Forest Service and firefighting personnel in the U.S. are stepping up their response to wildfires burning in Ontario that threaten to cross the international border into Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. Read the full story by MPR News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-wildfire
Theodore has been travelling across Lake Ontario lately, making several stops to promote water conservation before settling into his new permanent home in the Hamilton Harbour. Read the full story by the St. Catharines Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-shipping-tugboat
This week, state senators adopted a resolution calling for equitable treatment among ports that deal in cargo imported and exported abroad. Titled Senate Resolution 74, the document calls on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to lift restrictions on ports in the state that have been in effect since 2016. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-ports-shipping
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the beginning of a public comment period on its draft environmental impact statement and management plan for the proposed marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario, the next step toward official designation.
“Any possible new sanctuary is a big deal for NOAA, the surrounding community and the nation,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, acting director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/public-comment-lake-ontario-marine-sanctuary-proposal/
The Great Lakes Islands Alliance, a voluntary, bi-national network of leaders from 15 populated islands in the Great Lakes, now has dedicated staffing with the hire of a project manager Peter Hudson. Read full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-islands
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/pfas-epa-fracking-ontario-cleanup-action-act-house/
I was recently reminded of the summer I spent working a gold dredge on a remote creek in Michigan’s thumb. For eight hours each day, I knelt in waist-deep water sorting a steady flow of material moving along a two-foot-wide conveyor belt.
I was looking for treasure but not of the golden variety – our team was after an endangered freshwater mussel.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/fish-mussel-memory-endangered-species/
Only 35% of the officials said that climate change was a priority in their department, even though over three quarters said it will be a problem in the future.
The post Local health departments in Michigan acknowledge threat of climate change to public health first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/07/19/local-health-departments-in-michigan-acknowledge-threat-of-climate-change-to-public-health/
By Makayla Coffee, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/great-lakes-surfers-michigan-beaches-rough-waves/
Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, is part of a panel that will deliver a virtual Capitol Hill briefing noon – 1 p.m. Thursday, July 29.
Deb DeLuca (submitted photo).
As members of Congress continue bipartisan negotiations on investment in infrastructure and ways to bolster the economy while the nation emerges from the global pandemic, DeLuca will share her insights on the value of the Duluth Seaway, a twin port with the harbor in Superior, Wisconsin. The seaway generates $1.4 billion in revenue annually and supports 7,881 jobs. By tonnage, it’s the largest port in the Great Lakes and is in the top 20 of U.S. ports.
The briefing is sponsored by the Sea Grant Association, a nonprofit organization that advocates for greater understanding, use and conservation of marine, coastal and Great Lakes resources. Other speakers include Beth Ginter, executive director of Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, Silver Spring, Maryland; and Seth Rolbein, director of Cape Cod Fisheries Trust, Chatham, Massachusetts.
DeLuca is a member of the Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Council, a 13-member body that provides input and direction for the statewide program that promotes the sustainable use of the Great Lakes through research, education and outreach.
To register for the briefing, visit this link.
