Featured Stories
USGS Maps Groundwater Recharge Potential Across Eastern Nebraska
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has mapped groundwater recharge potential across previously glaciated eastern Nebraska to help assess water availability and vulnerability to surface contamination, according to 'Mapping Groundwater Recharge Potential and an Assessment of Available Hydrogeologic Data within Five Selected Focus Areas in Eastern Nebraska.' Written by Christopher M. Hobza and Kellan R. Strauch, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5056 also evaluates information gaps in five areas facing concerns about water demand, nitrate contamination and rural water
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has mapped groundwater recharge potential across previously glaciated eastern Nebraska to help assess water availability and vulnerability to surface contamination, according to 'Mapping Groundwater Recharge Potential and an Assessment of Available Hydrogeologic Data within Five Selected Focus Areas in Eastern Nebraska.' Written by Christopher M. Hobza and Kellan R. Strauch, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5056 also evaluates information gaps in five areas facing concerns about water demand, nitrate contamination and rural watersupplies.
Issued in 2026 and prepared in cooperation with the Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment, the report draws on airborne electromagnetic surveys collected from 2007 through 2022. Six Natural Resources Districts invested nearly $10 million in approximately 29,000 line-kilometers of survey data during that period. The broader assessment area covers more than 32,000 square kilometers. Researchers used electrical properties of subsurface materials to classify areas as having low, moderate or high potential for water to move downward toward aquifers, expanding mapping beyond individual survey flightlines and tightly surveyed blocks.
The approach examines the upper 15 meters of subsurface material, rather than only the shallowest layers used in earlier mapping. Coarse sand and gravel generally permit more infiltration, while clay-rich glacial till restricts movement. Researchers produced a map with 500-meter grid cells and a smoothed, filled-contour version, then compared both with known geology, groundwater chemistry and recharge estimates from 44 locations. Those estimates ranged from 7 to 409 millimeters per year. Areas classified as having high recharge potential generally had higher median estimated recharge than areas classified as moderate or low.
Groundwater chemistry also differed among mapped categories. Within areas covered by glacial till, low-recharge locations generally had less nitrate and dissolved oxygen but more manganese and iron. Thick, fine-grained deposits can restrict oxygenated water entering from the surface. Under low-oxygen conditions, microbes can convert nitrate into nitrogen gas, reducing nitrate concentrations while chemical processes increase the mobility of manganese and iron. About half of the pesticide detections examined occurred in areas mapped as having high recharge potential. The findings connect recharge pathways with both contamination vulnerability and naturally occurring water-quality concerns.
The five focus areas are the Dorchester-Sterling paleovalley aquifer, Dodge County, Knox County, Burt County and Fremont-Arlington-Leshara. Population growth near Lincoln has increased pressure on Dorchester-Sterling water supplies, while nitrate contamination is a primary concern in Dodge County. In Knox County, researchers reviewed potential groundwater sources to supplement the Cedar Knox Rural Water District's supply. Burt County faces nitrate and manganese issues alongside demand for additional water sources. Development near Omaha and Fremont has also increased groundwater demand in the Fremont-Arlington-Leshara area, where further aquifer characterization could improve management models.
The authors caution that the maps show potential, not actual recharge rates. They do not incorporate rainfall timing or intensity, land use, depth to groundwater or topographic position, and uncertainty increases farther from survey lines. Saline groundwater can also distort interpretations of subsurface electrical properties. Additional recharge measurements, test holes, monitoring wells and aquifer tests could help fill local gaps and support decisions about sustainable supplies and groundwater protection.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
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View full text here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2026/5056/sir20265056.pdf
[Category: USGS]
USGS Finds Seasonal Atrazine Spikes in River Used for Wichita Aquifer Recharge
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Modeled atrazine concentrations in the Little Arkansas River exceeded a federal drinking-water benchmark about 8% of the time at two monitoring sites, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's 'Long-Term Trends of Selected Pesticides in the Little Arkansas River, South-Central Kansas, 1995-2023.' Written by Mandy L. Stone and Brian J. Klager, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5016 examines pesticide conditions in river water used as a source for Wichita's aquifer-recharge project, finding seasonal spikes but no statistically established long-term changes.
