Reporting supported by the Water Desk at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas—An experiment unfolding at the southernmost tip of this state could irrevocably change the iconic Rio Grande and the communities it sustains.
Contractors are installing a 17-mile stretch of cylindrical buoys in the river to prevent illegal crossings from Mexico. These are the first of 536 miles of buoy...
The strongest version of this narrative highlights legitimate concerns about the environmental and diplomatic risks of an unprecedented border security experiment. The federal government’s use of waivers to bypass environmental laws and treaty obligations raises serious questions about accountability, especially given the lack of public data on flood modeling or ecological impacts. Experts like geomorphologist Mark Tompkins provide credible warnings about unintended consequences, from accelerate...
