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In: Bay of Green Bay, chloride, community, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, iwl, local, Lower Fox River, monitor, monitoring, NEWSC, opportunity, Outreach and Education, public, salt, salt watch, stormwater, streams, testing, Upper Fox River, Urban, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, volunteers, water, Water quality, Winnebago Waterways, Wolf River

Help Protect Our Waters: Fox-Wolf’s Chloride Monitoring Program Did you know that just one teaspoon of salt can permanently pollute five gallons of freshwater? Unlike other pollutants, chloride from road salt doesn’t break down—it stays in our waterways, impacting aquatic life and even our drinking water. That’s why the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is continuing [...]

The post Protecting Our Waters: Fox-Wolf’s Chloride Monitoring Program appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2025/01/31/chloride-monitoring/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chloride-monitoring

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

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By Eric Freedman Capital News Service LOutbreaks of the waterborne bacteria E. coli can lower local real estate values, at least temporarily, a new study says. Those outbreaks, which have become increasingly common, are a growing concern in coastal and inland communities, particularly in rural counties, according to the study by researchers from Saginaw Valley […]

The post E. coli outbreaks can hurt real estate values, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/18/e-coli-outbreaks-can-hurt-real-estate-values-study-finds/

Eric Freedman

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In: Nearshore, water

By Anna Barnes After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development and conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates marine sanctuaries to preserve sites with national significance, such as […]

The post New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/16/new-marine-sanctuary-spotlights-a-submerged-museum-on-lake-ontario/

Anna Barnes

On:
In: Great Lakes, water

By Clara Lincolnhol As the gales of November approach, social media users are channeling an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck as tongue-in-cheek inspiration for a new fall aesthetic. It began with a video comedian Django Gold posted to TikTok in September. “Brat Summer is over. It’s time for Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Fall,” Gold says […]

The post How an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck became trendy on TikTok first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/07/how-an-infamous-great-lakes-shipwreck-became-trendy-on-tiktok/

Clara Lincolnhol

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In: announcement, Bay of Green Bay, chloride, community, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, iwl, Keepers of the Fox, local, Lower Fox River, monitor, monitoring, NEWSC, opportunity, Outreach and Education, public, salt, salt watch, stormwater, streams, testing, Upper Fox River, Urban, Urban Stormwater, volunteer, volunteer opportunity, volunteers, water, Water quality, Winnebago Waterways, Wolf River

Join the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, partners, and volunteers this winter to monitor for chlorides in streams throughout the Fox-Wolf River Basin!

Road salt (sodium chloride) is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish, wildlife, habitats, and more. Overall it impacts both the environment as well as human health.

Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can’t survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes.

Please join us at one of our training November 14th at Noon or 6 p.m. at the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. Click the button to fill out our sign-up form for the training event. A free Salt Watch kit will be provided to those who attend. Monitoring is easy and a great way to help your community!

You can use your kit any time you can safely approach a waterway. But it’s especially important to test salt levels around the time of events that cause those levels to change. Those times are:

  • Before a winter storm, to find out the “normal” level of salt in your stream
  • After salt has been applied to roads
  • After the first warm day or rainstorm following a snow or freeze
  • After the next rain event

We could use more volunteers throughout the basin. Monitoring efforts are best done on smaller waterbodies, streams, rivers, and more. Please reach out to Alyssa Reinke, Alyssa@fwwa.org with more questions, comments, or concerns.

FREE Salt Watch kit available from at the training thanks to the Izaak Walton League!

