On:
In: 2024, AIS, aquatic invasive species, Event - Non-FWWA, In your yard, invasive plants, invasive species, Melinda Myers, Outreach and Education, restoration, webinar

Horticulturist, author, and speaker Melinda Myers will discuss key invasive plants in Wisconsin, share tips on identification, provide ways to control some of the more common problem plants, and suggest alternative plants foSee attached a recent article that Bret Shaw, myself, and other collaborators recently had published in Biological Invasions. Below and attached is some text that helps explain the results of the paper that you can feel free to use in any newsletters you all provide content for. Also attached is factsheet we produced as part of this project a few years ago that covers some of the other recommendations from this project.r your landscape.  We hope you can join Melinda to learn more about this important issue.

Webinar: February 28th, 2024 6:30pm

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on X! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

Winnebago Waterways and Keepers of the Fox are Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance programs. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization working to protect and restore water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.

The post Free Webinar: Create a Beautiful Landscape Free of Invasive Plants appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2024/02/15/free-webinar-create-a-beautiful-landscape-free-of-invasive-plants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-webinar-create-a-beautiful-landscape-free-of-invasive-plants

Chris Acy

On:
In: Agriculture, Bay of Green Bay, conservation, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox River, non point pollution, Outreach and Education, phosphorus, restoration, runoff, soil health, Water quality

This fall, travelers along the Highway 41 cooridor in Brown County were greeted with a conservation message flashing on digital billboards along their route:

At Fox-Wolf, we’re invested in making impacts to water quality from all sources – residential, commercial, municipal, and agricultural.  We partner with people and organizations from across all these sources to reduce the amount of the phosphorus and sediment that’s delivered to our local waters and downstream through the Fox River and into the bay of Green Bay.  Collectively, these impacts lessen the “green” (algae) in Green Bay.

That’s why education and outreach is key!  Each of us has an opportunity to contribute in our own way.  By sharing how our local farmers are investing in water quality by adopting conservation practices, our communities can see how agriculture is doing its part as well.

Cover crops planted in the fall keep soil in place throughout the winter

Cover Crops Keep Fields Green in the Fall and Water Blue in the Spring

As you drive by the many agricultural fields in the greater Fox Cities area, you may notice a variety of colors peeking out from the snow.  Some fields are still have green bits of vegetation, some have bits of corn stalks left poking from the ground, and some are bare soil.  In traditional farming, after the fall harvest of row crops, such as corn or soybeans, the soil surface of a field will be left bare until the next crop is planted and a new plant canopy is established. Here in Wisconsin, that next planting may be 5-7 months away. That’s a long time for the bare soil to be vulnerable to erosion caused by rainfall, snowmelt, or wind. For that reason, conservation-minded farmers utilize cover crops to have vegetation established and growing in the fall months and remain in place during the winter.

In the spring, cover crops are terminated and left on the surface as residue for conservation tillage or are incorporated into the soil.  Properly planned and executed, cover crops will protect soil during this vulnerable period. This topsoil is full of nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen, so by keeping soil in place, these nutrients are kept on the land where they benefit crops and prevented from running into waterways where they contribute to degraded water conditions and algal blooms.  Keeping soil in place also keeps pesticides, herbicides, and manure out of nearby streams, rivers, and lakes.

Cover crops do more than just improve water quality.  As a benefit to the farmer, cover crops can also:

  • Slow runoff from rainfall and snowmelt, reducing soil loss due to erosion
  • Increase soil organic matter, leading to improvements in soil structure that benefits plant growth
  • Increase soil quality by improving the biological, chemical, and physical soil properties
  • Store nutrients from manure until the following years’ crop can utilize them
  • Reduce or mitigate soil compaction as deep tap roots are able to grow in fall and spring
  • Provide a natural means of suppressing soil diseases and pests and serve as a mulch to assist in suppressing weeds
  • Provide high-quality material for grazing livestockand can provide food and habitat for wildlife, beneficial insects, and pollinators

Thank you conservation farmers!

The post Billboard Campaign Educates on Cover Crops appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2024/01/26/kof_billboard/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kof_billboard

Katie Woodrow

On:
In: 2023, erosion, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, Lake, Lake Management, Lake Winnebago, lwcd, phosphorus, phosphorus removal, project, recreation map, recreational use, restoration, Stream, streambank, survey, Water quality, Watershed Project, wetland, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways, Wisconsin, wwpHomeProject

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is implementing conservation projects to protect our waters for future generations. Help us prioritize future restoration projects and strengthen funding requests by telling us how you enjoy the lakes!

