On:
In: Asian carp, Bonnie Willison, carp barrier, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chris Hamerla, Chuck Shea, Molly Bodde, Phil Skawinski, Sydney Widell, Titus Seilheimer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Chuck Shea, with the USACE, explains the 120-year history of the canal and its charge from Congress to stop the spread of AIS through the canal — a charge that came in 1996. Image by Moira Harrington.

Last Friday, I went to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which is outfitted with a set of thrumming electrical barriers. These barriers churn out an alternating current 34 times per second, each with a duration of 2.3 milliseconds. The goal is to turn back any invasive Asian carp set on making the journey into the world’s largest freshwater system. If established, it’s theorized the voracious eaters would decimate food sources at the expense of larger native fish.

I went with Bonnie Willison, Sea Grant’s digital storyteller, and Sydney Widell, an undergraduate with our program. Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer and Southeast Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Specialist Molly Bodde met us there, as did Chris Hamerla, a regional aquatic invasive species specialist with Golden Sands Resource and Conservation Development Council Inc., and Paul Skawinski, citizen lake monitoring network educator from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program. Both are based in Stevens Point.

Willison and Widell are working on a multipart podcast series with a focus on AIS. Willison was tenacious in her efforts to secure permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for our visit to Romeoville, Illinois. These are the folks who manage the site of what’s been called the world’s largest electric barrier, actually three of them with 155-foot sections of electrodes at the bottom of the 27-foot-deep canal.

A fourth barrier is under construction and will have three times the power of the existing ones. The USACE plans to throw the switch on that in early 2021.

This is ground zero in the battle to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes through a manmade waterway linking Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River Basin. It’s a 120-year-old unnatural connection, enabling marine transport and a cleaner Chicago, since stormwater and treated wastewater now flows out of that city thanks to an engineering feat that reversed the natural course of the water. It’s also provided a highway to mix species between the two aquatic systems that nature never intended to mix.

I’m not someone who geeks out on engineering, shipping or electricity. And it certainly wasn’t the promise of lovely waterside aesthetics that drew me south. This section of the canal is set amid a heavily industrialized stretch with belching petrochemical refineries.

The area around the electrical barriers is heavily industrialized. Image by Moira Harrington.

No, my emotions got revving because of what this place represents. Eight USACE employees, some consultants with barrier manufacturer Smith-Root and a whole lot of electrical buzz are all that stands between the Illinois River’s Starved Rock Pool, which supposedly holds the planet’s largest concentration of Asian carp and is about 60 miles from where I visited, and the rippling waves of Lake Michigan. Wow!

I wasn’t the only one expressing emotions. Widell said she has “peaked” now that she’s had a visit. Our lead AIS Specialist Tim Campbell wasn’t able to make the trip but responded to Seilheimer, aka @DrFish on Twitter, with #jealous.

Hamerla told the story about how Skawinski had texted him earlier in the week: “Call me ASAP.” When the two connected and Skawinski extended the invitation, Hamerla’s response was reportedly an enthusiastic, “Heck, yea,” leading to a 4 a.m. departure from Stevens Point to meet at the appointed hour.

Strong feelings weren’t limited to our group. Chuck Shea, USACE barrier project manager, said what motivates him on a daily basis is, “Knowing that you’re working on something that benefits so many people.”

The podcast episode about Asian carp and the barrier will be released in spring or early summer. At that time and after listening, Willison and Widell are betting you’ll get some emotions going, too.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/asian-carp-dispersal-barrier-elicits-emotions/

Moira Harrington

On:
In: Uncategorized

Chicago, IL (February 11, 2020) – Breaking public commitments, the Trump administration yesterday released the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fiscal Year 2020 work plan without the necessary funding for the next phase of work to move us closer to building the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project to stop invasive Asian Carp.

In late January at an event in Warren, Michigan, President Trump publicly promised support for the project, remarking that his administration would “get it done” and it would be “very quick”. (Find video of the remarks here.)

In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Vice President for Policy Molly Flanagan issued the following statement:

“Two weeks ago, the President promised to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian Carp. Actions speak louder than words. President Trump’s actions reveal that he cannot be counted on to protect the environment and economy of the Great Lakes.”

###

Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org, (312) 445-9760

 

The post President Trump Reneges on Promise to Stop Invasive Asian Carp appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2020/02/media-statement-president-trump-reneges-on-promise-to-stop-invasive-asian-carp/

Kirsten Ballard

On:
In: 2020 Budget, Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Drinking Water Infrastructure, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, GLRI, Press Releases

Trump Budget Undermines Efforts to Protect Drinking Water, Great Lakes

Strong support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is undermined by drastic cuts to other core clean water programs.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Feb. 10, 2020) – The Trump Administration’s proposed 2020 budget, released today, supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but undermines these proposed investments by substantially cutting core clean water and drinking water programs elsewhere in the budget. The White House budget comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s historic roll-back of clean water protections.

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“This budget is one step forward, three steps backward. The bottom line is that the Trump Administration’s proposed budget undermines efforts to protect our drinking water and our Great Lakes. One budget line item cannot erase an overall budget that contains drastic cuts to essential clean water programs. With many of our towns and cities still struggling with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to cut funding or clean water protections. We need a White House that will use all of the tools at its disposal to fight for clean drinking water for all of the people who call this country home.”

The Trump Administration’s proposed budget includes:

  • $320 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, reduce runoff pollution, and restore fish and wildlife habitat – level with current fiscal year 2020 funding of $320 million
  • $1.12 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities pay for sewer upgrades and repairs – almost $500 million less than fiscal year 2020 funding of $1.64 billion
  • $863 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to help communities pay for drinking water infrastructure – almost $266 million less than fiscal year 2020 funding of $1.13 billion
  • 27 percent cut to U.S. EPA budget

The post Trump Budget Undermines Efforts to Protect Drinking Water, Great Lakes appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/trump-budget-undermines-efforts-to-protect-drinking-water-great-lakes/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Uncategorized

February 10, 2020 (Chicago, IL) – Earlier today President Trump released his FY21 budget proposal. Alliance for the Great Lakes Vice President for Policy Molly Flanagan released the following statement:

“Although the President has proposed funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, his budget includes significant overall cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other environmental programs. Funding for the GLRI is important, but not nearly enough to protect the lakes.

Over the past three years, the Trump administration has gutted parts of the Clean Water Act and proposed major rollbacks of the National Environmental Policy Act, two of our nation’s cornerstone environmental policies. And in each of his budgets, the President has proposed significant cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others charged with enforcing environmental regulations and implementing programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Moreover, the lack of enforcement and understaffed environmental agencies puts past investments in Great Lakes restoration at risk. While we fully support funding for the GLRI, money alone won’t protect the Great Lakes.”

### 

Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org, (312) 445-9760

 

The post Trump Budget Shortchanges Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2020/02/media-statement-trump-budget-shortchanges-great-lakes/

Judy Freed

On:
In: Uncategorized

Today, President Trump proposed a $971.2 million Fiscal Year 2021 budget for the U.S. Geological Survey that prioritizes scientific inquiry for effective stewardship of America’s natural resources and natural hazard monitoring and assessments.

“President Trump’s 2021 budget request for the Department is about investing in our people and public lands and waters," said Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. "He is committed to the mission of conservation and creating more public access for Americans to fully enjoy our national treasures and landscapes. This budget is a critical step in the right direction and provides a path to restore commonsense in our budgeting process.” 

"The President’s proposed budget reflects the USGS’s mission of providing the very best science-based information and data to serve the needs and interests of American communities and people," said Jim Reilly, director of the USGS. "The 2021 budget focuses on continuing to advance our scientific capabilities and bringing our facilities and infrastructure into the 21st Century; and enhancing our ability to execute the USGS core mission to provide early warnings and tools to ensure the safety of our Nation, as well as provide assessments on natural resources to maintain a flourishing and resilient economy."

Protect our people and the border: USGS natural hazards science informs a broad range of disaster planning, situational awareness and response activities at local to global levels.  To further these activities, the President’s 2021 budget supports the following high-priority programs:

Monitoring the Nation's earthquakes via the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) and through support of several regional seismic networks operated by university partners. Operating the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System. Monitoring and assessing the Nation’s volcanoes for timely alerts on hazardous volcanic activity. Safeguarding the Nation’s coastal regions by providing coastal hazard and vulnerability information. Delivering post-wildfire debris-flow hazard assessments. These assessments inform landslide response plans and guide alerting for impacted areas. Maintaining geomagnetic monitoring in support of national and economic security. Operating data collection networks and developing flood inundation maps that improve capacity to provide information used for flood prediction. Continuing the magnetotelluric survey of the contiguous United States to provide insights key to energy and mineral resource development, groundwater management, and electric-grid resiliency.

Create a conservation stewardship legacy: The USGS conducts monitoring and research to provide scientific understanding of the Nation’s land, water and species challenges. To address these challenges, the President’s 2021 budget supports the following high-priority programs:

Developing the Landsat 9 ground station, keeping pace with NASA satellite development to meet a fiscal year 2021 launch, and developing recommendations for follow-on Earth observation tools and systems to affordably meet the needs of future geospatial users. Conducting science to manage invasive species and fish and wildlife diseases that pose significant ecological, human health, or economic threats to the resources of the United States. Utilizing and advancing USGS observational networks to guide the development of water prediction capabilities through the Integrated Water Prediction program. Continuing operation of the Next-Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) in the Delaware River Basin and initial implementation of NGWOS in the headwaters of the Colorado and Gunnison River Basin. Furthering the 3DElevation Program (3DEP), a USGS-coordinated partnership delivering high-quality, three-dimensional topographic data representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features, to achieve baseline national coverage by 2025. Developing and delivering the National Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA), a near-real time census of water resources that will evaluate water availability for human and ecological use, infrastructure, security and economic optimization. Working with many partners to support management agencies with science to sustain harvest of game, waterfowl, fish, and fur-bearing animals for hunting, fishing, and wildlife-related recreation. Continuing studies on Harmful Algal Blooms.

Sustainably develop our energy and natural resources: The USGS provides science that helps inform stewardship of American energy and mineral resources to meet our security and economic needs. To address these needs, the President’s 2021 budget supports the following high-priority programs:

Releasing USGS assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable energy resources (including oil and gas, methane hydrates, coal, uranium, and geothermal) in priority basins in the United States and globally; continuing the fundamental geological, geophysical, and geochemical research that underpins these assessments. Developing information, technologies, and monitoring protocols used by Federal and State agencies in the design and siting of energy, transportation, and other infrastructure projects to reduce conflict with wildlife, streamline development, and comply with applicable laws and regulations.  Providing geophysical and geological data to help establish the outer limits of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf.

Modernize our organization and infrastructure: The USGS sustains mission delivery with investments to maintain the portfolio in an appropriate condition to continue our role in Interior's stewardship of America's public lands and natural resources. To achieve this goal, the President’s 2021 budget supports the following high-priority programs:

Providing access to advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing and developing convergent Information Management Technology (IMT) architecture by providing cloud hosting solution advancements. Restructuring the USGS from seven to five mission areas. Continuing  space consolidation at Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA and relocating some USGS Mineral Resources labs and personnel currently in Lakewood, CO, into a new facility on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. Continuing an effective maintenance program at each USGS-owned facility to meet industry best practices.