The training will cover monitoring process. However, for more information, check out this video explaining the monitoring process from the Izaak Walton League:

The post Join Fox-Wolf and Help Monitor for Chlorides(Salt) appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2024/10/28/join-fox-wolf-and-help-monitor-for-chloridessalt/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=join-fox-wolf-and-help-monitor-for-chloridessalt

Alyssa Reinke

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In: water

Monroe is split by the River Raisin, which runs directly into Lake Erie. The city’s residents are not shy about taking advantage of its proximity to the water, even if it means fishing in the draining canal of a power plant. Fishers, young and old, gather at the Monroe fishing site near the DTE Energy […]

The post Residents in Monroe County take part in outdoor activities along the River Raisin first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/11/residents-in-monroe-county-take-part-in-outdoor-activities-along-the-river-raisin/

Donte Smith

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In: Invaders, water

By Shealyn Paulis Researchers have revealed the Great Lakes’ 10 worst aquatic invasive species, spotlighting the plants and animals that pose the greatest threat to the region’s delicate ecosystems, fisheries and recreational waters. The recent study, published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, is the first to compare all 188 nonnative species in the […]

The post Study reveals the Great Lakes’ top 10 most harmful invasive species first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/07/study-reveals-the-great-lakes-top-10-most-harmful-invasive-species/

Shealyn Paulis

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In: water

By Clara Lincolnhol After a day out on the water, the total amount of money spent on fishing gear, transportation and food doesn’t truly reflect the worth of a fishing trip to Great Lakes anglers. Some people are willing to pay $100 more for a fishing trip than what it costs, according to a recent […]

The post Great Lakes recreational fishing is worth more than anglers spend, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/04/great-lakes-recreational-fishing-is-worth-more-than-anglers-spend-study-finds/

Clara Lincolnhol

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In: water, Wildlife

By Daniel Schoenherr Zebra and quagga mussels have threatened Great Lakes ecosystems since they arrived in the 1980s. Now the invasive species are acting as unlikely allies in identifying pollution hotspots. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Mussel Watch program is collecting the mollusks at sites across the Great Lakes to measure the concentration of […]

The post NOAA taps invasive mussels to track Great Lakes pollution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/03/noaa-taps-invasive-mussels-to-track-great-lakes-pollution/

Daniel Schoenherr

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In: Nearshore, water

By Donté Smith Capital News Service Michigan’s oil industry may not be front and center, but it remains active with over 9,300 wells across the state. The U.S. Energy Information Administration ranks Michigan 18th in the nation in crude oil production. In June 2024, Michigan wells produced 211,000 barrels of crude oil — around 8.8 […]

The post Michigan pushes to plug orphan oil wells first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/01/michigan-pushes-to-plug-orphan-oil-wells/

Donte Smith

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In: water

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is banking on public oversight of the largest Great Lake to help gauge the threat of increasingly common algal blooms. Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can produce toxins that pose a danger to public health, said Kait Reinl, research coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Lake […]

The post Wisconsin officials ask the public to report algal blooms in Lake Superior first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/09/19/wisconsin-officials-ask-the-public-to-report-algal-blooms-in-lake-superior/

Anna Barnes

On:
In: Land, water, Wildlife

By Eric Freedman   A federal judge has sentenced an Ohio business owner to one year on probation and a $5,000 fine for illegally dumping a hazardous ammonia-containing substance into the Scioto River near Kenton. The crime killed more than 40,000 fish. U.S. Magistrate Judge Darrell Clay also ordered Mark Shepherd, 72, to perform 150 […]

The post Illegal dumping nets probation sentence in Ohio fish kill first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/22/illegal-dumping-nets-probation-sentence-in-ohio-fish-kill/

Eric Freedman

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In: Nearshore, water

By Amalia Medina A green flag flying on a Great Lakes beach does not necessarily mean it’s safe to swim. Checking beach monitoring websites like BeachGuard is not a surefire solution either. These two findings are central to a public health research project, the Great Lakes Microbial Water Quality Assessment, that set out to measure […]

The post Great Lakes beach closings are no protection from harmful pollutants first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/21/great-lakes-beach-closings-are-no-protection-from-harmful-pollutants/

Amalia Medina

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In: water

By Amalia Medina Water tanks line a room in Philadelphia’s Water Works on the bank of the Schuylkill River. Inside are small fish that are hosts to tiny organisms that researchers say can help solve polluted waterways. Tucked under the fish gills are microscopic mussels that will mature and become capable of filtering 10 to […]

