As a result of repeated catastrophic flooding, Bayfield County has been proactive in upgrading culverts and bridges and tracking down new sources of funding.
Technological changes — electricity and mechanization — in the mid-20th century would revolutionize the practice and business of agriculture in Wisconsin, and set into motion economic and demographic changes that continue well into the 21st century.
Farmers grow a whole lot of crops in Wisconsin, but the state's wild places, not to mention its sidewalk cracks, are also home to edible and handy plants for anybody enterprising enough to find and gather them.
The city of Hayward owes its existence to the waters and woods of northern Wisconsin, but the same geography that sparked and sustained the community's growth likewise heralds an emerging menace to its future.
The issue of too much water in too short a time is contributing to mounting budgetary and, in some cases, existential crises for communities of all sizes around Wisconsin and the United States.
One of the first environmental scientists in northwest Wisconsin to raise concerns about how prepared the region was for more intense flooding is Randy Lehr.
Massive rainstorms hit northwest Wisconsin in 2012, 2016 and 2018, causing tens of millions of dollars in flood damage to public infrastructure. Local officials responsible for rebuilding hope they're able to make improvements to withstand more big storms when they come.
Complaints about living in the Midwest often hinge on its seasonal extremes as a top reason to steer clear of the region, and a July 2019 study highlights the health risks posed by dangerously high summer heat in Wisconsin and throughout the United States.