The USGS FY 2021 Budget Justification is available at the USGS budget website. Additional details on the President's FY 2021 Budget are available on the Department’s website.

Original Article

USGS.gov

USGS.gov

https://www.usgs.gov/news/president-proposes-9712-million-fy-2021-budget-usgs

drewlapointe@usgs.gov

On:
In: GLRI, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding, Press Releases

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (February 5, 2020)—In a major victory for clean water advocates, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019. The bill reauthorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for 5 years, and increases the program’s funding from $300 million to $475 million per year by 2026.

Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition Director Laura Rubin said:

“This is excellent news for the 30 million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, jobs recreation and way of life. Over the past decade, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been producing results for communities across the region, but serious threats remain. This reauthorization recognizes the work we have left to do to ensure that the basic need of clean drinking water is fulfilled for all who call this region home.

“We thank Reps.  David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) for their leadership in passing this vital bill, and the dozens of Republicans and Democrats who are co-sponsoring the bill and  working in a spirit of bi-partisan cooperation to make sure that Great Lakes restoration and protection remain a national priority.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative invests in local projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to clean up toxic pollution, fight invasive species, reduce runoff from cities and farms, and restore fish and wildlife habitat.

The post House Vote Paves Way for Boost to Great Lakes Funding appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/house-vote-paves-way-for-boost-to-great-lakes-funding/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Christina Dzwonkowski, Cindy Hagley, Gichi Manidoo Giizis Pow Wow, Kahoot, Megan Hogfeldt, pow wow

A dancer in regalia at the Gichi Manidoo Giizis Pow Wow. Image by Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

More than 230 Ojibwe dancers filled the event center in the Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, Minnesota, dressed in their finest regalia. A colorful rainbow, the dancers slowly progressed in a clockwise circle, swaying to the beat of drums and singing, bells on their clothing jingling with each step.

Watching the Gichi Manidoo Giizis Pow Wow were 19 educators from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. A few even joined the dance when audience members were invited.

The pow wow was just part of a daylong workshop the teachers attended after they braved a January snowstorm to arrive in Carlton. As a reward for their travel through inclement weather, they learned more about Ojibwe culture, treaty rights and water ecology.

Named after the pow wow, the Gichi Manidoo Giizis Educator Workshop means, “Great spirit moon” or January in Ojibwe. The workshop was organized by the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs.

Megan Hogfeldt. Image by Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Megan Hogfeldt, a water resource specialist for the city of Superior, was one of the workshop attendees. “What fascinated me was that this workshop is geared toward people who work in science and water quality education. A lot of what I do is communicating what my coworkers are working on or research that’s being done in the community. I try and explain to people and school groups the importance of water quality, recognizing that a lot of those people are also indigenous. It’s beneficial to me to have a framework for what I can include or language I can use for that audience.”

Hogfeldt and the other educators spent their morning learning about tribal history and treaty rights from Christina Dzwonkowski, a Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission game warden. Later, Kelsey Taylor, who works for the Fond du Lac Band, offered information about invasive species and traditional knowledge.

The educators had a chance to test their treaty rights knowledge by taking a Kahoot quiz on their phones. Kahoot is a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to quickly create games or trivia quizzes. A question arose during the quiz about how the tribes manage their fishery.

“If a limit on a certain lake is 300 fish, the tribes don’t fish 300 fish,” said Dzwonkowski. “They have a nice big buffer, so they might fish 220 fish out of that lake, just to take into consideration things change and so they don’t go over the limit. The tribes only visit that lake a single time to spear, and they only take a certain amount. Then they leave and don’t go back fishing there, unless it’s just plain hook and line like everyone else.”

After eating lunch, the teachers attended the pow wow, an experience that Hogfeldt appreciated. “I really like pow wows. I’ve had nothing but a positive experience and it’s very welcoming – very based on appreciation of community and nature,” she said.

Back at the workshop, the teachers divided into teams. They played the Watershed Game, a hands-on simulation developed by Minnesota Sea Grant and University of Minnesota Extension that helped them learn how land use impacts water quality and natural resources.

Cynthia Hagley, environmental quality extension educator with Minnesota Sea Grant, explained their seemingly impossible task. “We want you to reduce pollution as much as you can without your team going broke. And you have about 15 minutes to do it. Today, we’re focusing on sediment and why it’s a bad thing to have in the headwaters of a stream.”

In the evening, the teachers took their new knowledge and applied it to activities for a youth workshop held later that night, along with a traditional pow wow feast.

If you’re an educator and would like to get on a list for notifications about opportunities like this, please contact Anne Moser with Wisconsin Sea Grant by email at akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu or Marte Kitson with Minnesota Sea Grant at mkitson@d.umn.edu.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/educator-workshop-shares-ojibwe-culture-and-history/

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Uncategorized

The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center (“GLELC”) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”) filed a Request for Declaratory Ruling with the Michigan Department of Great Lakes, Energy, and the Environment (“EGLE”) seeking a ruling to declare certain Administrative Consent Orders (“ACOs”) unlawful and void because they violate the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule by allowing partial lead service replacements in violation of Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule.

Prompted by the Flint Water Crisis, EGLE revised the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule to ban partial lead service line replacements, unless it is necessary due to an emergency repair. Partial lead service line replacements have been shown to cause increased concentrations of lead in drinking water. The adoption of the ban on partial lead service line replacements was celebrated by public health advocates for being an important measure to protect the public.

Since the adoption of this ban, EGLE has quietly entered into Administrative Consent Orders (“ACOs”) with at least three municipalities that unlawfully authorize the municipalities to conduct partial lead service replacements in circumstances other than in emergency repairs. At least two of these ACOs, one with the City of Dearborn and one with the City of Milan, are still in effect and remain so for an indefinite period of time. These ACOs were entered into without any public notice or input, and without satisfying key requirements in the Michigan and Federal Safe Drinking Water Act that exist to safeguard residents from lead in drinking water.

“The ban on partial lead service line replacements is a key public health provision in the revised Michigan Lead and Copper Rule, and we’re troubled and concerned to see that EGLE is not only declining to enforce the provision, but appears to be entering into agreements with water suppliers that completely re-write the standard behind closed doors,” said Nick Leonard, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. “We do not believe that EGLE has the authority to contract around the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule and we’re asking them to eliminate this practice and declare their prior Administrative Consent Orders as void.”

“After taking one step forward by promulgating the most protective Lead & Copper Rule in the nation, EGLE has not taken two steps back by allowing water suppliers to do these partial lead service line replacements –placing in jeopardy the health and wellbeing of residents in the very communities it sought to protect when it revised the Michigan Lead and Copper Rule,” said Jeremy Orr, Attorney for Natural Resources Defense Council. “Our Request for Declaratory Ruling from EGLE is a simple, yet fundamental ask: follow your own rules. These invalid Consent Orders should be ripped up, any existing partial lead service line replacement projects should cease, and there should be no future accommodations for water systems who are looking to use these types of Consent Orders as a vehicle to skirt the rules that are meant to ensure that all Michiganders have access to clean and affordable drinking water.”

EGLE has 60 days to take action on the Request for Declaratory Ruling. EGLE can either grant the request, deny the Request, ask for further clarification of the facts, or advise that EGLE requires additional time conduct a review.

Original Article

News - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

News - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

https://www.glelc.org/our-blog/2020/2/6/glelc-and-nrdc-formally-a-request-declaratory-ruling-to-void-administrative-consent-orders-that-violate-the-partial-lead-service-line-replacement-ban-in-the-michigan-lead-and-copper-rule

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

On:
In: funding, PFAS, Research, walleye

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program today announced the award of more than $5.8 million in Great Lakes research, education and outreach dollars for 2020-22 as part of a federal-state partnership.  

Sea Grant will fund 15 research, three education and 32 outreach projects on six University of Wisconsin campuses and at a private college. Other entities will participate in the projects, such as the Wisconsin Historical Society, which will conduct research on Great Lakes shipwrecks.

“For the coming two years, just as in our program’s preceding 52 years, our outreach and education activities and funded research will go forward on the basis of scientific integrity and relevance. The Great Lakes are a true treasure and we’re privileged to undertake this work to ensure their continued sustainability,” said Jim Hurley, Sea Grant director.

Researchers will look into the effects of high Great Lakes water levels on infrastructure, a series of chemical contaminants known as PFAS, fostering the growth of the sportfish walleye, and more.

Lakes Michigan and Superior will be the focus of research in the coming two years using Sea Grant federal-state dollars. Photo by Anne Moser.

In all, nearly 100 researchers, staff and students will be engaged in this work, Hurley said.

The campuses within the University of Wisconsin System are Green Bay and its campus in Manitowoc, Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point and Superior. The other campus is St. Norbert College.  

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, provides funding for this work through the National Sea Grant College Program. The state of Wisconsin provides a match for the federal funds—50 cents on the dollar.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-sea-grant-to-provide-more-than-5-8-million-for-great-lakes-research-education-and-outreach-over-two-years/

Moira Harrington

On:
In: Uncategorized

Over 30 years ago I helped the Nature Conservancy of Wis with their acquisition of most of Point au Sable.

Then by pure luck and over one year of work, I put together the transaction for the Northeastern Wis Land Trust for their acquisition of the “Twin Silos” 11 acres + property along Nicolet Drive which gave the Land Trust access to an additional 60+ acres that they also purchased.

This took over a year of work and is one of my most favorite transactions I ever did in my 35 years in real estate. I live very close to this area and can even see Point au Sauble from my windows of our bay cottage.

There is more to this as hopefully more property will be added to make this the finest future nature park in NE Wisconsin!

A red-headed woodpecker pauses from foraging on a tree. Photo by Debbie Koenigs/USFWS.

Read the full article: https://fws.gov/midwest/news/wequiockcreek.html?fbclid=IwAR1R80l5-tWFkCw3P9sQWUThKuuEIeqNsheGhhc_zkmdRcXotLMJJKxfs70

On:
In: Fond du Lac Reservation, manoomin, Nancy Schuldt, River Talks, wild rice

The River Talk series continues at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Lake Superior Estuarium (3 Marina Drive, Superior, Wisconsin). Nancy Schuldt, water protection coordinator with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, will present, “Promoting Tribal Health by Protecting and Restoring Manoomin (Wild Rice) in the St. Louis River and Beyond.”

Nancy Schuldt. Image by Marie Zhukov, Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Manoomin and all the health benefits and wealth it creates are under threat from a variety of stressors. This native grain has declined substantially in its historic range on the St. Louis River and beyond. Due to the importance of manoomin to tribal health, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the state of Minnesota developed a health impact assessment to convey the importance of wild rice to Ojibwe people. Schuldt will speak on the assessment and share reflections from her career spent studying and protecting water.

The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs offer this series of informal evening talks about the St. Louis River Estuary. Everyone is invited and refreshments are provided.

Other River Talks will be held on March 3, April 8 and May 13. The March 3 talk will be held in conjunction with the St. Louis River Summit.