The post Harnessing mussels to filter fresh water: A biological cure for contaminants is being studied first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/19/harnessing-mussels-to-filter-fresh-water-a-biological-cure-for-contaminants-is-being-studied/

Amalia Medina

On:
In: water, Wildlife

By Gabrielle Nelson Robert Karner and the Glen Lake Association are on a mission to preserve the crystal-clear waters of Glen Lake next to Sleeping Bear Dunes and protect its ecosystem from invasive species. That includes Eurasian watermilfoil and one that’s gaining attention, Japanese koi. In May, bowfishers partnered with the association, a preservation and […]

The post From pet to ‘monster.’ The battle to rid Michigan’s Glen Lake of giant koi first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/06/from-pet-to-monster-the-battle-to-rid-michigans-glen-lake-of-giant-koi/

Gabrielle Nelson

On:
In: water, Wildlife

By Ruth Thornton State wildlife agencies in Michigan and Ohio have received nearly $500,000 in federal funding to study rare turtles. The grant is part of more than $7 million distributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to benefit rare and declining fish and wildlife and their habitats across the country. Other states receiving […]

The post Michigan and Ohio receive $500,000 to study rare turtles first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/03/michigan-and-ohio-receive-500000-to-study-rare-turtles/

Great Lakes Echo

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By Elinor Epperson Gelman Sciences LLC manufactured medical filters for decades, but that’s not the public health issue the company is known for. Dioxane from Gelman’s Scio Township plant leaked into Ann Arbor’s groundwater, creating a plume of contamination more than 4 miles long. That contamination was discovered by a University of Michigan graduate student, […]

The post Forty years on, future of contaminant plume under Ann Arbor still murky first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/07/25/forty-years-on-future-of-contaminant-plume-under-ann-arbor-still-murky/

Elinor Epperson

On:
In: Climate, water

By Elinor Epperson As more green infrastructure projects are installed across the state, more workers are needed to maintain them. Friends of the Rouge, a Detroit-area nonprofit that manages the River Rouge watershed, is offering a short course about maintaining green infrastructure like rain gardens. The course is an opportunity for workers to expand their […]

The post Green infrastructure job trainings aim to support growing field first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/07/24/green-infrastructure-job-trainings-aim-to-support-growing-field/

Elinor Epperson

On:
In: Climate, water

By Gabrielle Nelson Lake Erie’s annual algae bloom has begun to form weeks ahead of schedule off the coast of southeast Michigan, but scientists say they expect only a moderate bloom this year. “There was scum off Monroe,” said Richard Stumpf, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oceanographer who leads the federal government’s bloom forecasting […]

The post Experts predict moderate Lake Erie toxic algae bloom first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/07/21/experts-predict-moderate-lake-erie-toxic-algae-bloom/

Gabrielle Nelson

On:
In: water, Wildlife

By Elinor Epperson Don’t flush that unwanted goldfish – find it a new home instead. Home aquariums and water gardening are two of the many routes invasive species take to enter Michigan habitats. A Michigan State University Extension program provides educational materials and resources for rehoming unwanted aquatic pets. Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes […]

The post Michigan program helps hobbyists safely rehome aquatic flora and fauna first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/07/18/michigan-program-helps-hobbyists-safely-rehome-aquatic-flora-and-fauna/

Elinor Epperson

On:
In: water, Wildlife

By Elinor Epperson Researchers are exploring new techniques to remove an invasive crayfish from Michigan waters. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been fighting an invasion of red swamp crayfish since they first appeared in the state in 2017. Aggressive attempts to trap and remove the crustacean haven’t worked. Kathleen Quebedeaux, a fisheries biologist […]

The post Michigan trying new approaches against invasive crayfish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/07/17/michigan-trying-new-approaches-against-invasive-crayfish/

Elinor Epperson

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In: water

It’s taken over 30 years and $80 million to restore Muskegon Lake and a few nearby smaller bodies of water.

