Uncertainty for Michigan rivers, residents as Consumers reconsiders its 13 dams

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/uncertainty-michigan-rivers-residents-consumers-reconsiders-13-dams/

Bridge Michigan

Rising waters, sinking feeling: From the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, climate change puts coal ash impoundments at risk

Just upstream of Alabama’s Mobile Bay sits a vast region of wetlands known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the United States. As well as 21 million cubic yards of wet coal ash. 

The J.M. Barry Power Plant has been a flashpoint between environmental advocates and the state utility, Alabama Power, for years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/climate-change-puts-coal-ash-impoundments-at-risk/

Joshua Irvine

Dam Accounting: Taking Stock of Methane Emissions From Reservoirs

By Tara Lohan, The Revelator

This story originally appeared in The Revelator and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

This month regulators greenlighted a transmission line that would bring power generated from Canadian hydroelectric dams to New York City.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/stock-methane-emissions-reservoirs/

The Revelator

Report: Going off script, decisive action saved lives during 2020 dam disaster

By Mike Wilkinson and Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/decisive-action-2020-dam-disaster/

Bridge Michigan

AP analysis finds growing number of poor, high-hazard dams

By David A. Lieb, Michael Casey and Michelle Minkoff, Associated Press

Constructed four generations ago, the massive rock and clay dam at El Capitan Reservoir is capable of storing over 36 billion gallons of water, enough to supply every resident in San Diego for most of a year.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/ap-analysis-growing-number-of-dams/

The Associated Press

Who’s at fault for Midland dam failures? Pretty much everyone, report says

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/midland-dam-failures-report/

Bridge Michigan

Hydropower eyes bigger energy role, less environmental harm

By Suman Naishadham, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — In southwestern Pennsylvania, eight locks and dams that for decades helped barges move goods along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers will in a few years also generate enough power for 75,000 homes.

Rye Development, a Boston-based hydropower company, is retrofitting the dams with turbines to generate electricity and says the upgraded structures will limit damage to the rivers’ water quality and fish.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-hydropower-bigger-energy-role-less-environmental-harm/

The Associated Press

Bringing the fight against dams to COP26

By Sarah Sax, High Country News

This story originally appeared in High Country News and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

 

For two weeks, leaders and representatives from around the world have gathered in person and virtually in Glasgow, Scotland, for the United Nations’ 26th annual climate change summit, called the Conference of the Parties, or COP26.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/bringing-fight-dams-cop26/

High Country News

Last dam standing: Traverse City fish restoration project on the ropes

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/dam-traverse-city-fish-restoration-project/

Bridge Michigan

Michigan dams need ‘immediate attention’ to prevent next failure

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/michigan-dams-immediate-attention-prevent-next-failure/

Bridge Michigan

Task force delays report recommending changes to Michigan dam safety regulations

By Steve Carmody, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/task-force-delays-report-recommending-changes-to-michigan-dam-safety-regulations/

Michigan Radio

‘Mass Aging’ of Dams a Global Safety and Financial Risk, UN Report Says

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/mass-aging-dams-global-safety-financial-risk-un-report/

Circle of Blue

Damming Decisions: Watch party for Great Lakes Now and The Age of Nature

Across the country dams are being removed, and that means big changes for those rivers and some of the communities along them. Learn more about what happens when these dams are built and what happens when they come down in this Great Lakes Now watch party.

The event was held in conjunction with the PBS documentary series “The Age of Nature,” which broadcasts on PBS stations across the country in October 2020.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/watch-party-great-lakes-now-age-of-nature/

Sandra Svoboda

When a Dam Comes Down: Removal of dams allows fish passage and habitat restoration

This article is published in conjunction with PBS’s “The Age of Nature” series which begins airing on Oct. 14.

Join Great Lakes Now‘s “Watch Party: Damming Decisions – A discussion about dam removals and what they mean for the environment” on Facebook on Monday, Oct.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/when-a-dam-comes-down-removal-of-dams-allows-fish-passage-and-habitat-restoration/

GLN Editor

Bill sent to Whitmer would lengthen bonds for dam repairs

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Legislature on Tuesday finalized a bill that would lengthen the financing period of lake projects in the wake of flooding that damaged dams and drained lakes in the Midland area.

The legislation would extend, from 10 years to 40 years, the maximum maturity date of bonds issued to pay for inland lake-level control projects across the state.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-bill-lengthen-bonds-dam-repairs/

The Associated Press

Michigan Dam Safety Task Force holds first virtual meeting

Following the Midland dam failures in May, a special task force was set up to evaluate Michigan’s dam safety rules and regulations. The task force had its first meeting virtually on Tuesday.

Learn more about the task force in Michigan Radio’s report here.

Read more about Midland and dams on Great Lakes Now:

Dam Investment: How does Michigan stack up against Great Lakes peers?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/michigan-dam-safety-task-force/

GLN Editor

Michigan House OKs spending on jobless benefits, flood costs

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers on Tuesday began approving a budget bill that would authorize the federal government’s supplemental $300-a-week unemployment benefit during the coronavirus pandemic and provide $6 million in state funding for costs related to devastating flooding in the Midland area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-michigan-house-jobless-benefits-flood-costs/

The Associated Press

Plants cropping up in lost Michigan lakes where dams failed

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Nature is returning to craters left from lakes drained by two dams that failed in May during torrential rain in mid-Michigan.

But not always in a good way.

“Shortly after the water receded, you could look out over the exposed bottom lands of the lake and it was like looking at the Sahara Desert,” said Dave Rothman, a board member with the Four Lakes Task Force, which is looking to obtain the four dams as well as the two lakes that were not drained.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/ap-plants-midland-michigan-lakes-dams-failure/

The Associated Press

Dam Investment: How does Michigan stack up against Great Lakes peers?

Michigan’s dam safety program has been under intense scrutiny since the epic failure in Midland in May displaced 10,000 people.

Multiple lawsuits have ensued between Michigan, dam owner Boyce Hydro and citizens impacted by the failure, with each claiming the failure was someone else’s fault.

But a spotlight was put on Michigan dam regulators after it was revealed that the state’s 1,100 dams are monitored by a staff of two plus a supervisor, all with a meager budget of just $348,000, most of which is dedicated to salaries.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/dam-investment-michigan-other-states/

Gary Wilson