A tropical lake in Central Africa might not seem like the first place you would look to gain insights into North America’s Great Lakes. But that’s just what researchers from Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio have been doing for the past three years.
Lake Victoria is the largest of Africa’s Great Lakes, the second largest in the world after Lake Superior.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/one-world-two-great-lakes/
Euan Reavie presents at River Talks. Image credit: Michael Anderson
Harmful algal blooms are becoming more of a concern in the St. Louis River Estuary and Lake Superior. The reasons behind this were described during the November River Talk by Euan Reavie, senior research associate at the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute.
Harmful algal blooms, also known as HABs, appear as mats of bright green algae that float on the surface of the water or sometimes lay on the bottoms of large rivers or lakes. Not all algal blooms are toxic, but some are, and scientists are looking into what triggers the release of toxins in the blooms.
“Based on anecdotal and real observations, it does seem to be something that’s getting worse in Western Lake Superior,” Reavie said. “Whoever thought we’d be getting algal blooms out in the nutrient-poor waters of Lake Superior, making their way all the way up to the Apostle Islands?”
Water quality in the St. Louis River has improved over the years thanks to sanitary sewer districts coming online in Duluth and Superior in the 1970s, environmental regulations, and cleanup efforts. However, excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen are still of concern and are a focus of attention from management agencies.
Reavie’s research team came into the picture in the early 2010s when they were asked to research nutrient levels in hopes of confirming that they were decreasing. They collected sediment samples (cores) to reconstruct the history of nutrients in the estuary. The scientists analyzed the samples for different types of fossil algae, which offer signals about what types of nutrients were available in the past because different algae species prefer different levels of nutrients.
Diatoms are the most abundant type of algae in the Western Lake Superior system. Reavie showed how the assemblages of these species changed after European settlement and after water cleanup efforts in the 1970s.
Over the past several years, algae blooms have been noted along the shore of Lake Superior near Cornucopia, Wisconsin, and in the estuary at Barker’s Island and Allouez Bay. Reavie said that sediment samples from the present day in sheltered bays like Allouez Bay show diatom species that like high levels of nutrients. He said the data show a “fairly consistent” increase in phosphorus in the system. “Not good news for the bays in the estuary,” he said.
The team also found cyanopigments in the samples, which indicate recent increases in algae. “There appear to be some new problems in these nearshore areas despite the fact that we’ve reduced the flux of nutrients into the system. Something new is going on here,” Reavie said.
One culprit could be more intense storms due to climate change. Storms wash a lot of nutrients from the land into the water and then the currents carry them through the estuary and harbor, and out into Lake Superior along its South Shore.
“Just knowing that the blooms tend to follow storms is not enough. There’s probably a seasonal aspect to all this, as well,” he said. Warmth is one factor, but Reavie said there have also been algae blooms under the ice. Low dissolved oxygen levels in water could be another factor, resulting in a chemical reaction that releases stored nutrients in sediments.
His team has begun developing an early warning system to sort out what is going on. It involves incorporating weather data, water quality data and algae data from eight stations in the estuary. They hope to offer initial findings at the March 2024 St. Louis River Summit.
For more information, visit the team’s website.
The next River Talk is scheduled for March 13, 2024. Brandon Krumwide with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will present, “What Lies Below? Underwater Mapping of the Great Lakes,” at 6:30 p.m. in the Lake Superior Estuarium (3 Marina Drive, Superior, Wisconsin).
The post Understanding harmful algal blooms in the St. Louis River Estuary presents challenges first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/understanding-harmful-algal-blooms-in-the-st-louis-river-estuary-presents-challenges/
The next River Talk will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, with “Making Sense of Algal Blooms in the St. Louis River Estuary,” an in-person presentation by Euan Reavie with the Natural Resources Research Institute. His talk will be held at the Lake Superior Estuarium (3 Marina Dr., Superior, Wis.). Refreshments will be provided.
Euan Reavie. Image credit: Natural Resources Research Institute
Reavie will present what’s known so far about the evolving situation with algae and algal blooms in the river and harbor. He’ll also describe plans for a collaborative monitoring strategy with the Lake Superior Reserve to address current and future problems.
