This newsletter summarizes the outcomes of a workshop exploring the linkages and potential benefits of combining river basin health report cards and system dynamics modelling. These two approaches have traditionally been utilized separate from each other, however merging the two will lead to better management of the world's river basins.

On Oct. 13–14, 2016, River Action, in association with the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association, hosted the ninth annual Upper Mississippi River Conference, entitled “Raise the Grade,” in Moline, Illinois. The conference brought together over 200 participants from 95 organizations to develop solutions to overcome the many challenges identified in the 2015 America’s Watershed Initiative (AWI) Report Card for the Mississippi River watershed.

The Indian River Lagoon on the east coast of Florida is a biodiverse ecosystem of temperate and tropical habitats with significant aesthetic, social, and economic value. However, development pressures have been increasing for decades with 2016 being a year of record algal blooms and fish kills.

La costa de Yucatán, en el NE de México, que limita con el Golfo de México, apoya una alta biodiversidad de plantas y animales, así como importantes actividades pesqueras y de turismo. Sin embargo, el rápido crecimiento de la región en términos de desarrollo costero está poniendo una inmensa presión sobre estos recursos naturales.

The Yucatan coast of NE Mexico that borders the Gulf of Mexico supports a high biodiversity of plants and animals, as well as important fisheries and tourism activities. However, the region's rapid growth in terms of coastal development is putting immense pressure on these natural resources.

This booklet provides an overview of the current science and management issues in the Maryland Coastal Bays and their watersheds in 2016. Previous assessments include the 2004 State of the Maryland Coastal Bays and the 2009 book, Shifting Sands: Environmental and cultural change in Maryland’s Coastal Bays .

This booklet provides an overview of the current science and management issues in the Maryland Coastal Bays in 2016. The full report (which can be found here) includes two ‘booklets’ in one publication—one intended for those interested in the bay perspective, and the other for those interested in the land perspective. The two documents culminate in a summary centerfold which focuses on both watershed and bay issues.

This booklet provides an overview of the current science and management issues in the Maryland Coastal Bays in 2016. The full report (which can be found here) includes two ‘booklets’ in one publication—one intended for those interested in the bay perspective, and the other for those interested in the land perspective. The two documents culminate in a summary centerfold which focuses on both watershed and bay issues.

As an Indian River Lagoon report card was being prepared in a collaboration between the Marine Resource Council and IAN, a brown algal bloom led to huge numbers of dead fish and other aquatic life. This Florida ecosystem of a chain of coastal rivers and lagoons has been struggling for years under a heavy pollution load entering its waters.

This companion document to the report card contains information about data sources for all indicators, summary of analysis methods, and scoring details for each of the six America’s Watershed Initiative goals, and for two watershed wide indicators. Additional information regarding the goals is included to provide greater detail and discussion than is possible in the report card document.