For more information, visit go.wisc.edu/4uz720. If you miss a talk, visit Wisconsin Sea Grant’s blog for a summary

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/promoting-tribal-health-by-protecting-and-restoring-manoomin-wild-rice-in-the-st-louis-river-and-beyond/

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Uncategorized
When Sarah FitzSimons first heard of the Wisconsin Water Library, she was inspired. “It was just so poetic and lovely” says the artist. Sarah, who is a faculty member in the UW-Madison Art Department, began thinking about the ways in which various bodies of water have impacted her life. This led her to the creation […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/when-libraries-water-and-art-collide/

Laura Killingsworth

On:
In: aquaculture, aquaponics, Atlantic salmon, Emma Wiermaa, Greg Fischer, RAS, RAS-N, recirculating aquaculture, Salmo salar, workforce development

Sea Grant effort will support growth of land-based salmon industry in U.S.

 

Meeting attendees from across the country got a true taste of a northern Wisconsin winter at the inaugural meeting for a Sea Grant-funded effort to support the sustainable development of the land-based Atlantic salmon industry in the U.S.

As the gathering kicked off in Washburn in December, the mercury read a nippy 6 degrees Fahrenheit, with subzero wind chills. Yet energy levels inside the Harbor View Event Center were high as approximately 50 attendees began laying the groundwork for a robust collaboration that was dubbed RAS-N, for “Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network.”

The effort is being funded as part of a larger package of $16 million in federal aquaculture grants announced in September 2019 by the National Sea Grant Office.

Participants at the meeting included Sea Grant staff from Maryland, Maine and Wisconsin, as well as the National Sea Grant Office; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff; and representatives from private industry, including feed and salmon producers.

Maryland Sea Grant is leading the three-year project to identify and address challenges faced by the land-based Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) industry. The Wisconsin and Maine Sea Grant programs are partners in the multistate consortium. The project builds upon earlier Sea Grant investment in this area, including research based in Wisconsin.

The December event spanned two full days of presentations and discussion. It also featured a tour of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF) in nearby Bayfield. Attendees observed various NADF research projects with Atlantic salmon and other fish species.

Emma Wiermaa, an aquaculture outreach specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant and NADF, and Greg Fischer, assistant director and research program manager at NADF, played major roles in organizing this productive event.

Said Fischer, “I was very impressed by the commitment of the group, who showed up in the middle of a good old-fashioned Wisconsin snowstorm. Even with record-setting low temperatures, many expressed how glad they were that they came, some from as far as Europe.”

Growing the economy—and the workforce

As one of the conference speakers noted — Brian Peterson of the USDA’s National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center in Maine — seafood represents the United States’ largest trade deficit of any agricultural product. And, as David O’Brien, acting director of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, told the group, “Wild fisheries alone cannot meet the increasing demand for seafood.”

This sets the stage for sustainable U.S. aquaculture to help meet the world’s demand for seafood while growing a sector of the U.S. economy.

Emma Wiermaa, aquaculture outreach specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. (Photo: Jim Gill)

As Wiermaa observed, “Land-based, water reuse systems for growing Atlantic salmon allow the fish to be raised close to market, with limited impacts on the surrounding environment. The result is fresh, local filets for consumers.”

Wisconsin-based Superior Fresh is already having success in this arena as the country’s first land-based Atlantic salmon producer and world’s largest aquaponic farm. Said Chief Science Officer Steve Summerfelt, 99.9% of the facility’s water flow is recycled, and there is zero discharge to surface water. Superior Fresh currently employs more than 70 staff and is expanding.

Representatives from Riverence, Whole Oceans and American Salmon — other private entities currently in this space or preparing to launch facilities — also presented.

Several speakers addressed the educational and workforce development aspects of the industry.

Scarlett Tudor of the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute described her campus’ approach to fostering the future aquaculture workforce. By placing paid interns in companies, the university helps students build their resumes while conducting research for industry that may not otherwise be possible. The university is also interested in reaching noncredit students. As Tudor noted, hands-on experience is key in the aquaculture world, and not everyone needs a degree for their particular career path.

Wiermaa noted that NADF hosts one or two student technicians at a time, and more than 90% of those techs find aquaculture positions after their stint in Bayfield is over. UW-Stevens Point is a leader in aquaculture education. It is the first accredited university in Wisconsin to offer an aquaculture minor (which is still uncommon in U.S. colleges) and the first in the country to offer full-semester aquaponics courses, a master class and professional certificate program.

Aquaculture manager Kyle Woolever handles young Atlantic salmon at Wisconsin-based Superior Fresh, an aquaponic farm raising leafy greens along with fish. (Photo: Sara Stathas)

Fish health, biosecurity, consumer perceptions and other topics were also addressed during the wide-ranging meeting. The aim of this gathering was to bring together a small, focused group of stakeholders to get the project off the ground.        

Said Summerfelt, “I’m excited that Sea Grant has supported RAS-N, which has brought together land-based salmon stakeholders–producers, suppliers, trainers of the workforce, and academics—for the first time. With this kickoff meeting in Washburn, we have begun preparing a roadmap to address our needs and gaps in knowledge to reduce risk and increase production efficiencies, as well as consumer awareness. RAS-N is providing a terrific venue for collaboration.”

Future steps in 2020 will be a RAS-N session at the Aquaculture America conference in Honolulu in February, and a fall gathering at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore. Organizers expect to invite a larger group of stakeholders to the Maryland meeting as the collaboration continues to take shape.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/salmon-aquaculture-project-kickoff/

Jennifer Smith

On:
In: Communication, GLERL, Great Lakes, Lake Huron, NOAA, Research, science, sinkholes
If you followed our fieldwork last summer, you probably remember hearing about our research on the fascinating sinkholes and microbial communities that lie at the bottom of northern Lake Huron off the coast of Alpena, MI. Now you can experience this … Continue reading →

Original Article

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

https://noaaglerl.blog/2020/01/29/sinkhole-science-groundwater-in-the-great-lakes/

Gabrielle Farina

On:
In: Letters, Press Releases

Today the U.S. Senate Great Lakes Task Force sent a letter to the Trump Administration, urging it to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at no less than $320 million. The administration will release its proposed budget on Monday, Feb. 10. Signatories to the letter include Great Lakes Task Force co-chairs U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), as well as Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“We thank the bi-partisan group of senators—especially Task Force co-chairs Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio)—who are working to keep Great Lakes restoration a national priority. Federal investments in the Great Lakes are producing results, but more work remains. President Trump can show his support for the Great Lakes and clean water by robustly funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in his proposed budget. Further, the president can reconsider his recently announced roll-back of clean water protections for millions of people in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, New York, and Minnesota. Strong funding and strong clean water protections are both essential.”

The post Coalition Thanks Bi-Partisan Group of Senators for Making Great Lakes a Priority appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/coalition-thanks-bi-partisan-group-of-senators-for-making-great-lakes-a-priority/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: flint, freshwater future, Freshwater Weekly, Great Lakes, PFAS, water shutoffs

January 24, 2020

This week:  Supreme Court Rules Flint Residents Can Sue City and State Over Water + Indiana Attempts to Limit Lake Access + Michigan Sues 17 Companies Over PFAS + Ice Balls Roll Up on Great Lakes Shores + Michigan’s Governor Requested to Declare Water Shutoffs Health Emergency

Supreme Court Rules Flint Residents Can Sue City and State Over Water

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld lower court decisions that would allow Flint residents to pursue legal cases against the City and State regulators related to the Flint Water Crisis.   The Flint Water Crisis started in 2014 when the City switched water supplies and failed to use corrosion control that caused an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease and lead contaminated water.  With this decision, Flint residents can take steps to hold accountable government officials for the crisis.

Indiana Attempts to Limit Lake Access

Public access and use of Lake Michigan’s shoreline in Indiana was validated in 2018 by the Indiana Supreme Court.  Indiana legislators introduced a bill that would transfer the ownership of Lake Michigan shoreline from the State of Indiana to private property owners. Indiana’s Lake Michigan shore runs 45-miles and many areas are dealing with erosion from the high water levels.

Michigan Sues 17 Companies Over PFAS

The State of Michigan is suing 17 companies for environmental contamination from the family of toxic chemicals called PFAS used in products for waterproofing, stain repellents, and fire retardants.  Scientific research shows health impacts from exposure to these chemicals including thyroid problems, cancer, and developmental and immunity problems for children.  The lawsuit seeks damages based on companies knowing the impacts and hiding them from consumers.

Ice Balls Roll Up on Great Lakes Shores

Beachcombing on the Great Lakes is for all seasons. Wintertime can be the best time to find interesting rocks and the only time of year you’ll find ice balls. Ice balls form when ice chunks are rolled over and over by waves smoothing out the jagged edges. Check out this video of ice balls formed recently on Lake Michigan.

Michigan’s Governor Requested to Declare Water Shutoffs Health Emergency

Shutting off water from unpaid bills is a disaster according to Mark Fancher, attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).  Two groups, the ACLU and Great Lakes Environmental Law Center asked Governor Whitmer to put a moratorium on water shutoffs in Detroit. Research shows that water shutoffs significantly increase public health infections.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-january-24th-2020/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: canoeing cat, cats that swim

The author and her cat canoe on Star Lake, Minnesota, July 1977. Image by Dorothy Pramann.

For National Dog Day, we offered several popular social media posts that featured the “dogs of Sea Grant.” Our Wisconsin Sea Grant staff members shared images of their pooches frolicking in water. Afterward, we tried a “cats of Sea Grant” social media push for National Cat Day, we didn’t get enough submissions from staff to make it work. Probably because most cats dislike water.

At the time, I didn’t think about Inky, the black cat I grew up with, because she is long deceased. But the other day, I walked past this photo of Inky and me in a canoe, and the memories all came back.

Inky was a stray a neighborhood boy brought to us because he knew we recently lost a cat. That previous cat was a calico we named Muffin. Alas, Muffin ran away when we were on a camping trip while she was under the care of a neighbor. Perhaps because of that, we took Inky along on all our camping trips.

She did not enjoy car rides – she would disappear under the driver’s seat and not emerge until we’d reached our destination – but she liked being outdoors in the campgrounds where we stayed. We’d leash her to a picnic table so we wouldn’t lose her.

Inky at home, circa 1975.

One place we liked to stay for extended periods was Star Lake, a Methodist Church Campground in northern Minnesota. Because we’d stayed there several times and we didn’t need to travel the next day, we’d let Inky off her leash to come and go as she pleased, like she did at home.

We owned an old Grumman aluminum canoe that I used to paddle around the lake. One day, I got the idea of bringing Inky along.

She seemed to like the canoe ride better than a car ride. She perched on the gunwale a few feet in front of me, leaning out over the water.

With each canoe outing, she’d lean farther and farther over the side. It seemed like she wanted to go into the water. One day, I tipped the canoe slightly, giving her some “help.”

Plop! Into the water she went.

We weren’t far from the shore of our campsite – only about 30 feet — and she swam in that direction. I can’t recall if she meowed as she swam, or if she swam silently. (My memory has fuzzed during the four decades since this occurred.) She made it to shore just fine and seemed no worse for wear.