The post Sea Grant Advisory Council member to deliver Capitol Hill briefing first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-advisory-council-member-to-deliver-capitol-hill-briefing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-advisory-council-member-to-deliver-capitol-hill-briefing
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Minnesota state Sen. Foung Hawj was never a fan of the “Asian carp” label commonly applied to four imported fish species that are wreaking havoc in the U.S. heartland, infesting numerous rivers and bearing down on the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-worries-racism-waterways-rename-fish-invasive-asian-carp/
Manure from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is spread onto farm fields in the Lake Erie basin as fertilizer. The debate continues regarding the amount of nutrients that spreading manure contributes to Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-poop-problem
Before traveling to the beach in Michigan, it is important to check the State of Michigan’s Beach Guard system to see an up-to-date map of the red-flagged beaches and details on water quality tests. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-beaches-closed
Each summer, an all-women cleaning crew has the strenuous and spider-filled job of cleaning the remote DeTour Reef Lighthouse before tourist arrive. The cleaning crew stays overnight and spends the days power washing the exterior and cleaning the interior as well as conducting maintenance. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-michigan-lighthouse
New York State Sea Grant published a suite of lake sturgeon educational resources that will help support student and public awareness about one of the Great Lakes’ largest and longest-living native fish. Read the full story by WWTI-TV- Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-disney-sturgeon
You may want to think twice before you release your pet goldfish into a local pond or lake. Officials in Burnsville, Minnesota, south of Minneapolis, shared images of football-sized goldfish discovered in a local lake, warning residents to refrain from letting their goldfish swim free in the water. Read the full story by WBUR- Boston, MA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-goldfish
A broad group of natural resource professionals are setting out to ensure that the Great Lakes are properly appreciated by lawmakers. The group of American and Canadian institutions includes the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and The Nature Conservancy, as well as economists, social scientists and conservationists. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-great-lakes-research
With staffers on duty “24/7,” a network of contractors standing by and backup power sources handy, the Great Lakes Water Authority said Thursday it will be ready for the storms expected to hit southeast Michigan through Saturday. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-rain
Wildlife officials are moving to rename the so-called Asian carp —a group of four species originating in that continent but brought to the U.S. on purpose decades ago — with a moniker that doesn’t have racist overtones. Read the full story by New York Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-carp
Employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allege their superiors were changing reports, in one case increasing the amount that would be a safe dose of a substance by 10,000 times. Integrity of science and communication of scientific information is critical to keeping residents safe. While a spokesperson for EPA said the allegations are being investigated, one can’t help but wonder how such actions could be affecting the safety of our children.
The federal administration is seeking additional public comments on changes to the federal Lead and Copper Rule, which regulates lead in drinking water. The deadline for comments is July 30, 2021. We are asking that you take a few minutes and use the talking points on our website to craft and submit your individual comments by clicking here.
The city of Maumee, Ohio is permitted to dump up to 25 million gallons of sanitary sewer water into the Maumee river annually and notify the EPA every time. However, the city of Maumee has been estimated to be dumping as much as 150 million gallons annually of unsanitary sewage into the Maumee river without informing the EPA. The city’s mayor had recently been notified and sees this problem costing $100 million over a 30-year period, and those costs will be rolled into the residents’ water bill, increasing their rates beginning next month. Some analysts are projecting an increase of 60% or more. In addition to the pressure on residents’ water and sewer costs, dumping into the Maumee River was also adding to the toxic algal blooms occurring in Lake Erie.
Microcystis, a cyanobacteria, produces the harmful toxin, Microcystin, which is associated with Harmful Algal Blooms in places like Lake Erie. Stephen Hamilton, a professor from Michigan State University, has been studying the zebra mussel’s relationship with the harmful algal blooms (HABS) for over ten years. Hamilton believes the zebra mussels selectively eat other algae, but not the cyanobacteria Microcystin, which can then grow aggressively because its competition has been removed.
Bay View, Michigan Scarrow Friday Forum Lecture Series – Freshwater Future’s Executive Director, Jill M. Ryan spoke to an attentive crowd of over 100 on July 9th. The lively discussion focused on Great Lakes water resource topics ranging from contaminants, water withdrawals, climate change and lake levels to Mackinac Straights Line 5.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/freshwater-weekly/freshwater-future-weekly-july-16-2021/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/participating-2021-esip-summer-meeting
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/071521_flooding-severe
A pair of piping plovers appeared on a busy Chicago beach two years ago, and filmmaker Bob Dolgan recorded the human effort to protect the birds’ nest.
The result: a documentary film. Dolgan shared some of his footage with Great Lakes Now, which can be seen in this segment:
GLN’s Nick Austin spoke with Dolgan about his work chronicling “Monty and Rose,” the plover pair that’s inspired so much conservation of habitat in Chicago.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/birds-film-bob-dolgan-chicago-piping-plovers/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261AC800F14.FloodWarning.1261AC8D0250WI.GRBFLWGRB.51586d5c7a30b48f34216aaf41041514
In June, the Biden administration delayed the implementation of the Trump Administration’s federal lead and copper rule (LCR) until December 2021 to seek additional public comments and potentially revise the Trump Administration’s LCR. Along with the delay, the U.S. EPA launched a public commenting period, holding roundtable discussions in 10 locations across the U.S. They are also seeking public comments until July 30, 2021.