For accessibility accommodations related to sound, language and translation, mobility or anything else to make engagement possible, please contact Luciana at 715-399-4085 or Luciana.Ranelli@wisc.edu, as soon as possible.
In an abbreviation of the season, other River Talks will be held in 2024 on March 13 and April 10. For more information, visit the River Talks page: go.wisc.edu/4uz720.
The River Talks are sponsored by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Wisconsin Sea Grant Program.
The post Making Sense of Algal Blooms first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/making-sense-of-algal-blooms/
Demonstrates the Wisconsin Idea in action
Wisconsin Sea Grant is sponsoring a panel headlined by entertainer Charlie Berens and author Dan Egan at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Union Terrace, on the shore of Lake Mendota, to discuss the lake and its blues—seasonal blue-green algae blooms—and the larger issues surrounding the use of phosphorus.
The event is scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., Madison, Wisconsin. It will also be video livestreamed at https://go.wisc.edu/terracecripescast as part of Berens’s Cripescast podcast series. The series focuses on Midwestern people and themes.
Emmy Award-winning journalist Charlie Berens will devote an upcoming podcast episode to harmful algal blooms as part of a live event and livestream.
This spring, Egan published “The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance,” which outlines the world’s mining, processing and use of phosphorus. It also explains the element’s paradox—phosphorus brings agricultural plenty but can lead to environmental devastation, such as the growth of a bacteria known as blue-green algae that chokes the oxygen from aquatic ecosystems and creates dead zones.
Berens and Egan will be joined by Jake Vander Zanden, an expert on freshwater lakes and director of UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology, and Randy Jackson from the Department of Agronomy at UW-Madison who will speak to successful agricultural systems using reduced inputs. The panel will highlight the Wisconsin Idea, how the university’s research can inform policymaking and practices to reduce phosphorus input or reuse of the element, leading to healthier waters across the state and nation.
A researcher samples water affected by a large harmful algal bloom.
Berens is an Emmy-Award-winning journalist, comedian and New York Times best-selling author of “The Midwest Survival Guide.”
Egan wrote the bestseller “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes,” which was the 2018 UW-Madison Go Big Read selection. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice. He is currently journalist in residence at the Center for Water Policy at UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences.
A book signing will follow the panel.
In case of inclement weather, the event will take place in Shannon Hall of the Memorial Union.
The post Aug. 31 event and livestream to explore phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/aug-31-event-and-livestream-to-explore-phosphorus-in-aquatic-ecosystems/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Abigail Comar, Great Lakes Echo
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Environmental Protection Agency have demonstrated a new technology designed to reduce harmful algal blooms in lakes, including Lake Erie, which have been plagued by eutrophication.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/new-technology-hope-great-lakes-polluted-waters/
By Keith Schneider, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/remedies-for-harmful-algal-blooms-available-in-law/
By Keith Schneider, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/powerful-industry-torrent-manure-overwhelms-state-regulators/
By Laura Gersony, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/failed-algae-strategy-hurts-poor-communities/
By Keith Schneider, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/year-of-water-quality-reckoning-national-imperative-impeded/
By Keith Schneider, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/farms-michigan-counties-sources-of-lake-erie-toxic-blooms/
“The Erie Situation,” a new documentary about toxic algae blooms will air simultaneously on six PBS stations in four states at 9 p.m. ET on Monday Sept. 12. To see if your station is one of them, click HERE.
Finding news about harmful algal blooms is easy – a Google News search provides headlines of the latest outbreaks.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/mapping-the-habs/
By Lester Graham, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/07/2022-forecast-harmful-algal-blooms-forecast-lake-erie/
A new study completed by international researchers says current efforts to reduce harmful algae blooms by limiting phosphorous in Lake Erie could result in more toxic algae.
“I think it has implications for how we think about cleaning up Lake Erie,” said Greg Dick, director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at Michigan State University, and one of the study’s authors.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/phosphorous-reduction-toxic-algae/
By Lester Graham, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/harmful-algal-blooms-lake-erie/
The spring season of Wisconsin’s Sea Grant’s “Lake Talks” series concludes Thursday, May 12, from 7-8 p.m. The event will focus on “Harmful algal blooms and your health.”