Please be specific – we are interested in the areas you use the most (we are looking to improve your spots, not steal them!). The map will be made public but your name will not be tied to the points you add.

To get started, please click the button “Take the Survey Now!” or use the QR Code on the right.

Once on the map, click the “Edit” icon located on the upper left corner underneath the search bar. The icon looks like a list with a pencil. Select the type of activity that you would like to add, then click on the map where you do this activity to add it.

Add as many points as you’d like, keeping in mind we are interested in the areas most important to YOU. Adding an area that covers a whole lake is not as helpful as adding three points of the areas you fish the most and the boat launch you use to access it.

If you enjoy our waters in a way not listed, please select the most similar activity or select “other”, and add a description of the activity in the notes.

Thank you for your help and participation!

Take the Survey Now!

Contact Katie R with any questions or concerns at katherine@fwwa.org

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org

The post Tell us where and how you use the waterways! appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2024/01/15/recreationsurvey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=recreationsurvey

Katie Reed

On:
In: 2023, erosion, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, Lake, Lake Management, Lake Winnebago, lwcd, phosphorus, phosphorus removal, project, restoration, Stream, streambank, Water quality, Watershed Project, wetland, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways, Wisconsin, wwpHomeProject

Project Overview

In 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Upper Fox and Wolf River (UFW).  A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can absorb and still meet water quality.  The TMDL was utilized in the creation of the EPA’s Nine Key Elements (9KE). Within the 9KE there is a requirement for reductions in pollution to meet water quality goals.  The goals within this plan are to reduce Total Phosphorus (TP) which also relates to the reduction of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) such as erosion and flooding.

Approximately 34% of the reduction from the TMDL needs to come from the Winnebago Waterways Recovery Area with 51% of that reduction assigned to agriculture.  Alteration in farming practices and structural changes will help make reductions.

Currently, a missing piece in the TMDL and draft 9KE plan is streambank erosion. Streambank erosion is lumped in with agricultural loading estimates and required reductions in the TMDL. In some watersheds, we anticipate streambank erosion being a significant contributor to the total TMDL agricultural load. We need to inventory the streambanks in each HUC12 so that we can estimate potential TP/TSS reductions that could come from stabilizing streambanks to stop streambank erosion and to prioritize project locations. Stabilizing streambanks would be paired with efforts to increase infiltration on the land to reduce the volume and rate of flow that damages streambanks during storm events.

For this project, we will begin by completing streambank inventories in the four highest loading HUC12s located within the WWRA. The pollutant load from these HUC12s significantly contributes to water quality impairments of the streams within each HUC12, the Winnebago Lakes, and Lake Michigan. In addition to providing loading estimates from streambank erosion, this project also seeks to identify and prioritize potential locations for future restoration projects to help reduce nutrient loading and protect or enhance existing habitat. Going forward, this project will serve as a template for completing future streambank inventories for the remaining 28 HUC12s located in the WWRA.

Target HUC12 Subwatersheds in the 2023 Streambank Erosion Inventory

HUC12 to be Inventoried                                HUC12 Code                                Stream Miles

Town of Dale-Rat River                                      040202022102                                         60

Eldorado Marsh-Fond Du Lac River                 040302020204                                         63

Lake Poygan – Willow Creek                             040302022006                                          88

Pipe Creek – Frontal Lake Winnebago            040302020303                                          91

Project Timeline

In the Spring of 2023, a method was developed using GIS to determine streambanks to be physically inventoried as they are representative of the HUC12 they are located in. The method developed has been recorded in SOP#1: Streambank Erosion Inventory Desktop Review so it can be duplicated.

Fieldwork was accomplished in the summer of 2023. Streambank information from the desktop review was utilized to complete a physical inventory of these sections.

December 2023 – February 2024: Streambank Inventory Data Analysis was developed along with the extrapolation. These tools will allow an estimation of sediment loss and load & phosphorus loss and load for an entire watershed.