While sign-on letters and action alerts are great, individual comments are more impactful and decision-makers look at these comments more than an action alert and sometimes a sign-on letter. Due to this and that the U.S. EPA is asking individuals to submit comments through a specific online portal, we are asking you to take a few minutes and use the talking points below to craft and submit your individual comments by going to https://www.regulations.gov/
If you have any questions on LCR or the comment period, please email Jill Ryan, Executive Director at jill@freshwaterfuture.org. If you do submit comments, please let us know by emailing alana@freshwaterfuture.org so we may track how many people comment. Thank you.
The American Medical Association and CDC have determined there is no safe level of lead in humans. Any standard put into place must be a health-based standard, which would be 0 ug/l.
The proposed rule requires Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) to tell customers how much lead is in the drinking water system servicing their house and where they can find the lead service line inventory. The CCR should also include information for customers about how to protect themselves from lead-in water if lead is above 0 ug/l, as well as an explanation of the proposed action level of 10 ug/l and exceedance level of 15 ug/l, particularly that these are not health-based levels, but for system corrosion control. This allows customers to make informed decisions about how they want to protect themselves from lead-in water.
The proposed rule does not go far enough to protect students’ drinking water. For schools connected to public water systems, the proposed rule only requires elementary schools and daycares to test once every 5 years and secondary schools are only by request. Schools are informed about how to protect students through flushing and other mechanisms, but there is no requirement for the schools to do flushing, etc. For schools that own and operate their water system, the proposed rule requires the school to sample more frequently, but these schools are not necessarily equipped to interpret the results or address the changes necessary to protect students. Given that our next generation spends so much time at school, there should be stronger requirements for sampling and monitoring of all schools and daycares. If a school does have an exceedance, the school or daycare should be required to use filter stations, and those schools in impoverished communities should be given filter stations at no cost to the school or residents. Filters should be used until all fixtures and service lines are replaced and the water has been resampled and deemed to have no lead in the water.
All lead service lines should be replaced, including public and private lead service lines, as well as those private and public lines servicing schools within 10 years.
The rule should require any community, regardless of size, to replace their lead service lines and if that community is impoverished, grants be provided to replace the lead services lines. The proposed revisions allow small water systems serving less than 10,000 people, too much flexibility. The proposed rule allows these small systems to either install or adjust corrosion control treatment, install and maintain point-of-use services like filters, replace all lead bearing plumbing, or replace lead service lines in 15 years, and once the system starts they cannot stop replacing the lines. Rather than giving this much flexibility, the end goal should be to replace all the lead service lines.
Standardize language used by utilities to inform customers of the health impacts to children, pregnant women, and adults when lead in water reaches the action level of 10 ug/l or 15 ug/l exceedance level should be included in the CCR, even if below the action or exceedance level to allow customers to make informed decisions about how they may want to protect themselves if there is lead in their water.
If the utilities are going to invest in inventorying service lines, utilities should make note of the materials of all the water service lines.
The USEPA should collect data from the water utilities annually and make this publicly available in a centralized database. At least, the following data should be collected:
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/call-to-action/public-comment-period-for-lead-and-copper-rule-revisions/
By Makayla Coffee, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/drowning-warnings-michigan-great-lakes-beaches/
Every year, summer seems to go by in a flash—and, with it, Sea Grant’s summer internships. If you follow the news section of our website, you know that we have seven creative and capable interns this year, each working on a different project with a different mentor.
We caught up with one of those interns, Hunter Goldman, recently to see how things are going with Hunter’s work on the “Eat Wisconsin Fish” project under the guidance of Outreach Specialist Sharon Moen. Below are some excerpts from our conversation.
Wisconsin Sea Grant intern Hunter Goldman at Lake Superior (Submitted photo)
Major: Sustainable Community Development
College: Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
So, how did a vegetarian end up helping with Eat Wisconsin Fish?
I e-mailed back and forth with Sharon, and she knew that I love cooking and have GIS experience. I also looked at the Eat Wisconsin Fish website to connect my interests to the mission of EWF. One of its goals is to cater to a wide audience, and I felt I was up for that challenge.
I also mentioned to Sharon some sauces I had made recently, and that’s part of how this came to be: our “get saucy with Sea Grant” theme this summer, with my making recipes on Facebook Live.
