangor Daily News. Published June 14, 2026. Updated June 15, 2026.
“A major part of the largest restoration project ever in Acadia National Park is nearing completion, part of a sweeping effort to address more than a century of human disturbances and to adapt to a changing climate.”
More on this story here.
What’s next?
Sign up for our Water Cooler newsletter to hear about our trainings and resources and follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube.