Project Funding & Partners

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org

The post Prioritizing stabilization projects using streambank erosion inventories in the Fox-Wolf River Basin appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2024/01/11/streambank-inventory/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=streambank-inventory

Katie Reed

On:
In: Agriculture, air seeder, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, interseeder, interseeding, Keepers of the Fox, low disturbance manure application, Lower Fox River, NEW Water, no till drill, non point pollution, Oneida Nation, Outagamie County, Outreach and Education, phosphorus, planter, restoration, roller crimper, runoff, sediment, shed, soil health, soil health education and demonstration, Surface water, trial plot, Water quality

When making conservation plans, producers and conservation professionals alike want to know the impact that farm practices have on our local water.  Through work funded by Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and Outagamie County have developed a Farm Progress Report to tell the story of conservation, one farm at a time.

The Farm Progress Report utilizes data from SNAP+, a program widely used by Wisconsin farmers, to generate modeled soil and phosphorus loss on each field based on soil type, phosphorus test results, and field management (tillage, manure management, crop cycle, etc).

This information is then compiled to create per field and per farm loss data, which is compared to the local conservation goal of 1 lb per acre per year of phosphorus loss and 0.5 tons per acre per year of soil loss.  This information is visualized in the Farm Progress Report through simple to read graphs that include the annual average compared to the community goal as well as tables that list the top ten fields to improve.

The Farm Progress Report has two purposes:

  1. Farm Knowledge: For farmers to understand the impact of their current farm practices on water quality, the goals for the community, and how they can make changes on their farm to improve their phosphorus and soil loss
  2. Communication: Farmers can utilize the Farm Progress Report to communicate with their local communities to show the positive impact they are having as well as to their processors to show that they have adopted conservation practices that may meet the processor’s environmental standards

A Farm Progress report was generated for each producer participating in the GLRI grant project and Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and Outagamie County LWCD met with each farm, along with their agronomist.  The Farm Progress Report was presented to each farm with an explanation of where the data was derived from, the community goal, and where their current farm practices compared to the goal.  Feedback was solicited from the producer and their agronomist on the information presented and the response was positive.  Producers understood the how the data was derived, how their on-field practices generated that data, and were interested in the potential of using the Farm Progress Report to communicate the great work they are doing to meet conservation goals in their watershed.

Further work will need to be done to streamline the data collection and input process and to ensure that the SNAP+ system is used consistently across the basin.  Overall, the Farm Progress Report was well received by farmers and they expressed interest in continuing to use it to watch their progress toward improving water quality.  Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance intends to continue developing the report and promoting its widespread adoption to producers outside of this project.

Questions? Contact us:

Basin Agriculture Coordinator: Justin Loehrke, 920.841-6938 or justin@fwwwa.org

Climate Smart Agriculture Project Manager: Katie Woodrow, 920.915.5767 or katie@fwwa.org

To receive periodic updates on these projects as well as many others, please subscribe to our newsletters: CLICK HERE

The post Farm Progress Report – A Tool to Tell the Conservation Story appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/09/29/farm-progress-report/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=farm-progress-report

Katie Woodrow

On:
In: Butte des Morts, columbia park, cost share, county, demo site, diversions, fish sticks, Fond du Lac County, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, grant, habitat, Healthy Lakes, katie reed, korin doering, Lake Management, lakes, lakeshore, lwcd, native plantings, Poygan, rain gardens, restoration, shoreland, shoreline, Watershed Project, WI DNR, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways, Winneconne, Wisconsin, Wolf River

Visitors to Marble Park in Winneconne, Winnebago County can soon stop by three native plant beds to enjoy beautiful native plants! Installation is scheduled to start on August 22, 2023. We anticipate needing volunteers to help the remainder of the week (Aug 22-23). If you are interested in volunteering to help install and plant these beds, please fill out the following form and select “Shoreline Planting/Work Crew”. We look forward to seeing you at the park!

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance partnered with the Village of Winneconne to install the native plant beds. The goal of this project is to increase the adoption and installation of native shoreline plantings around the Winnebago System. We are excited to see the project come together and watch the plants grow!

Shoreline property owners are eligible to receive reimbursement of up to $1000 to install this type of best management practice through a Wisconsin DNR Healthy Lakes and Rivers grant by partnering with Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Come check out what this shoreline best management practice looks like, what the requirements are for the Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant, and what shoreline property owners can expect from the process of planning, installing, and maintaining the native plant beds.