How have the weekly Facebook Live cooking events been going? It’s been fun watching you in your home kitchen.
It took a little getting used to, but I’m more comfortable behind the camera than presenting for a large audience face-to-face, so it’s easier for me to project myself over Facebook Live.
You’re using your GIS (geographic information systems) background to help with updates to the map on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website. What can we look forward to when this is complete?
The updated map will be really in-depth and easily filtered. It will be an upgrade to what’s currently there.
What I have planned is we’re going to have multiple layers, so you can easily select what you’re looking for, such as fishers, markets, academic or research facilities and so forth. For each producer, you’ll be able to easily see their location, address, a description, links to social media, a phone number and that sort of information.
Eat Wisconsin Fish is all about finding and enjoying fish that is sustainably caught or farmed in our state. That’s a nice fit with your major in sustainable community development. What draws you to this field?
I’ve always had a passion for the environment. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with how the Earth works and how humans impact it. Long-term, I’d like to implement geography and GIS and do urban planning that is focused on sustainability.
We heard that you’re intrigued by Iceland and would love to work there someday! Tell us more.
As a country, Iceland is really focused on sustainability; they’re huge leaders in that field, with geothermal power and an emphasis on sustainable energy. Another aspect I like is Iceland’s emphasis on social justice and equality. Iceland has amazing things going on for the LGBT community, which I’m a member of.
I also have an odd fascination with puffins! Iceland has the largest puffin population in the world, with about 60% of the world’s Atlantic puffins.
In Wisconsin, we have to make the most of summer. It goes too fast! What’s your go-to dish this time of year that would pair well with Wisconsin fish?
My family has a great recipe for gazpacho. If you let it sit in the fridge for a bit, those flavors of tomato, lemon, onion and garlic really come together. It’s refreshing and very light.
You could serve this with a simple fish recipe, like the Fish Fillets with Lime from the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, using whitefish or whatever you like best. It would be a good choice for a hot summer day!
The post Summer intern spotlight: Hunter Goldman and Eat Wisconsin Fish first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/summer-intern-spotlight-hunter-goldman-and-eat-wisconsin-fish/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-intern-spotlight-hunter-goldman-and-eat-wisconsin-fish
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (July 15, 2021) – Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, has been named as one of two new members to the EPA’s Great Lakes Advisory Board. Rubin will serve as a representative for environmental non-governmental organizations. The other new appointee is Frank Ettawageshik, executive director of the United Tribes of Michigan. He will serve as a tribal representative.
The Great Lakes Advisory Board provides the EPA with recommendations on specific Great Lakes issues, including implementation of the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which funds projects to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and reduce toxic algal blooms, and domestic implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.
“I am honored to have been chosen to serve on the Great Lakes Advisory Board,” said Rubin. “I look forward to working with the Advisory Board members and the EPA to ensure that federal investments to restore the Great Lakes continue to tackle the most pressing threats to the lakes, as well as help communities that have been harmed by toxic pollution, harmful algal blooms, and unaffordable water. We have made great progress over the years, but serious threats remain – all of which are being exacerbated by climate change. I am excited to get to work.”
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes.