The next time I took Inky out for a canoe, as we neared our site again, she jumped out of the canoe by herself!

Could it be, she liked to swim? I’d never heard of a cat who liked to swim, but apparently, I had one. By the end of our stay, her swims from the canoe to our campsite were a regular thing.

Inky the swimming black cat lived to a ripe old age, despite getting hit by a car once, breaking her leg. I’ve had other cats since then, but none who liked to swim like she did.

Although most cats would rather avoid water, some do like it. (Read stories here.)

My youngest son is allergic to cats, so I have since switched to dogs. But in my home, I keep this photo my mother took, and think of my swimming cat whenever I pass it.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/the-cat-who-liked-to-swim/

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Press Releases

Great Lakes Coalition Opposes Trump Assault on Clean Water Protections
“With many of our towns and cities still living with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to cut back on clean water enforcement.”

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (January 23, 2020) – The Trump Administration is expected to announce today that it will greatly reduce clean water protections for streams and wetlands across the country. These streams and wetlands connect to the drinking water supplies that millions of people in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin rely on.

“We strongly oppose this move from the Trump Administration to weaken clean water protections,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition. “Clean Water is a basic need. And with many of our towns and cities still living with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to cut back on clean water enforcement. We need more – not less – protection for clean water.”

“With this assault on clean water protections, the administration is undermining efforts to restore the Great Lakes, threatening drinking water supplies, jeopardizing public health, and damaging the outdoor economy and quality of life of the Great Lakes region.”

The post Great Lakes Coalition Opposes Trump Assault on Clean Water Protections appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/great-lakes-coalition-opposes-trump-assault-on-clean-water-protections/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Deb DeLuca, Duluth Seaway Port Authority, River Talk, River Talks

By Elise Ertl, University of Wisconsin-Superior

Deborah DeLuca presented this month’s River Talk on Jan. 8 at the Lake Superior Estuarium. Her talk, “The Duluth Seaway Port Authority – A Career Journey,” offered insight to the Great Lakes’ largest port and how she came to be the first woman to hold the executive director position at Duluth Seaway Port Authority in the 60 years since its establishment.

Deb DeLuca. Image by Marie Zhuikov.

The Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s mission is to bring business to the port of Duluth-Superior, economic development to the region and to advocate for maritime and transportation industries. The port authority also owns one of 20 active terminals – the Clure Public Marine Terminal – which is the only general cargo terminal in the harbor.

DeLuca said one of the challenges about being located in Duluth is how far inland the port is. Ships must travel to the western tip of Lake Superior to reach it.

Some of the primary cargoes shipped from the harbor are iron ore, limestone and coal. Grain is the No. 1 export. However, DeLuca also talked about the increasing wind turbine imports to our area. The wind turbine imports the port is receiving are shipped all across the upper Midwest, including states as far as Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Wind turbine parts can be immense, with some blades over 200 feet long.

The talk of wind turbine imports added to what has always been a big part of DeLuca’s life, the environment and sustainability. In college, she earned her bachelor’s in molecular biology, and later a master’s in land resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She talked about her internship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and her experience working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Braun Intertec, an environmental consulting and testing firm.

During her college career, she worked at a bike shop, adding to the list of DeLuca’s wide interests and capabilities. While there, she purchased a bike and learned from her coworkers how to ride competitively. She quickly progressed and eventually made the U.S. National Cycling Team.

She also worked for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Later, she started her own company, DeLuca Strategies LLC, where she provided services such as funding strategies, grant-writing, project management, public outreach, and government relations to public, private and nonprofit clients.

DeLuca first started working for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority as the government and environmental affairs director for four years and afterward, became executive director.

The River Talks audience was engaged and asked an abundance of questions. One audience member asked whether the port authority has looked into tourism and possible recreational benefits for people who may want to see the ships up close at the port. DeLuca said, “Kayaking and paddleboarding down by the port may be a fun idea, but it is also dangerous because the ships cannot see people down below, and they can’t maneuver quickly or stop.”

DeLuca was also asked questions about the environment and people who may be studying the topic. She offered this advice: “You can have all the passion in the world to make a difference, but without an understanding of economics and finance, it will be difficult to implement change.” She recommended gaining knowledge of finance and economics in addition to environmental sciences.

The next River Talk will be held on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Lake Superior Estuarium. Nancy Schuldt will be discussing the growth of wild rice in the estuary.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/deluca-shares-her-journey-to-becoming-executive-director-of-the-duluth-seaway-port-authority/

Wisconsin Sea Grant

On:
In: Call to Action, clean water, freshwater future, Freshwater Weekly, Mining

January 17, 2020

This week:  Trump Administration Attacks on Water and Environment + Minnesota Court of Appeals Reversed Three Permits for Mining Operation + Will Your Representative Stand for Clean Water? + Tell Your Senators–Don’t Delay Action on Toxic Chemicals (PFAS) in Drinking Water + Trump Rollback of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Trump Administration Attacks on Water and Environment

The Trump Administration recently initiated several setbacks to existing environmental laws and announced veto action for legislation that protects water supplies.  Together, we can raise our voices to prevent harmful changes to the laws that keep our families and communities healthy. Our country’s environmental legacy has strong bi-partisan support; and residents throughout the Great Lakes region have always stepped up to take action when asked.

In the coming weeks, you will receive more emails from us that give you a way to VOICE your concerns about the attacks on water and environment.  Hopefully, you can take the time to add your name to petitions and other actions to educate decision-makers and protect what we all value-clean water!

Minnesota Court of Appeals Reversed Three Permits for Mining Operation

Two dam safety permits and the permit to mine for the Polymet Mine in Minnesota were rejected by the Minnesota Court of Appeals stating that criticisms of the mining company were not adequately reviewed by a neutral administrative law judge.  As a result, the decisions for those permits now moves to a contested case hearing. WaterLegacy, the organization that appealed the permit decisions, applauded the Court’s decision for a more rigorous and open review of the permits.  In a separate legal case, Minnesota state regulators face charges of suppressing concerns from the U. S. EPA about a water permit for this mine and destroying records.

Will Your Representative Stand for Clean Water?

A resolution introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives denounces U.S. EPA initiatives that make our water less safe by weakening the Clean Water Act. Introduced by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), the resolution allows voters to check if their elected officials will stand up for clean water.  The resolution opposes recent and proposed actions by the U.S. EPA including repealing science-based protections for streams and wetlands, weakening toxic pollution discharge limits for power plants, and refusing to develop regulations to avoid and minimize spills of hazardous substances.  Freshwater Future will keep you posted on this resolution and provide ways to communicate with your officials.

Action: Tell Your Senators–Don’t Delay Action on Toxic Chemicals (PFAS) in Drinking Water

The U.S. EPA has known about the risks posed by the family of toxic chemicals called PFAS for decades and failed to act.  Our communities can’t wait any longer for action from EPA. No one should have to worry about whether their water is safe.

Last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, with bipartisan support, the PFAS Action Act (H.B. 535). Earlier this week, we sent an email asking you to sign this petition to ask your Senators to move PFAS solutions forward.  This important piece of legislation will:

  • Protect drinking water from PFAS by requiring the EPA to create a drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS within two years.

  • Protect the Great Lakes, rivers, and streams from PFAS pollution by listing PFOS and PFOA under the Clean Water Act within two years.

  • Protect our air from PFAS by making PFOS and PFOA hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

  • Require corporate polluters to clean up their PFAS contamination by listing PFAS as hazardous substances under the CERCLA Act or the Superfund Law.

  • Protects our communities and workers, especially our firefighters, that are using these harmful products.

Now it is up to the Senate to pass the PFAS Action Act to reduce ongoing PFAS releases into the air and water, set limits for drinking water, and clean up polluted sites. Please sign this petition to ask your Senators to vote in favor of the Senate version of the PFAS Action Act.

A screening of a new documentary on PFAS, No Defense will air at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, February 19th.  No Defense centers around the stories of people that live on or near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, and drank water poisoned with PFAS chemicals — water that still flows from the former base today, contaminating the surrounding town, lake, and the people who live there.

Trump Rollback of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

On January 1, 1970, President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with overwhelming bipartisan support from Congress.  This landmark legislation required a review process to identify and reveal significant environmental, social, economic, or public health impacts of federal actions.  The Trump administration proposed weakening this process under the guise of “streamlining” and “permitting reform.”  The gutting of NEPA would send us backward, particularly with the provision to exclude climate considerations from NEPA reviews for federal projects (e.g., oil and gas drilling and the permitting of coal power plants).  Another proposed change is to restrict public comment on federal environmental reviews.

Stay tuned for opportunities to take action to prevent these harmful changes to our laws that keep our drinking water and surface waters clean and safe.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-january-17th-2020/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: AVA Digital Awards, dangerous currents workshop., Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Marie Zhuikov, Rivers2Lake, Wisconsin water news

Jan. 10, 2020

By Moira Harrington

A Wisconsin Water News podcast won a gold award in the AVA Digital Awards 2019 contest.

A group of second-graders expand their knowledge of Lake Superior through a canoe trip.  A workshop is held about that same lake and its strong and dangerous currents. These different topics share a common thread. Both were subjects of audio podcasts last year. Those podcasts were just named award-winning by an international communications competition known as AVA Digital Awards.

“Connecting teachers and students to the Lake Superior watershed” won a gold medal. It’s about a Sea Grant-funded educational program called Rivers2Lake, which shows children from school districts in Bayfield, Ashland and the South Shore of Lake Superior how nature can be a classroom. The program is run by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve.

“It takes a family to deal with dangerous currents” won an honorable mention. Interviews are featured with participants and presenters at a workshop held in Ashland about this hidden but potentially lethal hazard.

Podcast Producer Marie Zhuikov said, “The people who I interview are what make these stories so interesting. Instead of the standard phone conversation, I was able to get out of my office and talk to these people in the field, which makes the stories livelier and more immediate.”

Conferred annually, the AVA Digital Awards attract an average of 2,500 entries from around the world. They come from the private sector, nonprofit organizations, public entities and academic institutions. The awards are administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, which consists of several thousand specialists in production, marketing, communication, advertising and public relations, plus freelance journalists.

Wisconsin Sea Grant offers a broad range of podcasts on topics such as lakes Michigan and Superior, groundwater, aquaculture and mercury in the environment. The recent award-winning stories are part of a series known as Wisconsin Water News, which has 20 episodes. The four-to-seven-minute podcasts bring Sea Grant and Water Resources stories alive by featuring the voices of scientists, resource managers, stakeholders and staff in audio presentations of news pieces that are also shared in print or online formats.

Original Article

News Release – WRI

News Release – WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-and-water-resources-win-awards-for-podcasts/

mzhuikov

On:
In: Uncategorized

Seven U.S. Geological Survey scientists will share their research at the workshop. Topics will include satellite-based detection of harmful algal blooms, mercury in Hells Canyon reservoirs, and monitoring of selenium and mercury in the Kootenai River. A full schedule of USGS speakers and topics is available for download. For more information on the workshop, please visit https://www.deq.idaho.gov/water-quality-workshop.

USGS speakers at the 2020 Idaho Water Quality Workshop

(Public domain.)