Decades of pollution and rapid urbanization created ecological problems so severe that the lake was designated a “Great Lakes Area of Concern” by the U.S. and Canada in 1987.

The post Community input sought for cleaned-up lakes, shorelines first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/17/community-input-sought-for-cleaned-up-lakes-shorelines/

Guest Contributor

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Look fast or you may miss an elusive 170-year-old sunken schooner off the coast of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin.

The mostly intact shipwreck, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in early April, isn’t always visible, even though it’s in very shallow waters, said Tamara Thomsen, a Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologist.

The post Old Lake Michigan shipwreck visible again after burial under sand first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/14/old-lake-michigan-shipwreck-visible-again-after-burial-under-sand/

Clara Lincolnhol

On:
In: water

Like clockwork, Michigan’s Ford Lake and its downstream neighbor, Belleville Lake, turn bright green every summer due to harmful algal blooms.

The lakes, located near Ypsilanti in the southeast part of the state, have struggled for decades with phosphorus pollution that spurs algae growth.

The post Dams may power a stop harmful algal blooms in urban lakes, expert says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/10/dams-may-power-a-stop-harmful-algal-blooms-in-urban-lakes-expert-says/

Elinor Epperson

On:
In: water

Fifty-five years after the Cuyahoga River last caught fire, its health continues to improve.

But determining what prevention and cleanup practices are most effective remains difficult. 

The post Cuyahoga comeback: Remediation is working but it’s hard to measure first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/08/cuyahoga-comeback-remediation-is-working-but-its-hard-to-measure/

Elinor Epperson

On:
In: Commentary, water

The Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin supply freshwater and drain wastewater for millions of people.

Two of the largest watersheds in the U.S., they span state and political boundaries. 

The post Covering watershed policy and identity first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/22/covering-watershed-policy-and-identity/

Kayla Nelsen

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In: water

A worrisome environmental issue is bubbling up from deep below Michigan’s ground with little public awareness, experts say.

The salinity of the state’s groundwater is on the rise, raising concerns about killed crops and corroded pipes.

The post Salty groundwater in Michigan could hurt agriculture, business and homeowners first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/15/salty-groundwater-in-michigan-could-hurt-agriculture-business-and-homeowners/

Guest Contributor

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Global warming is fueling the spread of a jellyfish in the Great Lakes region and may foster harmful algae blooms and dead zones.

The peach blossom jellyfish is native to warm freshwater in Southeast China, but it is present everywhere around the world except for Antarctica.

The post Citizen science may help uncover the mysteries of Great Lakes invasion of jellyfish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/10/citizen-science-may-help-uncover-the-mysteries-of-great-lakes-invasion-of-jellyfish/

Kayla Nelsen

On:
In: water

Every fish studied recently in two southeast Michigan watersheds contained at least one of a family of toxic and persistent health-threatening chemicals.

The chemicals - collectively known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS - are found in some rivers, lakes, soils, drinking water, fish, cattle and crops.

The post High levels of toxic forever chemicals in Michigan fish alarm scientists first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/26/high-levels-of-toxic-forever-chemicals-in-michigan-fish-alarm-scientists/

Guest Contributor

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In: Art, water

Sitting at 26 miles long and 24 miles wide with nearly one-third of the sport fishing catch annually in the Great Lakes region, Lake St. Clair should be a household name. 

Author Daniel Harrison would tell you it's his hidden jewel. 

The post An underappreciated lake that’s great first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/20/an-underappreciated-lake-thats-great/

Anna Barnes

On:
In: water

Being a state with direct access to a lot of freshwater creates opportunities for housing, jobs and tourism. 

However, the quality of Michigan’s water is threatened due to poorly maintained septic tanks, according to environmental advocates pushing for legislation to require periodic inspections of septic systems statewide.