Issued
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Modeled atrazine concentrations in the Little Arkansas River exceeded a federal drinking-water benchmark about 8% of the time at two monitoring sites, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's 'Long-Term Trends of Selected Pesticides in the Little Arkansas River, South-Central Kansas, 1995-2023.' Written by Mandy L. Stone and Brian J. Klager, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5016 examines pesticide conditions in river water used as a source for Wichita's aquifer-recharge project, finding seasonal spikes but no statistically established long-term changes.
Issuedin 2026 and prepared in cooperation with the city of Wichita, the report evaluates source-water conditions rather than treated municipal drinking water. Wichita's Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project diverts river water during higher-flow conditions, treats it and sends it into recharge basins or injection wells for later use. The Equus beds aquifer and Cheney Reservoir are primary city water sources. About 5.3 billion gallons were recharged through the project's two phases from 2007 through 2023. The findings are intended to support water-supply decisions and regulatory monitoring.
Researchers examined two river stations: Highway 50 near Halstead and a site near Sedgwick, about 16.4 river miles downstream. They combined individual pesticide samples with continuous measurements of streamflow, turbidity and specific conductance, an indicator of dissolved solids. A model called SEAWAVE-Q accounted for seasonal patterns and flow-related variability to estimate daily concentrations and assess trends. The surrounding watershed is primarily agricultural, with about 65% of its land devoted to cultivated crops and hay. Herbicides commonly used in the basin include atrazine and glyphosate.
Atrazine appeared in every analyzed river sample at both sites. Modeled daily concentrations exceeded the federal maximum contaminant level of 3 micrograms per liter about 8% of the time from 1998 through 2023, typically during May and June. Estimated long-term changes differed by location: concentrations increased 98% at Highway 50 and decreased 31% near Sedgwick. Neither trend met the study's statistical threshold, although the report's likelihood framework categorized the upstream increase as highly likely and the downstream decrease as likely. The authors emphasize strong seasonal patterns and year-to-year variability rather than a uniform basin-wide trend.
Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid, or AMPA, a glyphosate breakdown product, were analyzed at Sedgwick. Both appeared in every sample tested for them, but researchers found no clear concentration trends over their shorter analysis periods. Modeled glyphosate concentrations ranged from 0.073 to 4.04 micrograms per liter during 2015-23, far below the federal drinking-water maximum of 700 micrograms per liter. Higher glyphosate concentrations generally occurred in June and July. Estimated glyphosate use in the Sedgwick drainage basin increased about 300% from 2001 through 2019, illustrating that changes in agricultural use do not necessarily translate directly into matching river-concentration trends.
The report identifies continued monitoring as a way to track changing conditions and better understand pesticide movement. Smaller watershed studies with consistent sampling could help evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural management practices intended to reduce atrazine runoff. Researchers also note that laboratory recovery changes may have introduced bias into atrazine records, a limitation relevant to interpreting long-term results.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
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View full text here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2026/5016/sir20265016.pdf
[Category: USGS]
USGS Finds Chromium and Nitrate Above Benchmarks in Western Central Valley Groundwater
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Inorganic contaminants exceeded public drinking-water benchmarks in an estimated 30% of groundwater resources used for domestic supply in California's western Central Valley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's 'Quality of Groundwater Used for Domestic Supply in the Western Central Valley, California--2023.' Written by Kirsten E. Faulkner and Bryant C. Jurgens, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5069 identifies hexavalent chromium and nitrate as the most prevalent inorganic constituents above regulatory thresholds, while examining how geology and agriculture
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- Inorganic contaminants exceeded public drinking-water benchmarks in an estimated 30% of groundwater resources used for domestic supply in California's western Central Valley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's 'Quality of Groundwater Used for Domestic Supply in the Western Central Valley, California--2023.' Written by Kirsten E. Faulkner and Bryant C. Jurgens, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5069 identifies hexavalent chromium and nitrate as the most prevalent inorganic constituents above regulatory thresholds, while examining how geology and agricultureaffect groundwater quality.
Issued in 2026 and prepared in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board, the report summarizes sampling conducted between April and July 2023. Researchers tested 44 domestic and small-system supply wells: 28 in the western Sacramento Valley and 16 in the western San Joaquin Valley. The assessment concerns untreated groundwater, not water delivered at household faucets, which may undergo filtration or treatment. Its percentages estimate the proportion of domestic groundwater resources by aquifer area, rather than the percentage of residents exposed. More than 88,000 residents were estimated to rely on domestic wells in the study region in 2010.