Original Article

USGS.gov

USGS.gov

https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/usgs-scientists-presenting-30th-annual-idaho-water-quality-workshop

USGS.gov

On:
In: Call to Action, freshwater future, Freshwater Weekly, Great Lakes, PFAS

January 9, 2020

This week:  Michigan Accepting Comments on Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Chemicals + Side by Side Comparison of the World’s Greatest Lakes + Steel Rod left in Straits of Mackinac Moves 150 feet due to Currents + Erosion Endangers Goderich, ON Water Treatment Plant + Update on Green Ooze in Detroit

Your Action Needed to Push the PFAS Action Act Forward in the US Senate

This week the US House of Representatives will be voting on the PFAS Action Act.  The Act will likely pass the House.  It will face a bigger hurdle when it reaches the US Senate.  Please watch for an URGENT email from Freshwater Future next week to sign a petition to Senators to urge them to pass the important protections in this Act.

Michigan Accepting Comments on Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Chemicals

The State of Michigan has proposed rules to set drinking water standards for the toxic chemicals called PFAS. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division are holding three public hearings on the proposed rules that would establish how much of seven PFAS compounds can be in your drinking water.

Don’t miss your chance to provide your comments about these important rules. You can attend one of three meetings or submit your comments in writing by Friday, January 31, 2020, to EGLE-PFAS-RuleMaking@Michigan.gov.  Visit our website for tips on submitting comments.

Side by Side Comparison of the World’s Greatest Lakes

This cool infographic compares the World’s 25 largest lakes, showing them side by side.  What is obvious is that our five Great Lakes–Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior are truly amazing with 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.

Steel Rod left in Straits of Mackinac Moves 150 feet due to  Currents

Enbridge Energy recently removed a 45-foot steel rod that was dropped in November while collecting bedrock samples for the proposed tunnel.  The approximately 250-pound rod moved 150-feet in two-months time from the strong currents and was found adjacent to the west leg of the pipeline.  The disposal of the rod was a violation of the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act although no fine was imposed.

Erosion Endangers Goderich, ON Water Treatment Plant

High water levels are wreaking havoc all over the Great Lakes region.  Goderich, Ontario recently armored its drinking water treatment plant located about 100 feet from the water’s edge, to protect it from rising lake levels and erosion.  The stone brought in from Owen Sound will cost upwards of $1.5 million, a costly bill for the community of 10,000 residents.

Update on Green Ooze in Detroit

The owner of the Madison Heights electro-plating facility responsible for the pollution went to prison last week to begin a one-year sentence for illegally storing hazardous waste. The discovery of the hexavalent chromium waste renewed interest in adopting polluter pay bills introduced last year in Michigan and criticism of state and Federal oversight of the cleanup at the facility.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!

Grant Funding Available for Habitat Restoration

Sustain Our Great Lakes announced the request for grant proposals to restore and enhance aquatic habitats.  Grant funding will be awarded in five categories:

  • Restore and Enhance Stream and Riparian Habitat
  • Restore and Enhance Coastal Wetland Habitat
  • Expand Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Great Lakes Communities
  • Maintain and Enhance the Benefits of Habitat Restoration through Invasive Species Control
  • Restore and Preserve Natural Areas and Biodiversity in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan Watershed

A webinar on January 16, 2020, at 11 am ET will provide more information on the grant program.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-january-9th-2020/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: America, Gallup poll, scientific achievements

Wisconsin Sea Grant-funded researchers collect a sediment sample from the St. Louis River Estuary. (Photo: Marie Zhuikov)

When the calendar flipped to 2020, we entered a new year – specifically, an election year. The political news stories, tweets and advertising that made for a solid background thrum last year will ratchet up to full noise now.

One hallmark of a presidential election year is the plethora of polling. We’ll see candidate horse race polls and those probing the electorate’s stance on a range of issues. Polls will be sliced and diced, agonized over and celebrated.

Since we’re in the season of polls, I want to highlight not a primarily political one, but one by Gallup that measured public trust in various institutions. Conducted in June 2019, the poll asked U.S. citizens what they were proud of regarding their country. Out of eight choices, 91% of respondents said they were most proud of American scientific achievements—the top pick. The military (89%) and domestic arts and culture (85%) rounded out the top three choices.

The bottom-ranked choice was the American political system with only 32% expressing a positive feeling about how the parties and our government conduct themselves.

The remaining categories in the poll included pride in the country’s economic (75%) and sporting (73%) achievements; diversity in race, ethnic background and religion (72%); and the health and welfare system (37%).

Naturally, we do not know who will prevail at the ballot box this November. At least one true winner is clear, according to the recent Gallup poll anyway: science.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/the-polling-winner-science/

Moira Harrington

On:
In: groundwater, salt, Water quality

Jan. 9, 2020

By Jennifer A. Smith

Too much salt is never a good thing—whether on your dinner plate or on sidewalks, driveways and roads during a long Wisconsin winter.

Students walk across a slushy UW-Madison campus. When dissolved, salt will go wherever the water goes. (Image: still from video by Bonnie Willison)

When that salt dissolves on paved surfaces, it goes anywhere the water goes, making its way from storm drains into lakes and other waterbodies. That salt runoff increases the concentration of salt in our waters, affecting not only surface water but also groundwater (the source of drinking water for most Wisconsinites).

Thanks to a new video (two, actually), Wisconsinites can brush up on their salt smarts. The videos were backed by a group of partners that included the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, UW-Madison, UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Wisconsin Salt Wise and the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District.

A five-minute video is aimed at general audiences, offering tips on how to apply de-icing products most effectively, depending on the air temperature, pavement temperature and type of product. The amount of salt needed to be effective may be less than you think! For example, just one coffee mug full of salt can treat a 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.

A longer, ten-minute version of the video was designed for UW-Madison maintenance staff, who work tirelessly throughout the winter to keep the campus a safe place.

As the video notes, the Wisconsin Salt Wise website has a product application calculator that can help take the guesswork out of this task.

Abigail Ernst, who completed her master’s degree in water resources management at UW-Madison in December 2019, worked on the videos’ content and appears onscreen along with fellow water resources student Tristyn Forget. The videos were part of Ernst’s practicum for her degree. As she noted, this project grew out of stakeholder needs. While UW-Madison custodial staff strive to be mindful of salt use, they also knew it was an area for improvement and ongoing staff training.

Said Ernst, “One of the most rewarding parts of producing this video was the wide variety of people I got to collaborate with. I enjoyed working closely with the custodial department, specifically Kris Ackerbauer, Steve Heitz, Brad Marta and John Brixy. They are such a welcoming and accommodating group. I was so happy we could develop a training video that was primarily driven by their wants and needs.”

Abigail Ernst demonstrates proper salting procedure in the video. (Image: still from video by Bonnie Willison)

While translations of the longer video are still in progress, eventually it will be captioned in Tibetan, Hmong, Spanish and Nepali—which, along with English, are the most common languages spoken by UW maintenance staff.

Bonnie Willison, video producer for the Water Resources Institute and Wisconsin Sea Grant, worked with Ernst and other collaborators to bring the content to life in a concise and compelling way.

Both videos bring science and practical tips together to address what Hilary Dugan, a UW-Madison assistant professor of integrative biology interviewed in the videos, stresses is a solvable problem.

By brushing up on our winter knowledge, we can all do our part to promote public safety (after all, no one wants to wipe out on the sidewalk!) while protecting our freshwater resources.

Original Article

News Release – WRI

News Release – WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/new-videos-can-help-you-brush-up-on-your-salt-smarts/

Jennifer Smith

On:
In: USGS

With the new year comes a rating of “outstanding” for the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) based on a review conducted in 2019 by the program’s funders at the U.S. Geological Survey.

Earl A. Greene, director of the Water Resources Research Act Program, transmitted the review results to WRI’s Director Jim Hurley in a Jan. 2, 2020 letter that commended WRI for its strong program, “well focused on research to solve state water issues, student education and information transfer. This well balanced program is instrumental in achieving the goals of the Institute.”

The letter went on to call out the efforts of funded researchers who are publishing at a high rate in well-regarded publications, the program’s leadership and excellent information transfer efforts that are well integrated with research.

Water researcher Kevin Masarik is a collaborator with WRI. Here, he’s sampling water in the Central Sands region. Photo by Bonnie Willison.

The federal review panel evaluated the activities of 54 water resources institutes and centers, based in each of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. The years under review had been 2011 through 2015.

“Each day, I am gratified by the work that we are able to accomplish through the Water Resources Institute, whether it’s supporting Wisconsin’s researchers in finding ways to identify and reduce contaminants in our drinking water, understanding the effects of climate change on Wisconsin waters or supporting students in learning and in developing our workforce. Along with our mission to share research findings with you and other relevant audiences, we play an important role in addressing Wisconsin’s water challenges and opportunities,” said WRI’s Associate Director Jennifer Hauxwell.

“The findings of this U.S. Geological Survey review of our program are just another welcome validation for what we are able to do for our fellow citizens who rely on one of Wisconsin’s most valuable assets – water,” she concluded.

Original Article

News Release – WRI

News Release – WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/outstanding-results-for-wri-following-a-five-year-review/

Moira Harrington

On:
In: Uncategorized

Michigan PFAS Rules Public Meetings

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds are man-made chemicals found in nonstick cookware,  flame- and water-resistant clothing, food wrappers, plumber’s tape, stain prevention products, and even coatings on wires. Unfortunately, now we know PFAS are toxic, harmful to human health, and extremely persistent in the environment.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division are holding three public hearings on the proposed rules that would establish how much of seven PFAS compounds:

  • Can be in your drinking water,
  • How water utilities should sample for these compounds,
  • Certification criteria for labs sampling water potentially contaminated with PFAS, and
  • How the public should be made aware of contamination.

Meeting dates, times and locations:

  • Wednesday, January 8, 2020, from 5 pm-8 pm at Grand Valley State University, LV Eberhard Center, Room EC 215, 301 Fulton Street W., Grand Rapids, Michigan. This meeting also will be Livestream. Click here to sign-up for the Livestream option.

  • Tuesday, January 14, 2020, from 5 pm-8 pm at Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building, ML Towsley Auditorium, 4800 E. Huron River Dr., Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  • Thursday, January 16, 2020 from 5pm-8pm at the Ralph A Macmullan Conference Center, Au Sable Room, 104 Conservation Dr., Roscommon, Michigan.

Submit your comments!

Don’t miss your chance to provide your comments about these important rules. You can attend one of the meetings above or submit your comments in writing by Friday, January 31, 2020, to EGLE-PFAS-RuleMaking@Michigan.gov.

To make it easier to submit comments, we’ve prepared a few items we are most concerned about in the proposed rules.  Please recommend that Michigan EGLE do the following:

  • Take a class-based approach to regulate PFAS in drinking water.

  • Ensure that the health-based value used to set the PFAS-class drinking water standard protects those most vulnerable to harm. 

  • Use the most recent science to set a health-based value PFAS-class drinking water standard. 