The post Some want Michigan to regulate septic tanks to protect water quality first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/13/some-want-michigan-to-regulate-septic-tanks-to-protect-water-quality/

Guest Contributor

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In: water

It takes two to three hours for Kevin Villalta to filter and distill a gallon of tap water, and he says the process is as expensive as it is time-consuming.

But it’s worth it, said the Lansing environmental engineer, who works for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. 

The post Some in Michigan hoping to change minds about drinking water and fluoridation first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/13/some-in-michigan-hoping-to-change-minds-about-drinking-water-and-fluoridation/

Guest Contributor

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In: water

ake Erie is the first of the Great Lakes getting connected to the internet with a series of offshore “smart” buoys.

And it’s not just for sending texts on the water.

The post Smart buoys help brace Great Lakes for environmental challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/01/30/smart-buoys-help-brace-great-lakes-for-environmental-challenges/

Daniel Schoenherr

On:
In: water

Residents of major Great Lakes cities, including Lansing, are using less water, a trend that has economic, societal and environmental implications, a new study found.

And the relationship between per capita water use and socioeconomic factors such as income and race may prove significant as policymakers address inequities in the distribution and affordability of water

The post Water consumption drops in Great Lake cities, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/12/01/water-consumption-drops-in-great-lake-cities-study-finds/

Eric Freedman

On:
In: water

As lakes and rivers cool with the arrival of fall, avid swimmers may be at risk for illnesses due to contact with contaminated water.

That’s because of a health threat from Escherichia coli – familiarly known as E. coli.

The post Blame the geese – E. coli closes beaches first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/07/blame-the-geese-e-coli-closes-beaches/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Authors, book review, Books, Authors, Art and Music, ecology, Feature Homepage, Gary Wilson, History and Culture, Latest News, News, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, water
Book Review: Scientist offers positive vision to avoid dystopian future in “The Three Ages of Water”

We are at a choice point when it comes to our relationship with water, says noted water expert Peter Gleick.

We can continue on our current path, which has evolved over centuries and includes unsustainable water use and ecological destruction. Both further worsened as we grapple with the effects of climate change.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/book-review-water-scientist-offers-positive-vision-avoid-dystopian-future/

Gary Wilson

On:
In: water

By Jada Vasser A new book about the Great Lakes is written to reflect that their problems, solutions and champions are interrelated, much like the ecosystem it portrays. “This whole thing of bringing stakeholders together, creating a vision, co-producing knowledge, co-innovating solutions is in the book,” author John Hartig said. “You don’t get that anywhere […]

The post Great Lakes champs are part of the ecosystem they protect first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/05/18/great-lakes-champs-are-part-of-the-ecosystem-they-protect/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: 2023, aquatic, aquatic invasive species, Bay of Green Bay, Fox-Wolf Basin, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Garden, invasive, invasive species, Keepers of the Fox, Lower Fox River, Outreach and Education, prevent, Upper Fox River, water, water garden, water hyacinth, winnebago waterwas, winnebago waterway program, Winnebago Waterways

Ensuring Your Water Garden Doesn’t Harbor Invasive Plants

As you’re choosing your plants for your water gardens and backyards this spring, be sure you aren’t accidentally growing an invasive plant that could do harm to our lakes and rivers! But don’t take our word for it! Here’s some tips from Melinda Myers, nationally known gardening educator, horticulturist, arborist, author, speaker, and TV/radio host with more than 30 years of horticulture experience!

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 What’s That Plant? Know What’s In Your Water Garden appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2023/05/11/whats-that-plant-know-whats-in-your-water-garden/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-that-plant-know-whats-in-your-water-garden

Chris Acy

On:
In: 2023, ACOE, alliance, army corps, Butte des Morts, drawdown, fox-wolf, ice off, ice out, Lake, lake level, Lake Management, level, Outreach and Education, pool, Poygan, spring, summer, target, water, Water quality, watershed, Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways, Winneconne, winter, WWLAT Related Posts

Ice out on Lake Winnebago was officially called by the Army Corps of Engineers on April 6, 2023 as determined by MODIS satellite imagery. Ice out (aka ice off) is when ALL ice is gone from the lake surface as observed by satellite.  This is important because ice out marks the date that the Army Corps transitions their management of Lake Winnebago from maintaining winter pool to focus on spring refill.

