Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees.
—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
But farming communities nationwide have been adversely affected by the president's tariff policy, as global trading partners scaled back agricultural purchases like soybeans in retaliation for higher levees.
Officials had worried that a system of dikes along the Skagit River would fail, and potentially inundate parts of Mount Vernon, a riverside town of about 35,000.
—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
13 Dec. 2025
Chinese mitten crabs burrow into levees, dikes, and stream banks, increasing erosion and threatening flood-control systems.
To help replenish groundwater, check dams – small, temporary structures across waterways – have been constructed in Kabul’s 14 districts, and thousands of absorption wells that help manage stormwater have been dug, Abid said.
—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Biologists say salmon populations have declined due to a combination of factors, including dams, which have blocked off spawning areas, the loss of vital floodplain habitats and global warming, which is intensifying droughts and causing warmer temperatures in rivers.
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.