Madeline Heim (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared only wetlands connected to a “water of the U.S.” will be protected. That ruling, Sackett v. EPA, could remove safeguards from more than half of the nation’s remaining wetland.

The Mississippi River is the nation’s most endangered river, a national conservation group says, because of federal plans to cut flood relief programs as severe weather threats grow.

Flood control along the Mississippi River is a central piece of a newly passed federal law — work that advocates believe is critical as the river basin sees more frequent and severe extreme weather events due to climate change.

"It's one of the most dramatic changes on the upper Mississippi," Larson said. "It's everywhere."

Moving and unforgettable, "Water Song" urges listeners to think about how they treat the natural resource, so vital for life on earth.

“To come along and just rip a big hole out and let the water run is a mistake."