The post Coalition Director Named to EPA Board appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/coalition-director-named-to-epa-board/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261AC7D84B0.FloodAdvisory.1261AC7E6DE4WI.GRBFLSGRB.9fa9923e5d8b1589d0e59811319ea8ee
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261AC7D7448.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261AC7D9900WI.GRBSPSGRB.1576b0f79f569b915c78b2528284bad5
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261AC7D0FE4.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261AC7D2F88WI.GRBSPSGRB.494cf03b682e092eb57578d83349b4a7
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261AC70D760.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261AC70F4ACWI.GRBSPSGRB.bda998c08cc8663eb141b461e5008c14
Over the last few years, the number of drownings has increased. In order to try to reverse the trend, the director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has proposed an order to essentially ban swimming at state-run beaches when conditions are too dangerous. Read the full story by The Legal Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-swimming-ban
An interactive article published In the New York Times shows how erratic water levels in Lake Michigan, on top of Chicago’s stressed water management system, have left the city and its infrastructure vulnerable to potentially catastrophic damage. Read the full story by WTTW – TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-chicago
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is hosting a series of virtual informational meetings for farmers to learn about Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative in the newly added 10 counties. Read the full story by the Portsmouth Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-h2ohio
Cuyahoga County planners are proposing a public-private partnership that would give the public access to the lakefront in exchange for using state and federal dollars to shore up private properties along the lakefront. Read the full story by WOIO – TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-cuyahoga
A replica tugboat named Theodore Too will be on display at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Ontario to promote Great Lakes protection and restoration. Read the full story by The Whig Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-tugboat
Experts say it’s important to stay vigilant about our plastic use because a lot of what’s hurting our beaches is smaller than we can see. Read the full story by WZZM – TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-plastic-pollution
At the end of June, Detroit experienced its second 500-year flood in seven years. A new preprint of a study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University found that recurrent flooding is more prevalent than previously thought in Detroit and that primarily African-American neighborhoods are at risk. Read the full story by Grist.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-detroit-floods
The DNR’s Lake Michigan Coastal Program will host a public meeting on July 21 seeking public input regarding funding for Lake Michigan’s watershed program. Read the full story by the Indiana Environmental Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-michigan-funding
Grosse Pointe Park homeowners who had nearly 8 feet of wastewater surge into their basements June 26 sued the Great Lakes Water Authority on Tuesday, saying officials were aware of the “dangers” posed by two Detroit pumping stations that partially broke down during the summer storm. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-grossepointe
DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge listened Tuesday to Flint residents who were victims of the city’s lead-contaminated water, a step in determining whether she should sign off on a $641 million deal that would settle claims against the state of Michigan.
More than a dozen people without lawyers signed up to speak, all in opposition.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-critics-urge-rejection-flint-settlement-deal/
While initial populations of invasive zebra mussels were brought to the Great Lakes on boats and in freighter ballast water, a new source of the invasive species has researchers concerned — pet stores.
The Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center has partnered with the University of Minnesota Genomics Center to genetically trace zebra mussels that have been found in aquarium moss balls in pet stores.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/invasive-zebra-mussel-research-genetic-testing/
Olivia Dachel, a Merrill High School teacher who is active in Wisconsin Sea Grant educational programs, has again put knowledge she gained through Sea Grant to help her students succeed. Her team of students took home the Judges’ Choice Best Tabletop System Design Award in the 2021 Aquaculture Challenge competition cosponsored by Lake Superior State University in Sault St. Marie, Michigan, and Michigan Sea Grant.
Drew Polak sits next to his team’s award-winning aquaponics system. Image credit: Olivia Dachel
Three of the team members were part of a team that won two awards in last year’s competition. They were team captain Drew Polak, a senior who plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for engineering after he graduates; Brendan Blystone, a sophomore who developed the system’s automated monitoring coding; and Teeny, a goldfish who represented an aquaculture fish species.
The students were challenged to create a small-scale aquaponics system, which included developing a way to monitor system parameters such as air and water temperature, luminosity and soil moisture. They also developed an action plan to help ensure the business succeeds.
Their system featured a self-contained aquaponics unit in a sleek countertop cabinet with a built-in 10-gallon aquarium. The adjacent gardening system was accented with grow lights and a mounted touch-screen tablet for system monitoring.
“They really upgraded the automated monitoring system this year,” Dachel said. “I was so impressed with it!”
Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture, which is growing fish and other aquatic animals, and hydroponics, which is growing plants without soil. To be successful, an aquaponics unit must carefully balance nutrients, fish, bacteria and plants. Anything out of balance will cause the system to collapse. (A video produced by Sea Grant presents one of these systems.)
The Merrill team competed against 19 others from across the Midwest, totaling over 300 students in grades 9-12. The team benefitted from information provided by the Sea Grant-sponsored Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility.
“They provided a virtual tour, plus schematics and baseline information that the students needed,” Dachel said.
The pandemic provided challenges to the team last year. This year was no different.
“If anything, it offered even more challenges,” Dachel said. “Even though we could have been face-to-face, due to student options for attending school at home or in a hybrid fashion, and due to the number of quarantines and health factors, it was very difficult to get students to meet in person to discuss the project. Most of the work occurred at home in separate areas or in the classroom at separate times when others weren’t around. When you’re working on circuitry, that’s pretty difficult.”
