A newsletter from Coulee Country Co. | Issue 001 | October 2026
From the Field: The Colors of Fall
There's something about this time of year that makes fall our favorite season in the Midwest. The mornings are cooler, the evenings come earlier, and the woods look a little different every time you head outside.
Fall colors have been a mixed bag across the country this year, and we get into why below. Up on the North Shore, we watched high winds knock leaves down early, a reminder of how quickly a good color week can end.
No two autumns are quite the same around here. Whether you're heading into the woods or spending one more day on the water, there's still plenty of reason to get outside.
Here are a few stories from the outdoors this week that we think are worth talking about.
Downstream
Outdoor news from around the country.
Wisconsin · Conservation: A quiet win for Lake Superior's south shore
More than 1,700 acres along Wisconsin's Lake Superior coast benefited from conservation work led by Menomonie-based Landmark Conservancy, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project included easements with willing landowners, wetland and streamside restoration, and invasive species treatment across five watersheds. Those cold-water streams support brook trout and migratory birds. Protecting our waters starts well upstream.
Read: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oct. 9
National · Fall Colors: Why fall colors look different this year
Drought helps explain it. The U.S. Drought Monitor's Oct. 20 update shows that about 42% of the lower 48 was experiencing drought, but conditions varied by region. Vermont's foliage rebounded after last year's drought, while the drought-stressed Rockies were expected to fall short. In Michigan, a warm late summer pushed colors back. Temperature, sunlight, and moisture all play a part, so every autumn comes out a little different.
Sources: U.S. Drought Monitor · WCAX on Vermont · FOX 2 Detroit · UPI/AccuWeather
Southwest · Weather: A soaking, and a disaster
Even as much of the country deals with drought, this week's rain in the Four Corners turned dangerous. According to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, remnants of Hurricane Trudy formed a slow-moving low that drenched the region starting Wednesday, with two to four inches in parts of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah and up to six in the San Juan Mountains. Rivers flooded, emergencies were declared in parts of all four states, and crews made rescues.
Campfire Trivia
What pigment is responsible for the red colors in fall leaves?
A. Chlorophyll
B. Carotene
C. Anthocyanin
D. Xanthophyll
(Answer at the bottom.)
Photo: National Park Service, Chiricahua National Monument (Massai Point), 2001. Public domain.
Our View: A New National Park. What About the Land We Already Have?
Original commentary from Coulee Country.
This week, Chiricahua became America's newest national park.
Located in southeastern Arizona, Chiricahua is known for its towering rock formations, rugged landscapes, and remarkable biodiversity. Its new designation recognizes a place that has been protected as a national monument since 1924.
That's worth celebrating.
But another decision could have much broader implications for public lands across the country.
The U.S. Forest Service has proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, which generally restricts road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvesting across tens of millions of acres of national forest land.
The administration argues the rule limits local managers' ability to address wildfire risk and forest health. Those concerns deserve consideration. But the existing rule already allows certain forest-management activities, including some treatments to reduce wildfire risk. Does addressing those concerns require removing protections that have been in place for 25 years?
The proposal has drawn significant public opposition. More than a million comments were reportedly submitted, and an analysis of 370,238 published comments by the conservation group Center for Western Priorities found that 99.1% opposed rescinding the rule. Those comments aren't a scientific measure of public opinion, but they show how strongly many people feel about the issue.
We believe the Roadless Rule is worth keeping. For hunters, anglers, and anyone who spends time exploring public lands, these areas protect watersheds, provide wildlife habitat, and preserve places that haven't been carved up by roads.
Chiricahua's new designation is a welcome recognition of an extraordinary landscape. But protecting public land shouldn't begin and end with the places that make national headlines.
The places without signs, visitor centers, or national park status matter, too.
Sources: Federal Register, proposed rule · Center for Western Priorities analysis, via Deseret News · KJZZ on comment totals · National Park Service release, Oct. 20
By the Numbers: How much of the country is in drought?
42%
That's the share of the contiguous United States experiencing moderate drought or worse as of October 20, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The national picture hides big differences. The week brought relief to Texas, Oklahoma, and the Four Corners, while drought deepened from Arkansas and Louisiana into Mississippi and Tennessee. This map predates the Southwest's flooding rain, so next week's update will show what changed.
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map valid Oct. 20, 2026
Campfire Trivia: The Answer
C. Anthocyanin. Leaves make anthocyanin in the fall, and it produces the reds and purples. The yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that were in the leaf all along, showing once the green chlorophyll breaks down.
Pass it along.
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Coulee Country Co.