The online event is open to everyone, though registration is required. (Register for this Zoom event now.) The hour includes time for audience questions.
Jordan Murray gestures at some blue-green algae that has accumulated along the shoreline of Lake Monona at Brittingham Park in Madison. (Submitted photo)
Featured speaker Jordan Murray is a Wisconsin Water Resources Science-Policy Fellow. She serves as Harmful Algal Blooms Program Coordinator at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) in its Division of Public Health. Her fellowship is jointly supported by DHS and the Aquatic Sciences Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Murray will give an overview of the harmful algal bloom (HAB) program at DHS and describe her role as coordinator. She’ll also cover how HABs can affect health. You’ll learn practical steps you can take to avoid exposure and keep yourself, your loved ones and pets healthy while enjoying Wisconsin’s abundant lakes.
The timing of Murray’s presentation is apt, as blue-green algae season typically begins in May as temperatures warm.
The presence of the algae—natural organisms found in all Wisconsin water bodies—is not bad in and of itself. However, problems arise when the algae grows to high levels and forms blooms that are often “scummy” or pea soup-like in appearance and pose health hazards.
Murray holds a master’s degree in public health, with a concentration in epidemiology, from the University of Toledo. A Toledo native, she remembers the period in 2014 when a major bloom in Lake Erie (source of the city’s drinking water) meant that residents were warned not to drink—or even touch—the water coming out of their taps.
“This public health issue is very personal to me,” she said, “so it’s fulfilling to do work around an issue that has so greatly affected my home and community.”
Murray’s scientific background and personal experience fuel her commitment to keeping people safe. With climate change leading to a warmer and wetter Wisconsin, bloom intensity is on the rise, making it important to raise public awareness about HABs.
For Lake Talks event and registration information, visit the Sea Grant website, or follow Wisconsin Sea Grant on Facebook or Twitter. You can register for Murray’s presentation on harmful algal blooms now.
For questions about this series, contact Wisconsin Sea Grant science communicator Jennifer Smith.
The post Learn how to stay safe from harmful algal blooms at “Lake Talks” presentation first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/learn-how-to-stay-safe-from-harmful-algal-blooms-at-lake-talks-presentation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=learn-how-to-stay-safe-from-harmful-algal-blooms-at-lake-talks-presentation
The Great Lakes contain 95% of all the fresh surface water in the United States, and Wisconsin is fortunate that two of those lakes make up its northern and eastern borders—1,000 miles in all and supporting 105 Great Lakes communities.
Stewardship of the lakes is critical not just for those 105 communities, but for the entire state, which benefits from lakes Michigan and Superior culturally, recreationally and economically. Tuesday, Wisconsin Sea Grant announced 12 new two-year research projects worth $2.8 million that build Great Lakes understanding, leading to science-based management and policy decisions.
“We often say the Great Lakes are a gift from the glaciers,” said Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley. “This gift is a valuable one—a recent study found 1.3 million jobs are tied to the lakes, with $82 billion in annual wages. Just as the lakes fuel our economy, they also enrich our quality of life. That’s why we are pleased that these projects officially kick off today with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.”
Research will be conducted on four University of Wisconsin System campuses and will, for example, deepen our understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, harmful algal blooms and marine debris, three timely water-quality concerns.
In all, nearly 75 researchers, staff and students will be engaged in this work on the University of Wisconsin System campuses of Madison, Milwaukee, Platteville and Stevens Point. Additionally, the maritime archaeology program at the Wisconsin Historical Society will be supported for Lake Michigan shipwreck exploration.
Water samples laden with PFAS in the Christy Remucal lab at UW-Madison. Photo: Bonnie Willison
“This year, Wisconsin Sea Grant is celebrating its 50-year anniversary. We have a long history of supporting not just research, but the up-and-coming researchers across the state who want to meet Great Lakes challenges and opportunities. More than half of the projects announced Tuesday will be led by investigators who are first-time Sea Grant funding recipients,” Hurley said.