However, something must have gone right, given the team’s outcome. Just think what they could do if they were all together.
Oh, and Teeny? He now lives at home with Dachel.
The post Merrill High School earns aquaculture system honors a second time first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/merrill-high-school-earns-aquaculture-system-honors-a-second-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=merrill-high-school-earns-aquaculture-system-honors-a-second-time
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202106
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By McKoy Scribner, Great Lakes Echo
Scientists from the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station first noticed an invasive population of zebra mussels in Gull Lake in the mid-1990s. Afterwards, unexpected harmful algal blooms started appearing.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/researchers-invasive-zebra-mussels-toxic-algae/
The Fox Locks system and the City of Kaukauna will officially open the five locks on the Fox River in a today, July 13 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The ceremony will take place at Kaukauna lock 1, located at 701 Canal St., Kaukauna. Repairs to the Veterans Memorial Lift Bridge in Kaukauna are complete and the bridge will raise and lower to welcome the first boat traffic on the Kaukauna section of the lock system in more than 35 years.
“This project is yet another progressive move for our City and for the long-term betterment of our community,” said City of Kaukauna Mayor, Tony Penterman. “Opening these five locks to boater traffic will give Kaukauna an economic boost and connection to the Fox Cities. Boaters will now be able to take in all the beautiful views the Fox River has to offer throughout Kaukauna.”
The one-mile stretch of the Fox River represents the sharpest elevation drop of 50.4 feet from the guard lock near downtown Kaukauna to lock 5 just north of the Grignon Mansion.
“This is a reality we have been looking forward to for generations,” said Jeremy Cords, CEO of the Fox River Navigational System Authority. “Boats haven’t been able to travel on the Fox River from Menasha to Kaukauna for generations and this represents opening the last major stretch of the locks system since they were reconstructed in 2015.”
So far this summer, boat traffic has more than doubled. From May 22-May 31, 372 boats & kayaks traveled through the open locks as compared to 116 boats & kayaks over the same period in 2020. Traffic during last summer also increased significantly over traffic in 2019:
“We’re confident opening the Kaukauna locks will break all of these records and bring more recreational boaters through the system,” Cords said.
Of the 39-mile lock system about 30 miles will be open in 2021 for navigation. Boaters can travel from the bay of Green Bay to the Rapide Croche lock just south of Wrightstown. The river is also navigable from the Rapide Croche lock south through Kaukauna, Little Chute, Appleton and into Little Lake Butte des Morts to the closed Menasha lock. Both the Menasha lock and the Rapide Croche lock are closed to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Kaukauna interpretative trail announced
Cords also announced plans to develop an interpretative trail along the five Kaukauna locks, thanks to a $300,000 grant from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. The 1.3 mile trail will run adjacent to all five locks and give pedestrians and cyclists a chance to see the locks in action. The trail will be constructed on land already owned by the Fox River Navigational System Authority and will link to existing and proposed trails throughout the Fox Valley.
“This project will increase public access to the historic lock system,” Cords said. “The trail will provide one of the most up-close views of how the locks work along the entire lock system and allow citizens to see living history in action.”
When complete, the trail will feature:
David and Rita Nelson gave an estate gift of more than $100 million to their charitable fund at the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. The priorities they specified for the money include parks and recreation with a focus on water enjoyment.
“David Nelson especially loved spending time on and along the water, and he shared those experiences with so many during his lifetime,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Curt Detjen. “The Nelson family origins are in Kaukauna and I am sure they would have walked a trail like this, watching the locks in action. It is a living history lesson, and their other passion was history. This is an exciting opportunity to enhance community connections while showcasing the Kaukauna’s rich history and wonderful waterways.”
Construction has already started on portions of the trail and is slated for public opening in Spring of 2022. Design partner for the project is Westwood Professional Services (formerly OMNNI Associates).
For more information on the lock system, please visit this link.