Ice out dates for Lake Winnebago 2006 to 2023 (Source: ACOE)

The Army Corps of Engineers – Chicago District manages water levels for Lake Winnebago by regulating outflow at the dams in Menasha and Neenah under the Federal Marshall Order of 1886. The Marshall Order is intended for flood risk management.

The Marshall Order defines the limits of regulation for Lake Winnebago:

  • May 1st to October 1st (navigation season):
    • High end of limit: 3.45 ft.
    • Low end of limit: 0.18 ft.
  • October 2nd to April 30th:
    • High end of limit: 3.45 ft.
    • Low end of limit: 1.68 ft

While meeting their mission of flood risk management is the priority, the Army Corps also tries to meet the needs of various stakeholders within their operating limits. This requires finding a reasonable balance among multiple competing interests. Each year, with stakeholder input, the Army Corps sets their annual regulation strategy which guides their daily management decisions.

Their annual regulation strategy represents that balance and can be broken down by certain times of the year: fall drawdown, winter pool, spring refill, and summer pool. Water level targets are set along this strategy in a schedule. These targets are listed in the Army Corps 2022 – 2023 Lake Winnebago Regulation Strategy (shown in the image below). The green band in the annual strategy represents the “target band”. The Army Corps tries to hold water levels within this band. The dotted lines represents the average lake level across all years as noted in the key.

Average Water Level for Lake Winnebago

Lake level for Lake Winnebago is an average of readings from four gages located around the lake and is in reference to the Oshkosh Datum.

Fall Drawdown: As of the 2021/2022 regulation strategy, fall drawdown has been scheduled to begin between Sept 1 and Oct 1 each year at the discretion of the Army Corps through an adaptive decision making process.

Winter Pool: Each February, the Army Corps evaluates basin conditions and the forecast to determine their winter drawdown target.

The Army Corps draws down Lake Winnebago every winter to reduce the risk of damage caused by ice shoves, protect shoreline properties, and provide enough space within the lake to hold excess water that flows into Lake Winnebago each spring (snow melt and rain storm runoff from a 5,900 square mile watershed). The 2023 winter drawdown target operating band for Lake Winnebago this year was 1.25 ft to 1.3 ft.

Spring refill: When the Army Corps determines ice out has occurred on Lake Winnebago based on satellite imagery, spring refill is triggered. For many boaters, people interested in habitat protection, and stakeholders working to restore the lakes, refill is of particular interest. According to the most recent annual strategy, refill targets are as follows:

  • May 1st – 2.5 ft (Operating band: 2.4 to 3.6 ft)
  • June 1st – 2.8 ft (Operating band: 2.7 to 3.9 ft)
  • June 15th – 2.9 ft (Operating band: 2.8 to 3.0 ft)

Summer Pool: The Army Corps tries to maintain the lake within a target band for summer recreation navigation.

The total seasonal water elevation change is typically about 1.8 ft in a given year.

Recent conditions:

Despite having all available gates open at the dams since March 6, 2023, the average level of Lake Winnebago has been well above the target band since the beginning of April. This is likely due to the lake not being drawn down far enough or early enough to accommodate spring runoff from snow melt and precipitation. When inflows to Lake Winnebago exceed outflow capacity of the gates, the lake begins to rise uncontrolled. Overshooting the target band increases risk of flooding, significantly damages habitat and limits water quality restoration gains (among other impacts).

A graph from April 21, 2023 shows the recent average lake level (dashed line). Hopefully, precipitation will ease up and the Army Corps will be able to regain control before too much damage is done to the wetlands and aquatic habitat.