Hexavalent chromium exceeded California's maximum contaminant level of 10 micrograms per liter in 27% of domestic groundwater resources. Nitrate exceeded its federal benchmark of 10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen in 9.1%, while total chromium exceeded its state benchmark in 2.3%. These categories can overlap and should not be added together. Researchers linked chromium's occurrence to sediments derived from chromium-bearing Coast Ranges rocks. Oxygenated conditions can convert chromium into a more soluble form, and fertilizer application and irrigation may further promote its movement into groundwater.
Agricultural practices were associated with elevated nitrate, but natural chemical processes reduced concentrations in some groundwater. Under low-oxygen conditions, denitrification converts nitrate into nitrogen gas. Researchers estimated that, without this process, nitrate would exceed its benchmark in 14% of domestic groundwater resources rather than 9.1%. Low oxygen can have other consequences, however, making manganese and iron more soluble. Manganese exceeded its taste-and-color benchmark in 23% of resources, and iron did so in 4.5%. Total dissolved solids, an indicator of salinity, exceeded the study's upper aesthetic benchmark in 9.1%, reflecting primarily water-rock interactions with additional agricultural influences.
Human-made chemicals and microbial indicators were also detected. At least one per- or polyfluoroalkyl substance, collectively called PFAS, occurred in 16% of domestic groundwater resources; PFOS exceeded its federal drinking-water benchmark in 2.3%. The manufacturing byproduct 1,2,3-trichloropropane exceeded California's benchmark in one sample, representing 2.3% of resources. Pesticides or their breakdown products appeared in 55%, though detected herbicides with established benchmarks remained at low concentrations. Total coliform bacteria occurred in 9.1%, enterococci in 2.3%, and E. coli was absent from the samples.
The study provides a regional assessment of groundwater that private domestic wells draw from, a resource not systematically monitored like public drinking-water supplies. Its grid-based design supports comparisons across study areas, but researchers could not obtain access to wells in five planned sampling cells. The findings underscore that groundwater quality reflects interacting natural conditions and land-use practices, rather than a single source of contamination.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
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View full text here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2026/5069/sir20265069.pdf
[Category: USGS]
USDA Economic Research Service: 'Implications of Vietnam's Rice Export Limit for the Global and U.S. Rice Markets'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service issued the following Economic Information Bulletin on October 8, 2026, entitled "Implications of Vietnam's Rice Export Limit for the Global and U.S. Rice Markets."
Here are excerpts:
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Key Points
* In May 2023, Vietnam announced it would cut annual rice exports to 4 million metric tons by 2030, a 50-percent decrease from its 2024/25 export volume of 8 million metric tons (USDA, FAS, 2026).
* Vietnam is currently the second-largest rice exporter in the world behind India, surpassing Thailand in
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service issued the following Economic Information Bulletin on October 8, 2026, entitled "Implications of Vietnam's Rice Export Limit for the Global and U.S. Rice Markets."
Here are excerpts:
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Key Points
* In May 2023, Vietnam announced it would cut annual rice exports to 4 million metric tons by 2030, a 50-percent decrease from its 2024/25 export volume of 8 million metric tons (USDA, FAS, 2026).
* Vietnam is currently the second-largest rice exporter in the world behind India, surpassing Thailand in2025. In the 2024/25 trade year, India, Vietnam, and Thailand had a combined 63.6 percent share of global rice exports, with individual shares of 37.5, 13.1, and 13.0 percent, respectively.
* This study has two scenarios. The first scenario analyzes the impacts of Vietnam reducing its 2030 rice exports to 4 million metric tons. The second scenario builds on the first scenario, with India responding to the increase in international rice prices from Vietnam's export restriction with its own rice export restriction.
* Results from the first scenario show rice import reductions for several countries. For example, the Philippines (Vietnam's largest rice export market) reduces total imports by 30.0 percent and the price of imported rice increases 10.5 percent.
* Under the second scenario, the impacts on global markets are more pronounced. Sub-Saharan African countries, for example, have larger reductions in imports and consumption because India has a larger presence in these markets than Vietnam.