Under a Healthy Lakes and Rivers grant, native plantings must:

  • Total 350 contiguous square feet,
  • Be at least 10 feet wide in any direction,
  • Be adjacent to the shore,
  • Follow the Healthy Lakes requirement for number of native plants and species.

A Healthy Lakes native planting project can augment an existing area of shoreline vegetation under certain circumstances.

The demonstration site at Marble Park will meet all of these requirements, and is intended to give shoreline property owners a good idea of what to expect from their native plantings, while also educating visitors about how native plantings can improve wildlife habitat, natural beauty, and decrease runoff into the Wolf River.

The Demonstration Site will showcase three different plant lists: a low-growing bed showcasing species that grow <5 ft tall, a shoreline edge bed with species that thrive close to the water and a pollinator bed which will showcase species specifically intended to attract pollinators.

If you have any questions or are interested in installing a Healthy Lakes native plant bed on your shoreline property, please contact Katie Reed at katherine@fwwa.org or 920-851-6472.

Funding for this project was provided by the Winnebago Waterways Program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and the WI Department of Natural Resources. Project partners include the Winnebago Waterways Program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and the Village of Winneconne.

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org

The post Volunteers Needed! Shoreline Buffer Demonstration Site Set To Be Installed at Marble Park, Winneconne appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/08/09/marble-park-demo-site/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marble-park-demo-site

Katie Reed

On:
In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, invasive species, Japanese Knotweed, Keepers of the Fox, Lake Butte des Morts, lake management planning, Lake Poygan, Lake Winnebago, Lake Winneconne, Lower Fox River, Melinda Myers, Outreach, Outreach and Education, restoration, Shoreline Restoration, watershed, WDNR, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways

Gardener Extraordinaire Melinda Myers Gives Insight into Japanese Knotweed

During last month’s National Rivers Month, Melinda Myers took a moment to highlight the over 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams in the United States. In addition to outlining the amazing things our waters do for us (including supplying water for drinking and for irrigating crops), Melinda brought attention to a riverside invasive species; Japanese knotweed. This plant was original brought to America as an ornamental but quickly spread through much of the United States. With bamboo-like stems, this invasive plant is known to choke waterways and hasten erosion. If you are one of the folks who has Japanese knotweed growing along your shorelines, there are great control options available.

To learn more, including control methods, check out this Japanese Knotweed brochure: https://widnr.widen.net/s/jzxjqrs867/wy0090?fbclid=IwAR2q36KUKGAJ4NJfAZ7N8S6MOeOgx-NPEV1T-LD3lzp6nMdXFvRWum-ssKQ

Photo Credit: Paul Skawinski, Melinda Myers

Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/

Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.

The post Japanese Knotweed and our Rivers appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/07/10/japanese-knotweed-and-our-rivers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=japanese-knotweed-and-our-rivers

Chris Acy

On:
In: Authors, Books, Books, Authors, Art and Music, Feature Homepage, Habitat Restoration, Hamilton, History and Culture, Lake Ontario, Latest News, News, Ontario, Research, Data and Technology, restoration, Science, Technology, Research, Sharon Oosthoek, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Book Club: Celebrating environmental success stories in the Great Lakes

In his book “Great Lakes Champions: Grassroots Efforts to Clean Up Polluted Watersheds,” John Hartig looks at how 14 Great Lakes residents are working to restore some of the region’s most degraded areas. While significant challenges remain, there is much to celebrate, including the return of sentinel fish and wildlife species, lower contaminant levels in fish and wildlife populations, and greater public access to these waters.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/05/book-club-celebrating-environmental-success-stories-in-the-great-lakes/

Sharon Oosthoek

On:
In: Agriculture, ducks, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, habitat, harbor, kalbus, lwcd, planting, project, restoration, team snw, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, Water quality, wetland, Winnebago, Winnebago County, Winnebago Waterways, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, WWA

We are looking for 10-15 volunteers to help plant 2,720 plant plugs for a wetland restoration on the west side of Lake Winnebago.

Volunteers are needed May 5th, 6th, and possibly 7th at Kalbus Country Harbor in Oshkosh. Each day will start at 9:00 am. Volunteers are welcome to volunteer as much or as little as available.

