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In: CHAOS, Coastal Hazards of Superior, J. Philip Keillor Wisconsin Coastal Management Fellow, Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Sarah Brown, Wisconsin Department of Administration coastal Management Program

Ever since she was a child, Sarah Brown has been interested in what makes people tick. She pursued that interest and intends to make good use of it in her new role as a J. Philip Keillor Wisconsin Coastal Management-Sea Grant Fellow for Lake Superior.

“My dad was a wildlife biologist for the state of Illinois,” Brown said. “When he came home from work and had any complaints, it was never about natural resources. It was always about people. So, I always had an interest in why people do what they do. That led to my interest in the social sciences.”

Sarah Brown, submitted photo.

Brown majored in psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and then continued in a master’s program in human dimensions of natural resources at the University of Missouri. Her thesis was on motivations and perceptions held by Missouri landowners with conservation easements on their properties.

As graduation neared, she applied for a variety of jobs, but nothing seemed the right fit. She widened her search to include internships and fellowships because it seemed, “like a natural next step after grad school and into the workforce,” Brown said.

The one-year Keillor fellowship caught her eye for two reasons. “I felt like it gave me an opportunity to apply my social science skills to a natural resources issue by working with the CHAOS community of practice. Also, I’ve traveled many times with my family to northern Wisconsin and Duluth. That was a big attractor.”

CHAOS stands for the Coastal Hazards of Superior. It’s a group comprised of local community leaders, managers, researchers and communicators who focus on issues affecting the Wisconsin and Minnesota coastlines of Lake Superior. These issues include erosion, shoreline planning, nutrient runoff pollution, flooding and community resilience.

“Being the CHAOS coordinator is the most awesome job title you can have!” Brown said. “I’m hoping through this role I can fold in social science methodology to benefit the future progression of this community of practice, whether it’s finding out where it needs to go next or what it’s going to be next, or just figuring out what community members want. I also want experience working alongside a state agency and to improve my skills in meeting facilitation and project coordination.”

The state agency Brown will be working with is the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Coastal Management Program along with Sea Grant, the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve (Reserve) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension. She is stationed in the Reserve’s office in Superior. You can email Brown at sarah.brown@wisconsin.gov.

The post Sarah Brown looks forward to coordinating CHAOS first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sarah-brown-looks-forward-to-coordinating-chaos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sarah-brown-looks-forward-to-coordinating-chaos

Marie Zhuikov

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In: CHAOS, Coastal Hazards of Lake Superior, Deanna Apps US Army Corps of Engineers, Joe Moore NWS, Melanie Perello, NWS lakeshore flooding and storm damage reporting form

Information provided by Melanie Perello, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

CHAOS has come to Lake Superior. However, it’s organized chaos, so that’s a good thing.

CHAOS stands for the Coastal Hazards of Superior. The group, organized by the Coastal programs and Sea Grant programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management and the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, is a community of practice for sharing knowledge and resources about natural hazards that affect Lake Superior coastal communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

It provides an opportunity for local community leaders, managers, researchers and communicators to engage over concerns about coastal hazards across western Lake Superior. Recent storms, flooding and shoreline erosion have strained local communities, making CHAOS’ goal of building collaborations among groups impacted by these hazards even more important.

Membership is free and open to all. To join or for more information, contact Melanie Perello at Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program: melanie.perello@state.mn.us.

Storm damage to a boathouse on Devil’s Island in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Image by Gene Clark, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

The group hosted its first event on April 29, a webinar attended by more than 70 participants, featuring presentations on Lake Superior water levels and lakeshore flood modeling and forecasting. Deanna Apps, a physical scientist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, explained historical and recent lake levels, the drivers of water level fluctuations and how the Army Corps forecasts future conditions.

Joseph Moore, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service-Duluth Office, highlighted efforts to model and forecast lakeshore flooding events and explained the need for reports of lakeshore flooding storm damages.

Following the presentations, webinar participants had the opportunity to network in small breakout groups to discuss actions they will take in response to the information shared.

A recording of the presentations is being edited and will soon be shared on the Wisconsin Sea Grant’s YouTube Channel.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – High water level resources

Apps highlighted several resources available from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

Water Level Forecasts: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Great-Lakes-Information/Great-Lakes-Water-Levels/Water-Level-Forecast/

Water Level Observations: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Great-Lakes-Information/Great-Lakes-Information-2/Water-Level-Data/

Basin Conditions & Great Lakes Information: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Great-Lakes-Information/Great-Lakes-Information-2/Basin-Conditions/

Living on the Coast: https://publications.aqua.wisc.edu/product/living-on-the-coast-protecting-investments-in-shore-property-on-the-great-lakes/

Report storm damages to the National Weather Service (NWS)

Moore highlighted the importance of observational data for lakeshore flood modeling and projections. The NWS seeks reports of damages attributed to recent and past storm events — cost estimates and photos or videos are extremely valuable. These reports are useful not only for current modeling but will become part of the official storm record and help improve future modeling.

To learn more about efforts to model lakeshore flooding: https://www.weather.gov/dlh/lakeshoreflooding

Want to help? Anyone can make a report using this online form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd87gub2R_vCVCZkZ5GaPC88LIFfVhd0d7paSXjRbiD5GCZ7A/viewform

Resource highlights

With projections of higher water levels on Lake Superior this summer, these additional resources may be helpful.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/new-community-of-practice-focuses-on-western-lake-superior-hazards/

Marie Zhuikov