* The results suggest that Vietnam's rice quota alone is unlikely to significantly affect the United States.
However, U.S. exports and production increase by 13.5 and 3.9 percent under the second scenario, with the added restriction on Indian exports, as opposed to 1.1 and 0.4 percent under the first scenario.
Why Does This Matter?
One potential impact of Vietnam's export limit is an increase in rice exports by Vietnam's competitors. The impact of this export restriction for other major rice exporters will vary and depend on several factors including the level of direct competition between Vietnam and each exporter. The United States is currently the fifth-largest rice exporter in the world, but there is little direct competition between the United States and Vietnam for rice exports, so the impacts of Vietnam's export limit on U.S. production and exports may be minimal.
However, as the second-largest exporter in the world, Vietnam's export limit may result in an increase in the international price which, historically, has caused major exporters to limit exports to keep domestic prices low. These additional restrictions, modeled as a 33.0percent reduction in India's rice exports, would lead to a larger increase in exports for the United States.
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View the full text here: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29730/err-366-report-summary.pdf?v=21272
USDA Economic Research Service: 'Corn and Soybean Cost of Production in Brazil and the United States'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service issued the following Economic Information Bulletin on October 9, 2026, entitled "Corn and Soybean Cost of Production in Brazil and the United States."
Here are excerpts:
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Key Points
* Brazil has emerged as a major competitor to the United States in global corn and soybean markets.
Estimates suggest:
* Brazil's farmers face lower per acre corn and soybean costs than farmers in the United States because of factors including lower land costs, benefits from double cropping, and lower seed costs.
*
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service issued the following Economic Information Bulletin on October 9, 2026, entitled "Corn and Soybean Cost of Production in Brazil and the United States."
Here are excerpts:
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Key Points
* Brazil has emerged as a major competitor to the United States in global corn and soybean markets.
Estimates suggest:
* Brazil's farmers face lower per acre corn and soybean costs than farmers in the United States because of factors including lower land costs, benefits from double cropping, and lower seed costs.
*U.S. total corn costs per bushel exceed those of Brazil's Mato Grosso State but are similar to Brazil's national per bushel costs.
* The United States has lower operating costs per acre and per bushel for soybeans, but higher total costs compared to Brazil.
* For corn, Brazil's Mato Grosso State has a higher return over total economic cost than the U.S. Heartland region, while the two areas have similar returns over operating cost. However, at the national level, the United States has higher returns than Brazil both over operating cost and total economic cost.
* For soybeans, Brazil has a higher national average return over total economic cost than the United States, whereas the United States has a higher national average return over operating cost than Brazil.
Why Does This Matter?
Brazil and the United States collectively dominate global markets for soybeans and corn, jointly supplying nearly 83 and 58 percent of exports in marketing year 2025/26, respectively. Over the last 20 years, Brazil has emerged as a major competitor for the United States, concurrent with Brazil's expanded adoption of genetically engineered (GE) corn and soybean seeds, widespread use of double cropping systems, and farmer returns that have supported increased production. As a result, Brazil's agricultural sector has experienced significant growth, with exports of corn and soybeans reaching new highs.
Comparing differences in the costs of production faced by farmers in Brazil and the United States provides insight into sources of competitive advantages in both soybean and corn markets. Using official Government data, this report explores how cost categories such as seed, fertilizer, hired labor, taxes and insurance, and others compare across the two countries. As part of the comparative framework, this report looks at costs on a per acre (per hectare) and a per bushel (per ton) of production basis, underscoring how yield and production system differences in the United States and Brazil affect relative farmer returns.
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View the full text here: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29732/eib-310-report-summary.pdf?v=92859
U.S. Rice Farms Consolidate as Production Costs Rise, USDA Report Finds
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The number of U.S. farms producing rice fell 32% from 2012 to 2022, while average production costs rose 36% from 2020 to 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service report 'Characteristics and Trends of U.S. Rice Production Practices, Costs, and Returns, 2013-24.' Written by Kate Vaiknoras, Jeffrey Gillespie and Nathan Childs, Economic Information Bulletin #308 examines changes in farm structure, planted acreage, technology adoption and production expenses across a sector concentrated almost entirely in California and the South.