To sign up, please contact John by May 1st at: 920-426-0062 (via text or call) or email kalbuscamping@gmail.com

We will have some tools available, but recommend bringing what you prefer to use with you, dress for the weather, and be prepared to get dirty. For those who sign-up, John will follow  up with additional details.

Read more about the Kalbus restoration project: CLICK HERE

Project site map

Project funding and partners:

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org

The post Volunteers needed – Wetland Restoration Planting appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/04/19/kalbus-wetland-project-volunteers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kalbus-wetland-project-volunteers

Korin Doering

On:
In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Fish, Birds and Animals, Forests and Plants, Habitat Restoration, Lake Huron, Latest News, Michigan, News, restoration, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wetlands
Multi-million dollar restoration projects proposed for the Saginaw Bay watershed; paid with settlement money from corporate polluters

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/restoration-projects-proposed-saginaw-bay-watershed-settlement-money-corporate-polluters/

Michigan Radio

On:
In: Authors, ecology, Education, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Habitat Restoration, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ontario, Research, Research, Data and Technology, restoration, Science, Technology, Research, Toronto, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, watersheds, Wildlife
Great Lakes Moment: New video game teaches watershed management

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

Today, many educators are experimenting with unique forms of instruction to increase student engagement in the classroom and encourage critical thinking.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-moment-video-game-teaches-watershed-management/

John Hartig

On:
In: Authors, Books, Authors, Art and Music, Detroit, detroit river, Feature Homepage, Habitat Restoration, History and Culture, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Region, restoration, rouge river, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Great Lakes Moment: Rouge River Revived

Editor’s Note: Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television. This month’s article is a combination of excerpts and a preview of his new book, “Rouge River Revived: How People are Bringing Their River Back to Life,” which chronicles how citizens are leading an effort to restore their river in metropolitan Detroit.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/great-lakes-moment-rouge-river-revived/

John Hartig

On:
In: Budget, Economic Growth, Great Lakes Now On-Air Specials, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, legislation, News, Ohio, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, restoration, The Catch, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
The Catch: A Great Lakes Authority?

Aiming to better coordinate efforts to restore the Great Lakes, promote related educational opportunities, and boost the region’s economic prospects, an Ohio legislator crafted a bill to create a federal Great Lakes Authority.

Since Rep. March Kaptur, D-Toledo, and several other Democrats introduced the bill in Congress this spring, not much has happened.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/the-catch-great-lakes-authority/

GLN Editor

On:
In: Feature Homepage, History and Culture, Latest News, lighthouse, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Rachel Duckett, Recreation and Tourism, restoration
Lighthouse Restoration: A volunteer effort that requires labor, love and millions of dollars

This summer, a Great Lakes watchtower will celebrate its 200th birthday as any centenarian should: with cake and ice cream.

The Marblehead Lighthouse sits on Lake Erie’s temperamental shore in Ohio, about 20 miles away from Sandusky. It’s the oldest continually operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, thanks to the state of Ohio, which, according to the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society, took over the maintenance in the 1990s.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/lighthouse-restoration/

Rachel Duckett

On:
In: AP, coastal systems, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, restoration, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan coastal management projects, programs get $1.1M

HANCOCK, Mich. (AP) — More than $1.1 million in grants have been awarded to 17 coastal management projects and programs in Michigan.

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy says the funding will help protect, preserve, enhance and wisely develop the state’s coastal resources.

Recipients are located across Michigan and include $45,000 for Hancock to do a feasibility analysis for nature-based shore protection and restoration.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/ap-michigan-coastal-management/

The Associated Press

On:
In: restoration, water

After nearly a century and a half, river restoration projects may bring back the rapids that once characterized Grand Rapids, Michigan and provide environmental and economic boosts to the city.

The post Grand Rapids plans to restore its namesake — rapids first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/10/25/grand-rapids-plans-to-restore-its-namesake-rapids/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Amy Wolf, Julia Noordyk, restoration, Stephanie Dodge, Wequiock Creek Natural Area

Amy Wolf speaks during the Wequiock Creek Natural Area gathering. Image credit: Daniel Meinhardt

This spring, a small but dedicated group of people gathered in the woods near the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus to commemorate restoration efforts that are beginning on the Wequiock Creek Natural Area.

