NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/NCEI-selects-interim-RCSDs
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/ncei-appoints-interim-regional-climate-services-directors
Although Great Lakes water levels are down, the risk of coastal erosion remains high, Michigan State University researchers say. Now, the researchers are enlisting “citizen scientists” to assist in helping better understand coastal change.
The post Researchers seek volunteers to document coastal erosion in Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/06/23/researchers-seek-volunteers-to-document-coastal-erosion-in-michigan/
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (June 22, 2021) – The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition sent a letter to Congress advocating for full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $375 million for the 2022 fiscal year. The letter was signed by 93 Coalition members and can be read in full below.
HOW FY2022 GLRI Appropriations Final (6.22.21)
The post Coalition Members Call for Full Funding of GLRI at $375 Million appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/coalition-members-call-for-full-funding-of-glri/
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
https://noaaglerl.blog/2021/06/22/new-wave-buoy-will-provide-data-to-support-wave-and-flood-forecasting-on-lake-champlain/
The University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) won a communications award in an international competition sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, an association that shares strategies and tactics to engage alumni, donors, prospective students, parents, government officials, community leaders and those in the private sector to support education.
An invitation designed by Yael Gen for an event commemorating Groundwater Awareness Week won a bronze award. Judges said the creative team “clearly thought about their various audiences when they were producing this highly effective piece. This is a modern, striking design that is simplistic, but not simple.”
WRI’ sister organization, Sea Grant, also won two awards. The podcast series Introduced, produced by Bonnie Willison and student Sydney Widell about aquatic invasive species, won a gold award and the 2018-20 Sea Grant biennial report won a bronze award. The report was designed by Yael Gen, edited by Elizabeth White and written by Moira Harrington.
The post WRI wins communications award first appeared on WRI.
News Release – WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/wri-wins-communications-award/
Sea Grant won two communications awards in an international competition sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, an association that shares strategies and tactics to engage alumni, donors, prospective students, parents, government officials, community leaders and those in the private sector to support education.
The podcast series Introduced, produced by Bonnie Willison and student Sydney Widell about aquatic invasive species, won a gold award. Judges said, “We loved that the hosts reported their stories by finding interesting leads and then going into the field to investigate and interview the people involved…The back-and-forth between the hosts is comfortable and welcoming, and there’s good use of music throughout.”
The 2018-20 Sea Grant biennial report won a bronze award. The report was designed by Yael Gen, edited by Elizabeth White and written by Moira Harrington. Judges said, “Such a fun and creative design! The signal flag theme and visual identity are smart and unusual, and we agree with the nominators that the design captures the zeitgeist of this time period. Rough waters indeed! The graphic elements added inside flowing type are hard to pull off, but pull them off they did, creating something that’s not just visually interesting but rewards the viewer upon their closer inspection. For not being able to commission photography, they have done a wonderful job of creating visual excitement on each layout; it’s like a master class in how to get around COVID photography restrictions.”
An invitation designed by Yael Gen for an event commemorating Groundwater Awareness Week also won a bronze award that went to Sea Grant’s sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute.
The competition drew 2,957 entries from around the world, including from prestigious Ivy League schools and respected international institutions.
The post Sea Grant wins communications awards first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-wins-communications-awards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-wins-communications-awards
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/www.surveymonkey.com/r/HazSimp21
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/2021-young-summer-scholars
A four-year research project looking into the impact of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems and on agricultural soils will have important implications for the Great Lakes, said its principal researcher.
Funded by the Canadian government, the $1-million project was announced in May. It will measure microplastic levels in wastewater from treatment plants draining into Ontario rivers and streams that feed into the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/canada-microplastics-study-wastewater-impact/
Carol Thompson is among 13 journalists named to the inaugural class of the National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowships.