Blog – Fox Locks
http://foxlocks.org/2021/07/13/kaukauna-locks-open-this-weekend/
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/thunderstorms_07142021
I’ve always been a fish fan. Though I didn’t grow up in Wisconsin, both of my parents hailed from the Badger State, so the fish-fry culture is in my blood. Of course, there’s a lot more to eating fish than deep frying it, which is why I hopped on to a recent live webinar offered by the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative—of which Wisconsin Sea Grant is a part—and hosted by Ohio Sea Grant.
“Fish to Fork: Grilling in the Great Lakes” featured my colleague here at Wisconsin Sea Grant, Sharon Moen, as well as two Sea Grant-ers from my home state of Michigan, Lauren Jescovitch and Elliot Nelson. Sharon runs our Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative, working with fish farmers, commercial fishers and consumers.
Shrimp and veggie kabobs ready for the grill.
Sharon, Lauren and Elliot put on a lively session via Zoom, with Lauren and Elliot beaming in from their kitchens in Michigan’s U.P., and Sharon from her tree-lined deck in the Twin Ports area (Duluth/Superior).
While I encourage you to watch the recording yourself to pick up some fish tips, I thought I’d blog some of my impressions and takeaways from these three experts.
When possible, they said, it’s great to get your fish directly from local producers, such as a fish farmer in your area or commercial fishers. That way, you know your product is very fresh and you can ask questions about how it was raised or caught. And because these products (whether farmed or wild-caught) are highly regulated in the U.S., you can feel confident you’re getting a safe product.
If you can’t buy direct from a producer or at a specialty fish market, you’re probably picking up your fish at a large grocery store or big-box store. Labels are your friend! Elliot, an extension educator covering Michigan’s eastern U.P., suggests finding out where the fish or seafood came from. You might be surprised to find some local or regional choices.
Also, noted Elliot, don’t assume that the fresh fish counter is automatically superior to the freezer section. Sometimes “fresh” fish at the counter can be past its prime. Avoid mushy textures, strong fishy odors or things that look opaque or cloudy.
In the frozen section, you don’t want to see ice on the outside of the bag or on freezer shelves, but ice inside the bag is fine. Vacuum-sealed products are also a good way to go.
Lauren, an extension educator covering the western U.P., preceded Elliot with an impressive—and only slightly gory—demonstration of how to gut and fillet whole fish.
Lauren recommended gutting smaller fish, leaving them more or less intact, then placing seasonings inside before cooking. She used fish from the Watersmeet Trout Hatchery, as well as a local maple barbecue seasoning rub. For larger fish, she recommended filleting.
Impressively, during the live hour on Zoom, she cooked her clean, gutted trout on an indoor grill and then showed the removal of skin and pin bones before eating. While I know she’s had plenty of practice, it looked very do-able!
Sharon Moen makes a fish kabob during a live webinar hosted by Ohio Sea Grant.
While Elliott focused on food selection and safety, and Lauren showcased her knife skills, Sharon assembled a colorful, healthy kabob for an outdoor grill, using a combo of shrimp, catfish, trout and vegetables. She showed off her finished product at the end of the hour, which looked to have just the right amount of char on the veggies.
I’ll be sure to invite myself over to Sharon’s next time I’m in the Twin Ports—both the skewers and her deck looked fabulous on a summer’s day. Add a glass of wine, and that’s my idea of a perfect summer lunch or dinner!
You can find Sharon’s kabob recipe, Fishes on Sticks, on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website. And to hear more from Sharon, check out her June 19 appearance on the Buckeye Sportsman radio show, when she chatted with host Dan Armitage about grilling fish and more (Sharon’s segment runs from 14:15-30:38 on the recording).
As Elliot said near the end of the hour, there’s “a bounty of flavors when it comes to seafood,” and preparation doesn’t have to be complex. If you watch the archived webinar from this trio of fish experts, I’m sure you’ll agree.
In the meantime, here are some Sea Grant-supported web resources that that can help you find producers, specialty fish markets, recipes, health info and more:
The post Getting your grill on with Sea Grant first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/getting-your-grill-on-with-sea-grant/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=getting-your-grill-on-with-sea-grant
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois prosecutors on Friday sued the owner of a chemical plant where a fire last month sent dark smoke and ash into the air for days and prompted evacuations, saying the company should be held accountable for air and water pollution and hazards that still exist.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-illinois-sues-owner-plant-fire-evacuations/