Contributing to the restoration is Stephanie Dodge (formerly Stephanie King), a First Nations graduate assistant with Wisconsin Sea Grant. Dodge, an enrolled Oneida Nation Member, is incorporating Indigenous oral histories into work on the Wequiock Creek wetlands. The area is ancestral lands for the Ho-Chunk Nation, Menominee Nation, and Potawatomi, as well.

During the gathering of First Nations folks, Dodge listened to the group’s ideas, thoughts and feelings about what the wetlands means to them. Along with restoration team partners at the UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, Dodge shared intentions and goals for the land.

The gathering opened with a tobacco offering and Menominee prayer by David Grignon, tribal historic preservation officer with the Menominee Indian Tribe.

David Grignon and Stephanie Dodge. Image credit: Daniel Meinhardt

“It is my hope that good things happen at the site and a natural ecosystem can be developed and maintained,” Grignon said.

Dodge obtained the tobacco from a garden center near Wequiock Creek. The owners are friends of her mentor, Julia Noordyk, Wisconsin Sea Grant water quality and coastal communities outreach specialist. Dodge traded white corn flour products for it. Trading versus buying the tobacco is another example of incorporating traditional ways.

The group then toured the area and continued their discussions. The east shore of Green Bay, which includes Point au Sable, Wequiock Creek and Red Banks, remains a significant area for First Nations, who have been connected to this land for millennia.

“We hope this is just one of more gatherings and conversations to come,” said Bobbie Webster, natural areas ecologist for the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity.

The post Green Bay Natural Area restoration begins with gathering first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/green-bay-natural-area-restoration-begins-with-gathering/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=green-bay-natural-area-restoration-begins-with-gathering

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Nearshore, restoration

The former luxury mansion of a Detroit automaker is the site of an attempt to recreate the scarce natural shoreline along Lake St. Clair.

The post Ford House collaborates to restore Lake St. Clair shoreline first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/08/ford-house-collaborates-to-restore-lake-st-clair-shoreline/

Guest Contributor

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In: animals, AP, Fish, Birds and Animals, isle royale, Michigan, News, restoration
Relocated Isle Royale wolves form groups, reduce moose herd

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Gray wolves that were taken to Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park to rebuild its nearly extinct population are forming social groups, staking out territory and apparently mating — promising signs despite heavy losses from natural causes and deadly fights, scientists said Monday.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/isle-royale-wolves-moose-herd/

The Associated Press

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In: cleanup, Detroit, detroit river, Feature Detroit, Gary Wilson, Groundwater Contamination, Habitat Restoration, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, News, restoration, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
In Perpetuity: Toxic Great Lakes sites will require attention for generations to come

It’s convenient to think of fixing a problem and it’s done. But that doesn’t apply to the long-neglected legacy polluted sites in the Great Lakes region.

In simple terms we think of a cleanup as removal of something that, left unattended, will become a nuisance or a problem.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/toxic-great-lakes-sites-capping-dredging/

Gary Wilson

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In: cleanup, Detroit, detroit river, Feature Detroit, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, restoration, u.s. epa, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Waterfront Development
Great Lakes Moment: Cleanup of contaminated river sediment begins at old Uniroyal site

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

Forty years after Uniroyal shut down in Detroit, contaminated sediment cleanup is starting in the Detroit River off this former industrial site.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/great-lakes-moment-uniroyal-contaminated-sediment-cleanup/

John Hartig

On:
In: AP, cleanup, epa, Groundwater Contamination, Indiana, News, restoration, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
EPA seeks comments on cleanup of Indianapolis Superfund site

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The federal government is seeking the public’s input on its plan to clean up groundwater contamination at a Superfund site in Indianapolis that’s tainted with chemicals used by a dry cleaning company.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it would accept public comments from June 1 to June 30 on the agency’s proposed cleanup of the Keystone Corridor Ground Water Contamination site.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/ap-epa-public-comment-indianapolis-superfund-site/

The Associated Press

On:
In: detroit river, Habitat Restoration, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, John Hartig, Latest News, News, pollution, Region, Research, Research, Data and Technology, restoration, Science, Technology, Research, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Waterfront Development
Great Lakes Moment: Investing in pollution prevention and restoration pays off

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

A new study on cleaning up Great Lakes pollution hotspots published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research finds that investing in pollution prevention and restoration pays off in the long run.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/06/pollution-prevention-restoration-study/

John Hartig

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In: cleanup, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Energy, Gary Abud Jr., Great Lakes, Great Lakes Learning, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, oil, pipelines, Protect, restoration, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Great Lakes Learning: How to clean up an “oil spill” at your kitchen table

As the author of Great Lakes Now’s Collection of Lesson Plans, educational consultant Gary Abud Jr. is now providing more support for parents, teachers and caregivers who want to incorporate Great Lakes learning into their time with children and students. His series of writings can be found HERE along with the lesson plans and a Virtual Field Trip.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/great-lakes-learning-clean-up-oil-spill/

Gary Abud Jr.