Additional Water Level Related Information:

1.) Water Level Management for the Winnebago Waterways: This report describes water level management including the process of developing an annual strategy, the considerations for the strategy, and the reason the strategy (schedule) is in its current form. CLICK HERE for the report.

This report is part of a larger planning effort for the Winnebago Lakes. The rest of the lake plan can be found here: https://fwwa.org/lake-management-planning-2/

2.) Winnebago Water Level Assessment Team (WWLAT): This is a stakeholder group that holds discussions about water levels independent of the Army Corps public input process. The website for the Team provides information about the background, past recommendations, and more. Interested stakeholders are welcome to participate. Link: https://fwwa.org/winnebago-waterways/wwlat/

3.) The Army Corps provides access to a lot of data and information through their Lake Winnebago webpage: CLICK HERE

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

The post Ice-Out officially called for Lake Winnebago – April 6, 2023 appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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Korin Doering

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Walleye and pike surveys start in early spring, followed by muskie surveys. In May, the DNR starts surveying general fish communities like panfish and bass, and from July to September it surveys streams.

The post Shocking news for Michigan fish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Former U.N. adviser warns on water futures trading, elevates water crisis to level of climate

There were two differing visions on how to deal with the global water crisis at the recent United Nations World Water Conference, according to former U.N. water adviser Maude Barlow.

One, would “treat water as a commodity like oil and gas and put it on the open market for sale,” Barlow said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/04/former-adviser-warns-water-futures-trading-water-crisis-level-climate/

Gary Wilson

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Great Lakes Take Global Stage

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.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/04/great-lakes-take-global-stage/

Circle of Blue

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Detroiters can get another 1,125 gallons of water under discount program

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Vladislava Sukhanovskaya, Great Lakes Echo

The city of Detroit and a nonprofit agency recently added 1,125 gallons of water per person per month to a program that prevents water shut-offs in low-income households.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/detroiters-can-get-another-1125-gallons-of-water-under-discount-program/

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Detroit water rates have gone up 407% over the last 20 years, and 120% in just the last 10 years.

The post Detroiters can get another 1,125 gallons of water under discount program first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/02/28/detroiters-can-get-another-1125-gallons-of-water-under-discount-program/

Vladislava Sukhanovskaya

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Hope springs eternal for Michigan legislator who champions drinking water equity

In 2014, Detroit and Michigan received international attention on a water issue, but it wasn’t the spotlight either would have wanted.

The United Nations dispatched an official human rights rapporteur to Detroit to document the harm caused by water shutoffs based on the inability to pay. “There was no water for food or toilets or for care of the elderly or kids, people had to go to public parks and put water in cans,” water rights advocate Maude Barlow told Great Lakes Now in a 2022 interview.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/02/hope-springs-eternal-for-michigan-legislator-who-champions-drinking-water-equity/

Gary Wilson

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New U.S. Climate Law Could Make Midwest Water Contamination Worse

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.

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Book chronicles human, water connection from nomadic to modern times

If you want to peg the date when humans began the trek to modernity facilitated by a relationship to water, start 10,000 years ago, says Giulio Boccaletti, author of Water: A Biography. That’s when nomads became settlers, began farming and their existence started to depend on rivers and streams.

The book continues through the millennia to modern times when America constructed the Hoover Dam and created the Tennessee Valley Authority which Boccaletti says “became a model for the world.”

Boccaletti is a scientist and an honorary research associate at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at University of Oxford.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/book-chronicles-human-water-connection-from-nomadic-to-modern-times/

Gary Wilson

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In: Advocacy, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Climate change, Collaboration, Great Lakes Commission, infrastructure, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The States, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Multi-state group prepares Great Lakes basin for effects of climate change

Climate change is already affecting the Great Lakes. One group is urging the Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces to coordinate their efforts to make the Great Lakes basin more resilient to those changes.

Climate change contributed to the rapid rise in Great Lakes water levels a few years ago.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/group-great-lakes-basin-effects-climate-change/

Michigan Radio