The post Former Echo reporter awarded reporting fellowship first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/06/21/former-echo-reporter-awarded-reporting-fellowship/
The GLRI, launched in 2010 by the Obama administration and funded with bipartisan support by the U.S. Congress, began with an initial budget of $475 million in its first year, and roughly $300 million in each subsequent year through 2020, when it jumped to $320 million. Read the full story by The Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-glri
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. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-pfas
Shipment of iron ore — a key raw material that feeds the blazing blast furnaces at Northwest Indiana’s lakefront steel mills — have risen more than 7% year-over-year to 1.4 million tons thus far this shipping season. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-iron-ore
The announcement Friday amounted to a swap of assets — with the Alder heading for a year of maintenance and then permanent residency in San Francisco, while USCG Cutter Spar will be bound for Duluth, Minnesota in spring 2022. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-alder-cutter
Researchers found lake users were willing to travel 56 minutes farther for every 1 meter increase in water clarity in Minnesota and Iowa lakes, even when controlling for other factors. Read the full story by The Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-tourists
The Biden administration is rewriting how it protects endangered species — making significant shifts in regulations that could affect how habitat is kept safe for these and other imperiled birds, fish, insects, mammals and plants across the United States. Read the full story by Maryland Matters.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-endangered-species
The U.S. Coast Guard plans to close its seasonal station in Grand Marais, Minnesota by next year and will rely instead on its Duluth station more than 100 miles away for severe water emergencies. Read the full story by Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-coast-guard
The story of Monty and Rose, a breeding pair of piping plovers, is being retold in a children’s book, with proceeds from its sale benefiting a study to boost the population of the endangered Great Lakes piping plover. Read the full story by the Block Club Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-piping-plover
Eighteen beaches in Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties showed satisfactory water quality after test results were released for harmful levels of E. coli bacteria Thursday morning. This was the first of weekly testing that will occur every Wednesday until Sept. 8. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-beach-monitoring
A decree allowing native tribal members fishing rights, but regulating the types of gear and fishing areas used, is currently under negotiation after it was set to expire on Summer 2020. The deadline has been extended to June 30, 2021. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210621-native-fishing
Federal authorities have charged the owner and manager of more than 100 buildings in Buffalo with conspiracy for violating laws intended to protect tenants from lead paint poisoning.
The post Feds file conspiracy charges against owner, manager, of Buffalo properties with long-running lead paint violations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/06/21/feds-file-conspiracy-charges-against-owner-manager-of-buffalo-properties-with-long-running-lead-paint-violations/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261A6C5FD68.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261A6C62090WI.GRBSPSGRB.d65efe55088dd94d9c460efb2df919a6
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261A6C5C1A4.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261A6C5E404WI.GRBSPSGRB.7520cb428c3c67ad07be789df893eb3c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261A6C5906C.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261A6C5B13CWI.GRBSPSGRB.670272ffdeab82d92d5ab990673d0435
By Brandon Tyus
As an African American team member of Freshwater Future, I’d like to comment on recent progress to address inequities and justice. We’ve gone from being brought to American soils on someone else’s accord, to increasing our number of people now sitting at the table to make decisions to better our community, to the adoption this week of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. We fight so hard every day to rectify the disparity in equity, so let us use Juneteenth to recognize how far we’ve come. To relish in our wins in water and freedom.
Industry research indicates that severe health risks from newer PFAS used in food packaging was hidden by chemical companies from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The reporting revealed that these newer chemicals, sometimes called “short-chain” PFAS, accumulate and are toxic, similar to the longer chain chemicals. As a result, our pizza boxes, take out containers, and other food packaging are exposing us to these damaging chemicals.
The Black Lake Chapter was awarded $8,000 to help increase the lake sturgeon population in Saginaw Bay through the Conservation Fund and the Bay Area Community Foundation. The Black Lake Chapter will use these funds to stock 1,500 fall fingerling lake sturgeon over three years in the Saginaw Bay watershed, helping to restore these long-lived fish.
Water Celebration on July 16th, 2021 is a gathering in Stephenson Island, Wisconsin to support protection from mining contamination of the Menominee River. Great speeches and fun activities are featured at this outdoor event. Learn more here.
The Water is Life Festival is an annual event that celebrates our connection to the water and builds power through community so we can work towards living in a holistic way with water and protect it from those who seek to exploit or endanger it. The festival is held Saturday, September 4th before Labor Day in Mackinaw City, Michigan.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/freshwater-weekly/freshwater-future-weekly-june-18-2021/
For the second consecutive year, experts are anticipating Lake Erie’s seasonal harmful algal bloom will be smaller than the year before, according to the most recent early projection made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-hab
It’s been a relatively easy year for Kenosha shorelines in 2021, as Lake Michigan has dropped from historically high water levels last year due to a combination of factors. Read the full story by the Kenosha News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-water-level
The Lake Superior Magazine is recognizing a Marquette County partnership for its dedication to Lake Superior. The Superior Watershed Partnership was named the recipient of the 2020 Achievement Award for its significant contribution to Lake Superior and surrounding communities. Read the full story by WLUC-TV- Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-award
A provincewide effort to monitor and limit the spread of invasive species, such as the zebra mussel, is looking for help from some citizen scientists. Read the full story by the Whig Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-invasive
Along the beaches and coastal areas of Saugeen Shores, Ontario don’t be surprised to see youth participants in the Coastal Conservation Youth Corps this summer. The program gives high school aged students a summer opportunity to take action on conservation and restoration projects. Read the full story by the Shoreline Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-youth-program
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is receiving a boost in its effort to designate the Bay of Green Bay as a national research site. On Thursday afternoon, the state provided nearly $49,788 to help in the process. Read and view the full story by WLUK-TV- Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-greenbay
Bay City, Michigan’s own Appledore IV is officially sailing the straits for the summer. BaySail, an environmental education non-profit, takes passengers on an hour and half sail through the Straights of Mackinaw. Read the full story by WEYI-TV- Saginaw, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-sail
Workers at Toledo Refining Company worry that they will lose their jobs if Enbridge Line 5 pipeline is shut down. The Ohio Senate this week unanimously passed a resolution urging Whitmer to stand down. Read the full story by WTVG-TV- Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-refinery
The U.S. Coast Guard honored three “good Samaritans” Wednesday for a rescue in Lake Superior last year. Read and view the full story by WLUC-TV- Munising, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-kayakers
Wisconsin regulators have ordered the Village of Somers in Kenosha County to halt construction on its project to draw water from Lake Michigan. The village began work before receiving all the necessary approvals to move forward. Read and listen to the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210618-divert
A company hired to help extinguish a fire that gutted a northern Illinois chemical plant this week used foam containing toxic compounds that have tainted surface waters and groundwater across the U.S., officials said Thursday.