The post Great Lakes Stewardship Continues With New Projects Worth $2.8 Million Over Two Years first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/great-lakes-stewardship-continues-with-new-projects-worth-2-8-million-over-two-years/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=great-lakes-stewardship-continues-with-new-projects-worth-2-8-million-over-two-years
As the Great Lakes experience more harmful algal blooms due to climate change, real time monitoring of drinking water for toxins is becoming increasingly urgent.
Warm water temperatures, increased rainfall and fertilizer run-off from farm fields are providing fuel for blooms that can taint water.
This spring, a floating sensor for monitoring drinking water drawn from the Detroit River will begin giving real-time data on potentially toxic blue-green algae, along with other water quality data such as temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/detroit-river-algal-bloom-threat/
By Lester Graham, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/environmental-groups-algal-blooms/
By Dan Kraker, Minnesota Public Radio
A couple weekends ago, Cody Sheik was at a friend’s wedding on Duluth’s Park Point, sipping champagne down on the Lake Superior beach, when he spotted something unusual in the normally crystal clear water.
“It was definitely a bloom,” he recalled.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/scientists-clues-lake-superior-algae-blooms/
On a calm morning in late summer 2019, Jim Bailey was kayaking on Lake Superior near Thunder Bay, Ontario, when he found himself paddling through thick green scum, the likes of which he’d never seen in those waters. Puzzled, he headed into the open bay where he could see green patches stretching out about 3 kilometers.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/lake-superior-summer-algae-bloom/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Hannah Brock, Great Lakes Echo
Toxins from harmful algal blooms are known to pollute water, but now researchers are looking at how they harm Great Lakes air.
And that also could have implications for human health, they say.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/great-lakes-algae-threatens-air-quality/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By McKoy Scribner, Great Lakes Echo
Scientists from the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station first noticed an invasive population of zebra mussels in Gull Lake in the mid-1990s. Afterwards, unexpected harmful algal blooms started appearing.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/researchers-invasive-zebra-mussels-toxic-algae/
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Farmers in 10 more northern Ohio counties will be eligible to receive financial incentives for using new agriculture practices that improve water quality in Lake Erie, Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.
That brings the number of counties eligible up to 24 through the H2Ohio water quality initiative’s farmer incentive program.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-ohio-farmer-incentive-program-lake-erie/
For the second year in a row, scientists predict the annual Lake Erie cyanobacteria bloom will be smaller than it has been in the past decade.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecast, assembled with the help of multiple partners, indicates an expected bloom severity index of 3 on a scale of 10.5.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/2021-harmful-algal-blooms-toxic-algae/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/marine-blooms-harmful-algae-increasing/
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Algal blooms have forced health officials to close five Madison-area beaches.
The Wisconsin State Journal reported Friday that the first tests of the season revealed blue-green algae blooms at beaches at BB Clarke, Olbrich and Warner parks and the Hudson Park lake access point.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-algae-blooms-wisconsin-beaches/
Oxygen levels have dropped in hundreds of lakes in the United States and Europe over the last four decades, a new study found.
And the authors said declining oxygen could lead to increased fish kills, algal blooms and methane emissions.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-hundreds-lakes-united-states-europe-losing-oxygen/
On the West side of the United States, residents are seeing problems crop up in their waters. Great Lakes region residents will find those issues familiar.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/tapped-out-power-justice-water-west/
There are three current funding opportunities through the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI), each with a deadline to apply of 5 p.m., CST, Tuesday, June 15. Any interested Wisconsin investigator is urged to contact Melissa Boyce, maboyce@aqua.wisc.edu, as soon as possible for submittal guidance through WRI’s online proposal system. Boyce is WRI’s chief financial officer.
Grant proposals in these national calls are being accepted that would address local, state and regional water challenges. Each proposal would provide funding for one to three years and up to a level of $250,000. Successful applicants must match each dollar of the federal grant with one dollar from non-federal sources. The government’s obligation under this grant program is contingent upon the availability of funds. Proposals involving substantial collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey and university scientists are encouraged. Details on the three open calls are:
Socioeconomics and water use – includes the development of water use models that require understanding of what drives the timing and location of water being withdrawn and used and how those relations change when climate impacts the use or conservation/management strategies (culture/societal/economics) are implemented.
