The 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race, where boats sail from Lake Huron off Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, to the finish line at Mackinac Island, will be its largest. Read the full story by The Sarnia Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-mackinacisland-sailboatrace
Foam on lakeshores is often a natural occurrence, usually caused by dying aquatic plants or algae that’s stirred up by waves. Natural foam is usually off-white and has an earthy smell, but some foam — that’s artificially white — contains toxic “forever chemicals.” Read the full story by Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-pfas-contamination
The Great Lakes vary significantly in depth, but exactly how deep are they, and where does Lake Ontario fit in? Read the full story by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-greatlakes-depth-lakeontario
The Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York, has set a date for the grand opening of its “Great Lakes 360” project. The long-awaited and first-ever expansion will welcome the public for the first time on July 13. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-newaquarium-greatlakes360
An effort continues to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species in waterways around the Great Lakes. At the Shawano Lake County Park Boat Landing in Wisconsin, conservationists search for unwanted animals like zebra mussels. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-ais-landingblitz-shawanolake
The shallowest of the Great Lakes — which was just named the top lake in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best — is now being recognized as a top spot for bass fishermen. Read the full story by The Canton Repository.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-bestbassfishing-lakeerie
The Mark W. Barker, a 639-foot lake freighter built by the Bay Shipbuilding Company, is slated to make stops at the Wirt Stone Docks in Bay City and Saginaw, Michigan. The Barker was the first Great Lakes freighter to be built on the lakes in 35 years when it was put together in 2022. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-freighter-greatlakes-saginaw
When the Environmental Protection Agency research vessel Lake Guardian arrives in Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, it will be carrying not only scientists but also three Pennsylvania educators. The educators will have hands-on opportunities to explore microplastics, benthic organisms, cyanobacteria and other Lake Erie-specific topics. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-pa-educators-researchvessel-epa
What if a high-voltage transmission line were built beneath Lake Michigan, connecting major power infrastructure on either side of the Great Lake? Officials at Wolverine Power Cooperative say regional grid operators should consider the concept. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-powerline-michigan-wisconsin
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.d79d9fa3f38abea2d438f55a86fa67a2d0f9faf9.001.1.cap
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/070524_flashflood_event
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.bc32f620200b2e717476332f29f3f01fbe3d6a11.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.439d66cd6acfdfedf100c2f3f8afc99b837d37c6.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ef97074b8e3b9b53687ffcc1c9709936205108f8.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.6c5254a325c005f5c8b75dc1ba78f0b3f747bb16.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.5f8cef01d5c44cd154ac96f39d86574f548d3806.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.77dfad581f116da0857df3a6e345cce277743d4f.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ae75f7c288436bfa13a0a6cbde07f056c033eea1.001.1.cap
By Todd Richmond, Associated Press
Environmentalists are challenging Michigan regulators’ decision to approve encasing part of an aging Enbridge Energy oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, arguing that they failed to properly consider alternatives that would minimize climate impacts.
The Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Michigan Climate Action Network filed a brief with a state appellate court Thursday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/environmentalists-appeal-michigan-regulators-approval-of-pipeline-tunnel-project/
“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her nonfiction books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and the children’s story “A Family Tree” in 2024.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/a-symbol-of-survival-red-pine-peels-and-ojibwe-canoe-factories/
A new funding agreement between the state governments of Michigan and Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide $388 million to start the $1.1 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project, aimed at preventing invasive species from entering the Great Lakes through the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-brandon-road
The Ports of Indiana landed U.S. Customs and Border Protection approval to establish an international sea cargo container terminal, the first in Chicagoland and the first on Lake Michigan. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor will be able to unload containers, creating an all-water container route for ocean vessels to reach the Chicago market. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-cargo-port
The Ohio House approved H.B. 599, naming the walleye Ohio’s state fish, by a vote of 94-2. Ohio is one of only three states, along with Indiana and Iowa, without a state fish. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ohio-state-fish
The FishPass project in Traverse City, Michigan, replaces the city’s failing dam with a new barrier that allows passage of desirable fish while blocking harmful invaders. $1 million from Michigan’s 2025 state budget will support the final phases of construction of the FishPass, including most of its publicly accessible features. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-fishpass-funding
Michigan is looking at ways to reduce the amount of agricultural nutrient pollution getting into Lake Erie, including large- and small- scale wetland restoration projects in southeast Michigan. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ag-pollution
The cleanup of an oily spill in the Flint River in Michigan continues a week after it was first detected, and officials said Tuesday they still don’t know the source. Flint city officials speculate that soil contamination or illegal dumping could be the source of the spill. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-flint-spill
The first week of August will mark ten years since the water crisis in Toledo, Ohio, when many were instructed not to drink, cook with, or bathe in the water for three days. Water quality advocates are disappointed major improvements haven’t been seen in the lake yet. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-erie-progress
Eight years ago, Oscoda, Michigan, residents were informed that PFAS “forever chemicals” had made their way into the town’s drinking water. The discovery’s impact on tourism is difficult to measure, but both data from the time and sources from the region say it did affect the economy. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-pfas-oscoda
The 20-minute ferry ride across Lake Superior to Madeline Island, Wisconsin, offers not only summer fun but also a glimpse into Great Lakes history. A new exhibit at the Madeline Island Museum highlights the Ojibwe people’s journey and their connection to the island. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ojibwe-exhibit
Cruise ship season in the Great Lakes is in full swing, and Alpena, Michigan, has seen its fair share of cruise ships anchoring in its waters. Each year since 2022, the number of stops in Alpena has increased because of positive feedback. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-cruise-benefits
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.22c1d3857bbcbcde061ee63596d2cd4f21cc5177.001.1.cap
Original Story: Fox River Navigation System Authority
The Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) board voted in late June to halt work on the Menasha lock re-opening project, with no set date for resuming development of an electric barrier in the lock channel.