The private contractor sprayed the foam for about three hours Tuesday at the Chemtool Inc.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ap-foam-pfas-illinois-plant-fire/
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/2021/06/pfas-bottled-water-makeup-filthy-fifty-list-corporations-toxic-packaging/
Amy Wolf speaks during the Wequiock Creek Natural Area gathering. Image credit: Daniel Meinhardt
This spring, a small but dedicated group of people gathered in the woods near the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus to commemorate restoration efforts that are beginning on the Wequiock Creek Natural Area.
Contributing to the restoration is Stephanie Dodge (formerly Stephanie King), a First Nations graduate assistant with Wisconsin Sea Grant. Dodge, an enrolled Oneida Nation Member, is incorporating Indigenous oral histories into work on the Wequiock Creek wetlands. The area is ancestral lands for the Ho-Chunk Nation, Menominee Nation, and Potawatomi, as well.
During the gathering of First Nations folks, Dodge listened to the group’s ideas, thoughts and feelings about what the wetlands means to them. Along with restoration team partners at the UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, Dodge shared intentions and goals for the land.
The gathering opened with a tobacco offering and Menominee prayer by David Grignon, tribal historic preservation officer with the Menominee Indian Tribe.
David Grignon and Stephanie Dodge. Image credit: Daniel Meinhardt
“It is my hope that good things happen at the site and a natural ecosystem can be developed and maintained,” Grignon said.
Dodge obtained the tobacco from a garden center near Wequiock Creek. The owners are friends of her mentor, Julia Noordyk, Wisconsin Sea Grant water quality and coastal communities outreach specialist. Dodge traded white corn flour products for it. Trading versus buying the tobacco is another example of incorporating traditional ways.
The group then toured the area and continued their discussions. The east shore of Green Bay, which includes Point au Sable, Wequiock Creek and Red Banks, remains a significant area for First Nations, who have been connected to this land for millennia.
“We hope this is just one of more gatherings and conversations to come,” said Bobbie Webster, natural areas ecologist for the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity.
The post Green Bay Natural Area restoration begins with gathering first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/green-bay-natural-area-restoration-begins-with-gathering/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=green-bay-natural-area-restoration-begins-with-gathering
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1261A6B54040.SpecialWeatherStatement.1261A6B56944WI.GRBSPSGRB.1079f636710c404b77bd880ef1c503b9
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/july26-28storms
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/June17SevereThunderstormsExpectedTonight
This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.
By Jim Malewitz, Wisconsin Watch
Archeologists have unearthed human remains of Native Americans who lived up to 2,500 years ago during excavations of the Sheboygan County site along Lake Michigan where Kohler Co.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/ancient-human-remains-kohler-golf-course-wisconsin/
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/marine-blooms-harmful-algae-increasing/
The Great Lakes are in a period of the year when their water levels usually rise. But all of the Great Lakes are not rising or just barely rising. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210616-water-levels
New research has revealed a growing prevalence of highly toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in rainwater in the Great Lakes basin, increasing fears about the negative health effects for humans and wildlife. Read the full story by The Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210616-pfas
One group of scientists who study the annual Lake Erie algae blooms have recently made their forecast for this summer and they’re calling for a smaller, milder algae problem than average. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210616-algae
Advisers to the bilateral Great Lakes Fishery Commission have passed a resolution recommending moving management of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission away from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and back to Global Affairs Canada. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210616-fisheries
2020 marked a grim milestone in Lake Michigan, with a record number of drownings in its waters – 56 total – the highest number since 2010, when the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project started tracking drownings. Read the full story by WBND – TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210616-drownings