Water related hazards and public health – exploration of the intersections of land/water use, disease vector mechanisms, and water hazards, climate change, and/or irrigation practices. Research may include advancing our understand of these connections as they affect the development rates of pathogens impacting public health.
Exploration and advancement of our understanding of harmful algae blooms (HABs) -Proposals are sought that focus on innovations in monitoring the occurrence of HABs and algal toxins, research on factors that result in algal toxin production, and improvements in near-real time modeling and forecasting of toxin-producing blooms.
The challenges and opportunities of understanding the impact of PFAS on water resources are poorly understood, despite the real and growing impact of this group of man-made substances on water quality. Research is needed to better understand these interactions and guide management decisions that will improve water resources at the regional scale or national scale. Proposals are sought on the following specific areas of inquiry (levels of priority are not assigned, and the order of listing does not indicate the level of priority):
Research on the fate, persistence, transport, and impacts of per-and polyflouroalkyl (PFAS) substances on changes to water quality and/or ecosystem dynamics, in water resources, including surface water and groundwater.
Social and/or economic assessment of the spread, detection, impacts, solutions, and management of PFAS in surface and/or groundwater.
Improve our understanding of the impacts of aquatic invasive species on lakes and rivers in the Upper Mississippi River basin, including changes to water quantity, quality and ecosystem dynamics.
Identify lake and river characteristics that infer resistance and resilience to establishment and impacts of aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Research is needed to better understand these interactions and guide management decisions that will improve water resources at the regional scale.
Social and/or economic assessment of the spread, detection, impacts, solutions, and management of aquatic invasive species in the Upper Mississippi River basin.
Any investigator at an accredited institution of higher learning in Wisconsin is eligible to apply for these grants through a WRI, which was established under the provisions of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended (http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php).
The post June deadline for three new grant opportunities first appeared on WRI.
News Release – WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/june-deadline-for-three-new-grant-opportunities/
The first full-year report for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s much-publicized H2Ohio water quality initiative is out.
Introduced in 2019, the plan has already reaped benefits for Ohio residents and will continue to expand in its scope, according to officials charged with its implementation.
The report was offered in a web presentation by Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie Stevenson.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/h2ohio-agency-directors-wetlands-lead-agriculture/
By Lester Graham, 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/university-michigan-discovery-lake-erie-dead-zone/
Deep below the cold, dark surface of Lake Superior, sensors strung like pearls along a vertical steel cable sway with the currents. Recording the lake’s dropping temperatures as winter sets in, their gentle rhythm belies their worrying readings: the lake is getting warmer.
Jay Austin heaved several of these science experiments off a boat last fall – tossing concrete blocks into the deep water to anchor the cable of sensors stretching down from floating platforms just below the surface.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/lake-superior-researchers-impact-warming-winters/
As climate change complicates Lake Erie’s algae problem, scientists say farmers must do far more to reduce phosphorus runoff. But will enough farmers change their ways without a government mandate?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/farmers-pollution-lake-erie-regulations/
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled a two-year, $75 billion state budget on Monday that includes a $1 billion initiative to help bring the state back from the economic downfall of the pandemic.
The budget proposal was crafted “with the goal of emerging even stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic,” DeWine said as he announced the plan with Lt.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-highlights-ohio-governor-proposed-2-year-spending-plan/
Along the shores of Lake Erie live a wide range of people whose lives might seem very familiar to or wildly distinctive from your own.
In the documentary photo series North of Long Tail, photographer Colin Boyd Shafer tells the stories of more than 20 residents of Lake Erie’s north shore.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/lifeblood-photographer-lake-erie-shoreline-residents/
America’s rivers are changing color — and people are behind many of the shifts, a new study said.
One-third of the tens of thousands of mile-long (two kilometer-long) river segments in the United States have noticeably shifted color in satellite images since 1984.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-one-third-of-americas-rivers-have-changed-color-since-1984/
This is part of a series in which the Great Lakes Now staff looks back on 2020.
In any effort to sum up the year that was 2020, one word is unavoidable: poop.
Don’t you agree?