 

To view a calendar of all the events and meetings regarding the PFAS Rules public meetings click here.  Presentations from site-specific meetings may be found on MPART’s Public Presentations page.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/michigan-pfas-rules-public-meetings-how-to-submit-comments/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: epa, Letters, Press Releases

Environmental Leaders Urge Army Corps of Engineers to Include Great Lakes Projects in Work Plans

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Jan 7, 2019) — Last month, a coalition of environmental organizations came together to urge Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) R.D. James and Office of Management Budget Acting Director Russell Vought to include critical Great Lakes Restoration Projects in the FY2020 work plan for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As threats to the health of the Great Lakes continue to intensify, the coalition urged the Office of Management Budget and the Secretary of the Army to ensure that vital funding for Great Lakes restoration projects remain a priority.

“We are grateful for the much-needed support the region has received with investments leading to on-the-ground results across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin,” the coalition wrote, “However, the Great Lakes still face many urgent problems and we urge the Corps include projects of critical importance to the Great Lakes in the FY2020 Work Plan. The problems we face will only get worse and the price we pay will be much higher if the federal partnership with the region is delayed or scaled back.”

Read the full letter here.

The post Environmental Leaders Urge Army Corps of Engineers to Include Great Lakes Projects in Work Plan appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/environmental-leaders-urge-army-corps-of-engineers-to-include-great-lakes-projects-in-work-plan/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Water Library Blog
Laura Killingsworth has joined the Wisconsin Water Library’s staff in January 2020 as a Project Assistant.  She will be working with Anne Moser as well as other members of the team.  Read on to learn more about Laura: Can you tell us a little bit about your educational and professional background? I graduated from UW-Madison […]

Original Article

Wisconsin Water Library

Wisconsin Water Library

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/meetlaurak/

Laura Killingsworth

On:
In: freshwater future, Freshwater Weekly, Great Lakes, Lake Huron, water shutoffs

January 2, 2020

This week:  Youth Water Protector, Autumn Peltier Stands Up for Great Lakes + Lake Huron Site in Running for Nuclear Waste Facility + Lawsuit Filed Against the City of Cleveland for Water Shutoffs + Satellite Image Captures Details of Great Lakes

Youth Water Protector, Autumn Peltier Stands Up for Great Lakes

Sixteen-year-old, Greta Thunberg’s climate strike sparked activism and awareness of the climate crisis around the world. Youth in the Great Lakes region are leading on environmental and water issues too.  Fifteen years old, Autumn Peltier is a member of the Wikewemikong First Nation and a water protector.  Following in her Aunt Josephine Mandamin’s footsteps, she advocates for clean drinking water and waterways for indigenous peoples.  Peltier has spoken to the United Nations in 2018 and 2019 sharing the slow progress to help indigenous communities access clean drinking water.  Thank you, Autumn, for your leadership.

Lake Huron Site in Running for Nuclear Waste Facility

Huron-Kinloss/South Bruce, in Bruce County, Ontario, is being considered to store Canada’s most radioactive waste.  The repository would store spent nuclear fuel 1,650 feet below ground.  Canada has more than 128 million pounds of radioactive waste waiting to be put in a repository.  Many critics including US Senators are concerned that the site’s proximity to Lake Huron, a source of drinking water for millions could be catastrophic.

Lawsuit Filed Against the City of Cleveland for Water Shutoffs

A lawsuit filed by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund against the City of Cleveland for discrimination related to water services.  The suit claims that policies result in overbilling, shutoffs with inadequate communication, and liens on properties disproportionately affect black census tracks.

Satellite Image Captures Details of Great Lakes

A NASA satellite on December 22, 2019, captured a stunningly clear image of the Great Lakes.  The image shows green bands in Lake Erie from algal blooms, dark blue of deep waters in the lakes, and snow on the shorelines.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!
https://twitter.com/FreshwaterFutur
https://www.facebook.com/FreshwaterFuture/
https://freshwaterfuture.org/

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-december-2nd-2019/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: Communication
Editor’s Note: This blog post was updated on February 4, 2020 to reflect an updated Seasonal Ice Forecast. Please be sure to read the entire update for more information on this active area of research at NOAA GLERL! As many … Continue reading →

Original Article

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

https://noaaglerl.blog/2020/01/02/great-lakes-ice-evaporation-and-water-levels/

Gabrielle Farina

On:
In: Detroit highway, Freshwater Weekly, lake erie, PFAS

December 26, 2019

This week:  Green Liquid Found Oozing onto Detroit Highway + Hundreds Attend PFAS Meeting in Marinette, WI with Attorney General + Earthquakes under Lake Erie + Snow on the Ground Required to Tell these Ojibwe Tales + Photos Capture Power of Great Lakes Waves

Cancer-Causing Green Liquid Found Oozing onto Detroit Highway

A green liquid, hexavalent chromium leaked from a basement of an industry onto a major highway in Detroit last Friday.  The discovery was found in time to prevent it from reaching Lake St. Clair, but it will take days to clean up the chemical in the business and drains.  Hexavalent chromium causes cancer, and was the pollutant in the movie “Erin Brockovich.”

Hundreds Attend PFAS Meeting in Marinette, WI with Attorney General

A public meeting drew hundreds to learn more about Wisconsin’s Attorney General’s investigation into the contamination of drinking water with PFAS produced by Johnson Controls in Marinette.  Residents shared stories about the contamination.  Freshwater Future offers an in-home PFAS test kit (see below).

Earthquakes under Lake Erie

Lake Erie has been shaking.  Since December 7, there were three earthquakes under Lake Erie.  According to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, northeastern Ohio is considered a tectonically active zone.

Snow on the Ground Required to Tell these Ojibwe Tales

The long, dark days of winter are ideal for storytelling.  Ojibwe Culture considers storytelling an art and a way to share important teachings about the world.  Many of the stories feature woodland creatures and some require snow on the ground before they can be told.  This article in DL-Online has links to a few of these stories. 

Photos Capture Power of Great Lakes Waves

Dave Sandford braves the cold waters of Lake Erie in the winter to photograph the waves.  According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), waves can reach heights of 25 feet.  Sandford’s spectacular images capture the power of our inland seas.

Give the Gift of Clean Water

It’s not too late to give the gift of clean water with a gift membership to Freshwater Future.  We will send the gift recipient a card, set of note cards, and a Great Lakes sticker. Best of all, the gift membership supports our work to take on threats to our drinking water and finding solutions that give people the tools to advocate for clean water in their communities.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!
https://twitter.com/FreshwaterFutur
https://www.facebook.com/FreshwaterFuture/
https://freshwaterfuture.org/

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-january-2nd-2020/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: CCO Meeting, FEMA Region 5, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Open House, Presentations, Public Meetings
GLCFS Presentation
Presentation for Lake Michigan Open Houses [.pdf]

Berrien County, Michigan – CCO Meeting Presentation [.pdf]
Press Release [.pdf]
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
CCO Meeting 2-4 pm | Open House 4:30-6:30pm
Benton Harbor Public Library
213 E. Wall St.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022

Original Article

Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study

Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study

https://www.greatlakescoast.org/2020/01/02/lake-michigan-community-consultation-officers-meeting-and-open-house-for-berrien-county-michigan/

Great Lakes Coast

On:
In: Asian carp, detroit river, Drinking Water, freshwater future, Freshwater Weekly

December 20, 2019

This week:  Will Slow Action and Politics Result in Asian Carp in the Great Lakes? + Update on Uranium Site Spill in the Detroit River  + New York State Bill to Fund Purchase of Floodplain Properties + Bipartisan US Bill Introduced to Address Emerging Threats to Drinking Water  + It’s Raining and Snowing PFAS

Will Slow Action and Politics Result in Asian Carp in the Great Lakes?

More environmental DNA of Asian carp discovered this fall in the South Fork of Chicago River’s South Branch (also known as Bubbly Creek) is a warning that more must be done to prevent these voracious fish from establishing in the Great Lakes.  Slow and delayed action to fund and install barriers benefits the shipping industry but could result in devastating impacts to commercial fishing and the Great Lakes ecology.

Update on Uranium Site Spill in the Detroit River

Last week, we shared the announcement that erosion and spill of possible radioactive material into the Detroit River at a bulk storage site posed a risk to downstream drinking water sources.  Freshwater Future staff member, Alexis Smith, attended a public meeting inquiring about the lack of oversight and transparency.   Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy issued a violation to Revere Dock and Detroit Bulk Storage for allowing the material to enter the river.

New York State Bill to Fund Purchase of Floodplain Properties

New York is considering a new program to help people sell land in floodplains to address recent flooding problems in the Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier and shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The legislation introduced would increase the sale price to pre-flood conditions, helping people to purchase new homes.

Bipartisan US Bill Introduced to Address Emerging Threats to Drinking Water

The Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act introduced last week with bipartisan support would help states respond to emerging contaminants, like PFAS.  If passed the legislation would develop a research strategy to improve the identification, analysis, and treatment methods for emerging contaminants and provide federal support and technical assistance to communities that have emerging contaminants in their water supply.

It’s Raining and Snowing PFAS

A study conducted for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program found PFAS in rainwater.  Rainwater samples taken over a week from 30 different sites, mostly on the east coast contained one of 36 different PFAS compounds studied. The concentration of PFAS varied with several measuring less than 1 ppt, but one sample had 5.5 ppt.

Give the Gift of Clean Water

It’s not too late to give the gift of clean water with a gift membership to Freshwater Future.  We will send the gift recipient a card, set of note cards, and a Great Lakes sticker. Best of all, the gift membership supports our work to take on threats to our drinking water and finding solutions that give people the tools to advocate for clean water in their communities.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!
https://twitter.com/FreshwaterFutur
https://www.facebook.com/FreshwaterFuture/
https://freshwaterfuture.org/

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-december-21st-2019/

Alexis Smith

On:
In: Policy

This week, Congress passed and the President signed the FY2020 budget, funding critical Great Lakes and clean water programs. This budget is the culmination of a year of hard work and advocacy on the part of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition and our members and partners, who engaged with communities to identify environmental needs and met with elected officials in Washington, D.C.,  and in their home states to let their representatives know how important the Great Lakes are for our drinking water, our economy and our way of life.

Here are a few highlights in this year’s budget:

1) Increased Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

For the first time since 2011, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative saw a funding increase, from $300 million to $320 million.

For more than a decade, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been the bedrock of restoration efforts across the Great Lakes. The initiative has funded thousands of restoration projects in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, including projects to restore wildlife habitat, fight invasive species, clean up toxic pollution, and much more.

Click here to read about some of the amazing projects that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has funded.

2) Equitable Investments in Clean Drinking Water Infrastructure

The 2020 budget includes investments in infrastructure, including, $25.4 million for grants to small and disadvantaged communities. These grants will work to upgrade the drinking water infrastructure in communities that have traditionally been disinvested in, including rural communities and communities of color.

The budget also includes $19.5 million in grants to reduce lead in drinking water, which has been a persistent and prevalent problem in low-income communities.

Additionally, the budget includes $28 million in new dedicated funding to combat sewage overflows and build infrastructure for stormwater re-use. Sewage overflows and stormwater runoff are a major factor in polluting the streams and rivers that flow into the Great Lakes, and mitigating these sources must come at the local level. This new funding gives municipalities and water districts the tools they need to start fixing outdated sewage and stormwater infrastructure.