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In: COVID-19, Freshwater Weekly, Great Lakes, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, restoration, water shutoffs, Wisconsin

April 3, 2020

This week: Water Service Restoration Update + COVID-19 has Great Lakes aquariums and museums offering online activities + Federal Judge Allows Flint Water Lawsuit Against Former Gov Snyder to Proceed + Flint mayor announces city-wide curfew effective April 2nd

Water Service Restoration Update

Michigan:

Whitmer orders that homes’ water service be restored amid COVID-19 pandemic

Governor Whitmer issued an executive order to restore water services to occupied homes.  Thank you to all the Freshwater Future supporters who helped send a message to Governor Whitmer urging a moratorium on water shutoffs and restoration of essential water services..  Access to water is imperative for residents to have the capacity to thoroughly wash their hands, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Now utility companies must get to work to identify and restore residential homes’ water. As part of the Executive Order, Governor Whitmer is requiring all public water suppliers that have used shutoffs as a consequence for nonpayment to file a report with the state on their efforts to restore service by April 12th.

Public Health Experts Urge Michigan Mayors To Turn Water On ASAP

Michigan residents and public health experts are calling on Governor Whitmer to work with her newly created Michigan Advisory Council for Environmental Justice (MAC EJ) to ensure that residential water services are restored quickly, transparently, and equitably.  Detroit and Michigan have become national epicenters for the Coronavirus in the U.S. and the Governor and her administration must work quickly to restore life-saving resources, such as clean water. This week, medical professionals and public health experts joined We The People, Freshwater Future, and Great Lakes Environmental Law Center to update the media via teleconference on the public health impact of water shut offs and how they are contributing to the high rate of coronavirus infection throughout the state.  The recorded teleconference is now available on YouTube. Click here to watch.

Ohio:

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency orders water restored and halts future shutoffs

Earlier this week, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director, Laurie Stevenson, sent an order to all public utilities in Ohio to restore residential water services as quickly as possible and halt any disconnection due to nonpayment or fees. This order also directed public water utilities to not charge a reconnection fee and provide residents with instructions on how to properly flush their pipes before using the water. This order is in place until December 1, 2020 or until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Illinois:

Some Chicagoans May Be Facing Coronavirus Without Water At Home

An investigation of City of Chicago records by WBEZ discovered the potential of thousands of residents without water service. Fortunately, Mayor Lori Lightfoot placed a moratorium on water shutoffs soon after taking office in May 2019. Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, BIG (Blacks in Green) and many other organizations are working to identify residences without water.

Wisconsin:

On March 22nd, Governor Evers and the Public Service Commission (PSC), which oversee approximately 575 public and private utilities throughout Wisconsin, halted water shutoffs and streamline the restoration of residential water services. In addition, PSC directed utilities to wave late fees. Are you a resident of Wisconsin and need support in getting your water turned on now? Click here.

Great Lakes Aquariums and Museums Offering Online Activities

Amid COVID-19, there are people who take lemons and make lemonade. Due to physical distancing, community facilities and entertainment centers are closed to the public. However, these resilient centers have gone on online for enjoyment and learning. Throughout the entire Great Lake region there are aquariums, museums and live animal feedings available to you in the comfort of your own home. Click here to pick your favorite place, there is still fun to be had!

Update: Federal Judge Allows Flint Water Lawsuit Against Former Gov Snyder to Proceed

A Flint family’s lawsuit against state officials was allowed to proceed by a Federal Judge.  Judge Levy dismissed charges against the former Mayor and other state officials but is allowing the case against former Gov Rick Snyder and Emergency Manager, Darnell Earley to proceed.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-future-weekly-april-7-2020/

Alexis Smith