At Great Lakes Now, we’ve kept our finger on the pulse of poop news all year, because we care about our readers and viewers.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/on-the-pulse-ive-got-one-word-for-you-2020/
This is part of a series in which the Great Lakes Now staff looks back on 2020.
It’s probably futile to try to find ONE moment that captures 2020 for Great Lakes Now, at least from my view today at my dining room table/desk on a grey winter day.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/great-lakes-now-year-in-review-predicts-2021/
NOTE: The report will formally be presented in English at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 10. A French session will follow at 3:30 p.m. For more details about how you can watch or ask questions, click here.
Public concern about climate change is escalating in the Great Lakes region, according to a new report issued by a binational group that manages and protects the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/public-concern-climate-change-runoff-chemicals-ijc/
The watersheds that feed the Western Basin of Lake Erie are home to thousands of crop and livestock farms. Those farmers use underground systems to manage rainwater, including many located where a massive swamp once made up the Ohio landscape.
All those farms face challenges managing fertilizers and water in their fields with drainage systems.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/field-tiles-drainage-systems-pose-problems-lake-erie/
A familiar view for many who live and play around the Great Lakes graces the current cover of National Geographic – a stormy sunset over Lake Michigan, seen from the sandy beaches of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The feature story of the magazine’s December 2020 issue puts a spotlight on the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/saving-great-lakes-national-geographic-december-issue-struggles/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/great-lakes-stressed-climate-change-worse/
Even casual observers of Great Lakes issues are aware of the problems associated with algal blooms.
Perhaps they remember the headlines from August 2014 when Toledo went without drinking water for three days due to the threat of toxic blooms contaminating the city’s water supply. Or a day their favorite beach posted “No Swimming” signs because of toxic algal bloom threats.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/small-streams-impact-great-lakes-water-quality/
By Jane Johnston, Circle of Blue
ALMA — Murray Borrello, wearing khakis and a loose-fitting brown button-up, walked down a backroad during the summer of 2019 listening to the sounds of the woods. Water from the Pine River flowed slowly beneath him as he looked out over a bridge.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/michigan-county-cafos-agriculture-water-pollution/
For the second time in two years Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center appears to have forced the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s hand in seeking solutions to Lake Erie’s ongoing nutrients pollution problem.
In U.S Northern District of Ohio Court hearings on July 17 and July 30, ELPC attorneys sought a summary judgement requiring the U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/total-maximum-daily-load-court-case-ohio-epa-nutrients-lake-erie/
In her first regional appearance after taking office in January 2019, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made it clear that Michigan would take a leadership role on Great Lakes issues.
“Michigan has to lead on Great Lakes issues,” Whitmer told Great Lakes Now after speaking to fellow Great Lakes governors and Canadian premiers and the broader Great Lakes community in Milwaukee.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/michigan-state-great-lakes-drinking-water-quality/
As algal blooms flourish on the edges of the Great Lakes, lake management bodies look to cut down the flow of nutrients into the water that feeds the algae. But, as a recent report by the International Joint Commission explains, not all parts of the lakes suffer from too many nutrients — in fact, the deeper offshore waters aren’t getting enough.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/offshore-great-lakes-fish-populations-nutrient-levels/
As Ohio farmers in Lake Erie’s Western Basin watershed face declining crop prices, increased media scrutiny and the looming threat of stricter regulations on the industry’s use and release of nutrients which cause algal blooms in the lake and its tributaries, they are in a constant battle to reduce their footprint on the lake and to stay in business.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/cost-conservation-agriculture-lake-erie/
With two segments in the latest episode of the Great Lakes Now monthly program, producer David Ruck is bringing audiences insight about two major issues in the Great Lakes region: how pollution from farmland impacts water quality and what financial cost current high water levels are having for communities around the region.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/water-great-lakes-now-producer/
Scientists believe a dry spring in Lake Erie’s western basin watershed will help keep the annual harmful algal bloom in check this summer and early autumn.
The bloom’s biomass is expected to rank 4.5 on a scale of 10 in terms of severity, according to Rick Stumpf, oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/toxic-algae-2020-harmful-algal-bloom-forecast-lake-erie/