These investments are in addition to federal funding for two national water infrastructure program—the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, programs that provide low-interest loans to communities to fix and modernize wastewater infrastructure and drinking water infrastructure, respectively. Those programs saw slight declines in the current budget. Congress allocated $1.64 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (a $55 million decrease over fiscal year 2019) and $1.13 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (a nearly $38 million decrease over fiscal year).

3) Combating Invasive Species

The 2020 budget includes an increase in funding for research and action to prevent invasive species, particularly Asian Carp, from entering the Great Lakes. An additional $14 million was allocated for activities to prevent Asian Carp from entering and establishing in the Great Lakes, bringing total funding up to $25 million, while an additional $3 million was allocated to fund further research into early detection practices and control technologies critical to slowing the expansion of Asian Carp.

Stopping the spread of Asian Carp and preventing their establishment in the Great Lakes is a major priority for the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition and its partners, and this budget acknowledges the seriousness of the threat and the work we have left to do. The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition supports the work that our partners are leading in making sure these harmful species do not enter the Great Lakes.

4) Researching and monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms

Toxic algal blooms threaten the drinking water and economy of Great Lakes communities, and the 2020 budget allocates $19 million to research and forecast these blooms.

Using these funds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies will continue to work collaboratively with research partners, developing integrated approaches to understand the drivers, forecast, and help keep communities informed of the threat of toxic blooms. Research will also help to improve management strategies to reduce the frequency, severity and impacts of these blooms.

5) Funding critical science and research

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the 2020 budget includes funding to continue the critical science, research, and education needed to help restore and protect the waters that communities across the Great Lakes rely on. This includes funding for: the Great Lakes Science Center and National Sea Grant College Program.

Funded at $11.8 million, including an additional $3 million in this year’s budget, the Great Lakes Science Center is a facility operated by the U.S. Geological Survey for essential ecosystem assessment and fisheries management research. These funds will be crucial in surveying the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem and providing information to respond to threats as they occur.

The National Sea Grant College Program is a federal-university partnership program that works to maintain a healthy coastal environment and economy. The 2020 budget acknowledged its importance by increasing funding by $6 million for a total of $74 million. By combining university expertise with public outreach experts, the Sea Grant program is a critical research program for ensuring that our Great Lakes remain healthy and vibrant.

All told, the final budget provides a solid foundation to keep federal restoration on track and sets the stage for progress in 2020. As Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition Director Laura Rubin said: “We look forward to working with Congress in the new year to ensure that the Great Lakes remains a bi-partisan priority.”

The post 2020 Budget a Win For the Great Lakes appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/2020-budget-a-win-for-the-great-lakes/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: 2020 Budget, Drinking Water Infrastructure, Fighting Invasive Species, Great Lakes Restoration Initative, Policy, Press Releases, stormwater

Federal Budget Supports Great Lakes, Clean Water Funding

Congress increases funding to Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by $20 million

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (December 17, 2019) — Great Lakes restoration and clean water programs received support in the final federal budget, released last night by the U.S. House and Senate. The fiscal year 2020 budget increases funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative—the first increase for the program in ten years— as well as provides new investments in clean water and drinking water infrastructure programs.

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition said:

“This budget is good news for the Great Lakes and the 30 million Americans who depend on them for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life. Federal investments are producing results, but serious threats remain, such as polluted runoff, invasive species, and toxic pollution. This budget acknowledges those threats and the work that we still need to do.

“We thank the Great Lakes congressional delegation – especially members on the House and Senate appropriations committee – for continuing to make the Great Lakes a national priority, and for ensuring that restoration efforts remain on track. We look forward to working with Congress in the new year to ensure that the Great Lakes remains a bi-partisan priority.”

The final fiscal year 2020 budget was passed by the House on Tuesday. The Senate is expected to pick it up later this week. The budget includes:

  •  $320 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore habitat, clean up toxic pollution, and fight invasive species—a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2019 and the first increase since the program’s second year in existence in 2010.
  •  $1.64 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities fix and upgrade wastewater infrastructure—a $55 million decrease over fiscal year 2019.
  •  $1.13 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to help communities fix and upgrade drinking water infrastructure—a nearly $38 million decrease over fiscal year 2019.
  • An additional $14 million ($25 million total) to protect and enhance Asian carp activities to prevent them from entering and establishing in the Great Lakes and for Asian carp activities in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, including its sub-basins. Not less than $2,500,000 is to be used for contract fishing.
  • An additional $3 million ($10.6 million total) to fund further research into early detection practices and control technologies critical to slowing and responding to the range expansion of Asian Carp. $3,000,000 is to be used for research on grass carp.

Reductions in traditional infrastructure programs were partially offset by increases to some existing programs as well as a host of newly funded grant programs to help communities deal with water infrastructure, among them:

  •  $25.4 million for grants to small and disadvantaged communities.
  •  $28 million for sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants.
  •  $3 million for drinking water infrastructure resilience grants.
  • $19.5 million for grants to reduce lead in drinking water.
  • $1 million for water infrastructure workforce development grants.

The post Federal Budget Supports Great Lakes, Clean Water Funding appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/federal-budget-supports-great-lakes-clean-water-funding/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Adam Bechle, Brandon Krumweide, Lake Superior Water Levels Conference, Lake Superior water levels forecast, Melissa Kropfreiter, Michelle Shrider

Adam Bechle of Wisconsin Sea Grant presents coastal erosion information resources at the Lake Superior Water Levels Conference. Image by Marie Zhuikov.

On Dec. 11, more than 90 people gathered in Duluth, Minnesota, for a conference on western Lake Superior water levels. They heard and provided the latest intel on what’s going on with the lake and what’s predicted for the near future.

Wisconsin Sea Grant Coastal Engineer Adam Bechle was one of the presenters, along with Michelle Shrider, general manager of the Washburn Marina and chair of the Wisconsin Marine Association, a nonprofit organization that focuses on issues facing the recreational boating industry in Wisconsin.

Melissa Kropfreiter with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided an overview of water levels in Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. The corps has tracked water level fluctuations for 100 years. She said natural processes such as rainfall and ice cover have a far greater impact on lake levels than do more direct manmade influences such as water flow controls.

“There is nothing man can do to control these lakes,” Kropfreiter said. “We can influence them by a matter of inches, but we can’t control them.”

The past five years (ending October 31, 2019) have been the wettest on record for the Great Lakes basin. Looking ahead, Kropfreiter said the outlook is for wetter than normal weather for the next three months. Water levels in Lake Superior are expected to remain high and new record highs could be set again in the coming year.

An audience member asked Kropfreiter if extremes in water levels are the new normal. She responded affirmatively, saying that her professional colleagues predict that higher highs and lower lows will occur more frequently.

Brandon Krumweide, the Great Lakes regional geospatial coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management in Duluth played with some water numbers. He noted that only about a meter separates Lake Superior’s record high and low water levels. The record low was recorded in 2007, and the record high was recorded in October this year (2019). Although a meter of water doesn’t sound like much, Krumweide calculated that the amount of water gained by the lake between 2007 and 2019 is enough to fill 62.4 million Olympic-size swimming pools!

He noted that wind is also increasing. Many of the worst recent gales have occurred during the month of October. These cause high waves and more erosion along the coast.

When asked if locals should change the stock “Gales of November” phrase to the “Gales of October,” Krumweide said he prefers the term “The Gales of Fall,” because many of the wind storms occur in that season.

During a panel presentation on local perspectives of water level impacts, Shrider said that ice and high-water levels in winter are causing dock damage in her marina and other marinas. She reminded the audience about the damage done to Saxon Harbor’s walls and breakwaters by recent storms. In Washburn, the top of the break wall broke off during a storm and needed to be repaired.

The recent windy and wet weather has heavily impacted tourism. “There’s a shrinking population of boaters who are willing to go out in less-favorable weather conditions as they age,” she said. “Our marinas are full, but the boats don’t leave their slips.” This also means that boaters are not inviting their friends to go out with them as much, which has led to declines in lodging income for her local communities. She said numbers were down 15-20% this year and 10% last year.

During his presentation, Bechle described several sources of information that Sea Grant offers to people who are dealing with water level issues. The first is “Living on the Coast,” a free 50-page booklet that describes the natural processes that cause erosion, how people can protect their coastal investments, and the economics of different protection actions.

Sea Grant also offers many fact sheets on related topics, which can be found online here.

The conference wrapped up with small group sessions where people moved around the room and identified critical resources that could help their communities address lake level impacts and improve resilience.

The Lake Superior highs and lows conference was organized by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, NOAA, Minnesota Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/the-gales-of-october-lake-superior-water-levels-conference-highlights-highs-and-lows/

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: GLRI, Great Lakes, Press Releases

Coalition Urges House to Vote on Great Lakes Restoration Re-authorization
Bi-Partisan bill would increase restoration funding from $300 million to $475 million per year.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (December 4, 2019) – The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi yesterday, urging the House of Representatives to bring H.R. 4031, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019, to the floor for consideration this year. The act re-authorizes the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and increases the annual authorization over five years from $300 million to $475 million per year.

“Over the past decade the GLRI has improved lives across Great Lakes communities after decades of environmental damage threatened public health, the regional economy, and drinking water,” the letter reads. “The GLRI has allowed the 8-state region to undertake one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem restoration projects. Since its inception, the initiative has resulted in economic returns of more than 3 to 1 across the region and made tremendous progress.”

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“This funding re-authorization is excellent news for the 30 million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, recreation, and way of life. Over the past decade, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been producing results for communities across the region, but serious threats remain. This increased annual re-authorization acknowledges the work we have left to do. We thank Reps. David Joyce and Marcy Kaptur for their leadership, and we thank the region’s House delegation, who are working in a spirit of bi-partisan cooperation to make sure Great Lakes restoration and protection remain a national priority. We urge the House of Representatives to bring this bill to the floor without delay.”

The post Coalition Urges House to Vote on Great Lakes Restoration Re-authorization appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/coalition-urges-house-to-vote-on-great-lakes-restoration-re-authorization/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Action Plan 3, Action Plan III, epa, Great Lakes, Policy

Great Lakes Action Plan Offers Steady Path Forward

Last month, the EPA released its long-awaited Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan III, outlining the strategy guiding federal actions to restore and protect the Lakes being undertaken by federal agencies in partnership with the region.

The plan’s release comes at a time when both the U.S. House and Senate are seeking to increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative beyond $300 million per year. Over the last 10 years, Congress has invested over $3.1 billion in Great Lakes Restoration, and securing a strong action plan has long been a priority of the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition.

The recently released plan for the Great Lakes hews closely to previously released action plans. It guides federal restoration efforts around four major priorities: cleaning up toxic hot-spots (so-called Areas of Concern), restoring fish and wildlife habitat, working to stop the spread of invasive species such as Asian Carp, and reducing agricultural runoff to fight toxic algal blooms in the Great Lakes.

Here’s our take on the EPA’s action plan:

1. These are the right priorities to focus on – taken together, they point to a solid plan for restoring and preserving the health of the Great Lakes.