The
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The number of U.S. farms producing rice fell 32% from 2012 to 2022, while average production costs rose 36% from 2020 to 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service report 'Characteristics and Trends of U.S. Rice Production Practices, Costs, and Returns, 2013-24.' Written by Kate Vaiknoras, Jeffrey Gillespie and Nathan Childs, Economic Information Bulletin #308 examines changes in farm structure, planted acreage, technology adoption and production expenses across a sector concentrated almost entirely in California and the South.
Thereport summary, issued in October 2026, describes a decade shaped by adverse weather and rising input prices. Researchers used several sources, including the Economic Research Service's Commodity Costs and Returns estimates and the 2021 Agricultural Resource Management Survey, conducted by the agency and USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The findings show fewer farms producing rice but growth among the largest operations. While the total farm count declined, the number of farms producing more than 1,000 acres of rice increased 11% between 2012 and 2022, indicating consolidation within the industry.
Planted acreage varied from year to year, largely because of weather conditions. California's 2022 drought caused a steep reduction in the state's rice acreage and pushed national medium- and short-grain acreage to its lowest level of the past decade. Those categories recovered in 2023, doubling their 2022 acreage. Flooding also reduced southern rice plantings in several years, particularly affecting long-grain acreage in Arkansas, the largest long-grain producing state. These regional differences matter because weather disruptions can affect rice categories differently rather than reducing all U.S. production in the same way.
In 2024, growers planted 2.28 million acres of long-grain rice, 615,000 acres of medium-grain rice and 29,000 acres of short-grain rice. Production practices also differed between regions. In 2021, herbicide-tolerant varieties occupied 48% of rice acres nationally, while hybrids occupied 44%. All adoption of those varieties occurred in the South. California primarily produces medium-grain rice, for which hybrid and herbicide-tolerant varieties were not available. The adoption figures therefore reflect the technologies available to southern growers and should not be interpreted as a uniform shift across every rice-producing region.
Rising agricultural input prices, especially fertilizer prices in 2021 and 2022, increased the cost of growing rice and other crops. The nominal average total cost of producing an acre of rice rose from $954 in 2020 to $1,296 in 2024. The inflation-adjusted pattern was different: real per-acre costs declined from 2013 through 2020, increased through 2022, then fell slightly in both 2023 and 2024. The distinction shows that the increase in dollar-denominated costs did not translate into uninterrupted growth in real costs. Rice's comparatively high production expenses nevertheless leave growers particularly exposed to input-price increases.
The report brings together evidence on costs, acreage and management practices to help stakeholders understand the sector's evolution. Its findings depict an industry with fewer but more large farms, regionally distinct technology use and planting decisions vulnerable to drought and flooding. Together, those changes provide context for assessing the challenges facing rice producers, rather than attributing the sector's performance to any single cost or production trend.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
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View full report at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29712/eib-308-report-summary.pdf?v=92084
CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report: Prevalence of Frequent Mental Distress and Physical Inactivity Among Adults Aged 18-29 Years -- United States, 2012-2024
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following document as part of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (No. 39) on October 8, 2026, entitled "Prevalence of Frequent Mental Distress and Physical Inactivity Among Adults Aged 18-29 Years -- United States, 2012-2024.":
Here are excerpts:
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Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Young adults have the highest incidence of certain mental health conditions. Increasing physical activity has been demonstrated to improve mental
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ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following document as part of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (No. 39) on October 8, 2026, entitled "Prevalence of Frequent Mental Distress and Physical Inactivity Among Adults Aged 18-29 Years -- United States, 2012-2024.":
Here are excerpts:
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Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Young adults have the highest incidence of certain mental health conditions. Increasing physical activity has been demonstrated to improve mentalhealth.
What is added by this report?
During 2012-2024, the overall reporting of both frequent mental distress and physical inactivity increased nationally among young adults aged 18-29 years; these outcomes either remained unchanged or increased in most jurisdictions. In 2024, 21.3% of young adults reported frequent mental distress and 16.8% reported physical inactivity. Analyses of year-to-year trends identified substantial declines in both outcomes among young adults in 2024.
What are the implications for public health practice?
Improving mental health and reducing physical inactivity among young adults through evidence-based strategies could improve public health.
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View the full document at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/pdfs/mm7539a1-H.pdf