2. It’s going to take robust funding and strong policy to make this plan a reality. In addition to robust funding for restoration projects, it will be essential to have strong policies in place that protect the Great Lakes and the waters that feed them. The Trump Administration and the EPA must reverse its decision to gut protections for streams, waterways and wetlands. With many cities and towns still living with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to cut back on clean water enforcement. We need to strengthen clean water protections, not roll them back.

3. Robust investments in water infrastructure are also needed to ensure that restoration efforts last for the long term. Aging sewer and stormwater infrastructure threaten the health of the Great Lakes and the health of the millions of Americans who rely on the lakes for drinking water. The Great Lakes region faces at least $179 billion of needed improvements to its water infrastructure to provide local communities with drinking water and wastewater services. It’s imperative that Congress boost investments to fix our crumbling infrastructure.

4. The bipartisan support for Great Lakes restoration continues to pay dividends. Over the last decade, Republicans and Democrats have come together to make Great Lakes restoration a national priority and to provide much-needed funding for restoration efforts. That cooperation continues. Recently the U.S. Senate recommended increasing Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding from $300 million to $310 million; and the U.S. House boosted restoration investments from $300 million to $320 million. The final budget is yet to be determined—yet it’s clear that bipartisan cooperation has been essential to success. The Great Lakes congressional delegation has shown great leadership to make that funding a reality.

5. Climate change will only exacerbate threats to the lakes—and needs to be taken into account as restoration efforts move forward. As climate change continues its course, the Great Lakes region is witnessing more intense storms, greater flooding, more shore erosion and more runoff pollution that fuels toxic algal outbreaks. These new challenges will require continued investment in the lakes, as well as solid plans to ensure that their worst effects can be mitigated.

6. Future plans must explicitly address equity and justice issues. Low-income communities and communities of color are bearing the brunt of environmental degradation caused by pollution and climate change. Yet, traditionally, these communities have been the least likely to have a seat at the table when solutions are being devised. Any plan to restore the Great Lakes must take these inequities into account and take the lead from these communities.

Moving forward, the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition looks to work with Congress to finalize the restoration funding allocation and maintain funding for the long term. We also seek to secure funding to upgrade vital water infrastructure and to eliminate the rollbacks of clean water protections that threaten the health and vitality of our lakes.

The post Great Lakes Action Plan Offers Steady Path Forward appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/great-lakes-action-plan-offers-steady-path-forward/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Bridget Faust, Coastal States Organization, CSO, Fellows, OCM

Guest post by Bridget Faust, 2018-19 Wisconsin Sea Grant Fellow

Bridget Faust

I arrived at the Hall of the States first thing in the morning on April 2, 2018. As I walked up to the building, I glimpsed the top of the Capitol dome and couldn’t help but smile. I thought to myself, “I live here now. I work here now.”

It was my first day at the Coastal States Organization (CSO), and I was nervous. I quickly signed myself into the building, made my way up to the sixth floor, took a deep breath and walked into the office where I’d be spending about half my time for the next 15 months. The space was small. Three offices and three cubicles fit snugly inside. The walls were aquarium blue.

Days later, I repeated this exercise when I went to NOAA’s Silver Spring office for the first time. The sound of waves breaking in the wave pool that stands outside of SSMC4 told me that I was in the right place.

And so it began. After five years of working towards this fellowship opportunity, I was in D.C. serving as a Wisconsin Sea Grant Fellow in a joint position with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management (OCM) and CSO.

During my time in D.C., I worked on a variety of things that OCM and CSO work on together and helped them to improve their coordination. This included supporting implementation of the National Coastal Zone Management Program Strategic Plan by coordinating the Digital Coast Resource for Coastal Managers webinar series, helping to run CSO’s Coastal Nonpoint Work Group, supporting the administration of the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program, and serving on the project team for an economic assessment scoping study of the National CZM Program.

Time passed more quickly than I could have imagined, and along the way, I learned some major lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my career. I have summarized these lessons below for any recent graduate or graduate student who is considering applying to a fellowship program.

At the Restoring America’s Estuaries / Coastal States Organization summit in Long Beach, California.

Say yes to new and challenging opportunities.

During my time as a fellow, I was asked to take the lead on a number of tasks that pushed me outside of my comfort zone. For example, having never worked in the nonpoint source pollution realm, facilitating calls on the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program seemed like a daunting task. After all, I wasn’t an expert. How could I help states that have so much more experience? Working with the work group ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences of my fellowship, and I am so glad I ended up saying yes to the opportunity. Fellowships provide recent graduates with a rare chance to try new things! I would encourage future fellows to say yes when they are asked to try something new to benefit fully from this experience.

Know what you want to get out of your fellowship before you start.

Before I even started my fellowship, I outlined learning objectives and experiences that I wanted to gain with my career goals in mind. While I didn’t end up accomplishing all of them, knowing what I wanted to get out of my fellowship before I started allowed me to tailor my experience so it not only benefited OCM and CSO, but also allowed me to gain the skills that I needed to build my resume.

Ask questions, even if they seem foolish.

Exploring D.C. with my fiance, Josh.

This probably goes without saying, but the old adage is true: there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Almost a year into my fellowship, I made the mistake of assuming that staff didn’t need to register for a meeting that we were helping to plan. That’s how it had been at my last job, so why wouldn’t it be the same here, right? Wrong. I did need to register and by the time I asked the question, the meeting was just weeks away. Everything worked out in the end, but the stress of the situation could have been avoided had I just asked instead of making an assumption.

I had a chance to see the Block Island Wind Farm up close during a site visit for CSO’s fall meeting in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Wisconsin Sea Grant Fellowship was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain practical experience applying the skills I’d learned as a graduate student at UW-Madison.

It also helped to prepare me for the job I currently have today. Since July 2019, I have been working for CSS, a private sector firm in the environmental services industry, as a coastal management specialist on contract to NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. I live and work from the Twin Cities area, which is home for me.

Aside from being in a different location, my day-to-day tasks have not changed significantly since my fellowship ended. I am still supporting National CZM Strategic Plan implementation and Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program administration. I am part of the economic assessment project team, and I still work closely with my former colleagues at CSO. The only major difference is that I no longer formally wear a CSO “hat.”

In sum, I’d highly recommend one of Sea Grant’s many fellowship programs to current graduate or Ph.D. students who are looking for practical experience outside of academia!

 

Photo credits: All photos in story submitted by Bridget Faust.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/lessons-learned-as-a-sea-grant-fellow/

Jennifer Smith

On:
In: ballast water research, Great Waters Research Collaborative, Lake Superior Research Institute UWS, Matt TenEyck, Montreal Pier, River Talk

Matt TenEyck, climbing out of a ballast water tank on a ship. Image by Carol Wolosz.

Matt TenEyck with the University of Wisconsin-Superior Lake Superior Research Institute presented the November River Talk at the Lake Superior Estuarium. His talk, “Influencing Industry and Research: Ballast Water,” offered the latest news in ballast water research.

TenEyck’s institute recently took over management of the ballast water testing facility located on Montreal Pier in the harbor near Barker’s Island. Called the Great Water Research Collaborative, the project provides scientific services to the maritime industry to promote “green shipping.” TenEyck said its focus is to test technologies designed to prevent new ballast water introductions of invasive species in the Great Lakes.

Contrary to popular belief, this does not mean that such systems would kill everything in the discharged ballast water. “The standard these technologies need to meet is fewer than 10 animals alive in 1,000 liters of water.”

Many of the audience members were eating popcorn in liter cardboard containers, and TenEyck pointed out that the standard was the equivalent of 10 organisms alive in about 1,000 popcorn containers.

“This is actually a higher sterility standard than hospitals are held to,” TenEyck said. “It’s a matter of risk management.” Also, such systems need to remove viruses and cannot discharge toxic substances back into the harbor.

The research collaborative solicits ballast water treatment ideas from the public. The staff then tests the ideas to see if they work. This can happen in several different ways: bench-testing, which is done in a lab; land-testing, which is done at the Montreal Pier facility; and/or shipboard testing, which is done on working ships either in the Great Lakes or oceans.

Some of the recent bench-testing they’ve done includes technologies that use sound waves or electric currents.

Land testing makes use of four large white mock ballast tanks that are the major features of the Montreal Pier facility. TenEyck explained that two of the tanks are used for treatment testing and the other two function as scientific controls. They collect data during experiments every 15 seconds.

Shipboard testing involves using a proposed technology on a ship for six months in a variety of water quality conditions.

After testing, the collaborative shares the results with the inventors. TenEyck said that so far, they’ve tested 26 bench-scale systems, of which four had promise. They’ve also tested 15 land-based systems and three shipboard systems. They have used things like chlorine, lye, hydrogen peroxide, ultra-violet light, ultrasound and sonic energy.

Only one other ballast water research facility exists in the U.S.: the Golden Bear Research Center in California.

The search for a workable system continues. “Our job is to be knowledgeable and provide sound science for the process,” TenEyck said. “We have no stake in the outcome. We serve as a third party and provide credible data.”

The next River Talk will take place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2020, also at the Estuarium. Duluth Seaway Port Authority Director Deb DeLuca will discuss issues that the Duluth-Superior Harbor faces.

River Talks is an informal monthly series about the St. Louis River Estuary hosted by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs.

Original Article

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/river-talk-explored-ballast-water-research-at-uws/

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: CCO Meeting, FEMA Region 5, Indiana, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Open House, Public Meetings

Lake County, Indiana – Open House Presentation [.pdf] – CCO Meeting Presentation [.pdf]
Press Release [.pdf]
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
CCO Meeting 2-4 pm | Open House 5-7 pm
Hammond Port Authority – Clipper Room
701 Casino Center Drive
Hammond, Indiana 46320

Van Buren County, Michigan – Open House Presentation [.pdf] – CCO Meeting Presentation [.pdf]
Press Release [.pdf]
Thursday, December 12, 2019
CCO Meeting 2-4 pm | Open House 5-7 pm
South Haven City Hall – Council Chambers
539 Phoenix Street
South Haven, Michigan 49090

Original Article

Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study

Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study

https://www.greatlakescoast.org/2019/11/18/lake-michigan-community-consultation-officers-meeting-and-open-house-for-lake-county-indiana-and-van-buren-county-michigan/

Great Lakes Coast

On:
In: Fox Locks in the News, Important information, Press Releases

The Fox River Navigational System Authority board of directors approved conducting a suite of studies to provide more complete information to the DNR on the behavior of round gobies in an electric barrier environment. This series of studies would provide the following information:

  • Comprehensive information about the round goby’s ability to swim against water velocity at all stages of the fish’s life;
  • How an electrical field will affect a round goby at all stages of the fish’s life.

Four of the studies would be conducted in a laboratory, the fifth study is optional and would be conducted in one of the closed locks. If all five studies are conducted, the cost would be about $165,000, paid from FRNSA’s capital budget.

This will be the first such scientific study on the behavior of the round goby from larval to adult stages. Consultants are confident the studies will answer all questions raised by the DNR and provide definitive information on the fish’s response to electric currents and water velocity, two components central to the electric barrier proposed for the Menasha lock. For more information, visit this link. 

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2019/11/16/update-on-menasha-lock/

Fox Locks