The Menasha lock (located between Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte des Morts) had been the most-used lock in the system between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay. After the discovery of a round goby below the Neenah dam in 2015, FRNSA voluntarily closed the lock in an effort to keep the invasive fish out of Lake 
Winnebago. Since then, the round goby has become abundant in the Fox River and Little Lake Butte des Morts.
The FRNSA has spent more than $750,000 on a proposed electronic barrier which would have allowed boats to pass through the lock, but emit a DC current to repulse fish from entering the lock channel.
However, with an installation cost of $7 million, plus an annual operating cost of $300,000-$400,000, the FRNSA board voted to stop work on the project. Since 2015, FRNSA has been working with experts in aquatic ecosystem management to design a plan using a system of an electric deterrent barrier and water flow regulation at the Menasha lock. Board members indicated further work on the proposal was not within the organization’s budget.
Prior to closing the Menasha lock, it had been the busiest lock on the system; now the DePere lock is the busiest. The locks are the only way the Fox River is navigable—from Menasha to the Bay of Green Bay the river drops in elevation 168 feet. From the Menasha lock to the Rapide Croche lock the river has 17 miles of navigable water. On the northern end of the river from Rapide Croche to the Bay of Green Bay the river is navigable for 20 miles.
“Our goal has always been to restore navigation of the Fox River through the lock system, but we also want to ensure we are protecting the waterways,” Ramlet said. He added FRNSA has maintained a testing program for invasive species for years.
Photo Credit: FRNSA
Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!
Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.
Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/
Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.
The post Menasha Lock Re-Opening Plans Put On Hold Indefinitely appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2024/07/02/menasha-lock-re-opening-plans-put-on-hold-indefinitely/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=menasha-lock-re-opening-plans-put-on-hold-indefinitely
Happy 4th of July!
The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is joining the international effort to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species this July 4th weekend! The 
annual Landing Blitz campaign runs June 26th – July 6th, 2024. Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) boat inspectors and educators will meet boaters at lake and river launches to remind them that by taking simple prevention steps, we all play a vital role stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) like zebra mussels.
Joining with the Great Lakes Landing Blitz, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance joins all the Great Lakes states and provinces to educate boaters that simple clean up steps and draining water from the boat and live wells can help to prevent the spread of AIS. Many boaters will be greeted at landings and access points by volunteers and regional aquatic invasive species prevention partners sharing the simple but powerful message: YOU can protect lakes and rivers form aquatic invasive species impacts.
“It only takes a minute to remove plants, animals, mud or debris from boats, trailers and equipment and to drain all water from bilges, livewells and bait buckets,” said Erin McFarlane, the Statewide CBCW Educator with Extension Lakes. “These simple steps help keep invasive species from hitching a ride from one lake or river to another.”
No matter where you launch, always remember before you leave the launch to:
Following these steps ensures boaters comply with Wisconsin state law, which prohibits the transport of aquatic invasive species.
Have a safe holiday weekend and thanks for helping protect our waterways!
Photo Credit: Sophia Koch
Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!
Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.
Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/
Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.
The post Landing Blitz: Protecting our Waters appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2024/07/02/landing-blitz-protecting-our-waters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=landing-blitz-protecting-our-waters
By Lester Graham, Michigan Public
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/07/how-much-can-wetland-restoration-reduce-farm-fertilizers-getting-into-lake-erie/
Part of “A Year in the Wild Kitchen of the Great Lakes,” a series in partnership with expert forager, Lisa M. Rose with the mission of nurturing a deeper connection with the natural world through foraging. To get started with your foraging journey, begin here with our “Framework to Sustainable and Safe Practices.”
Summer in the Great Lakes region is a magical time, with long, warm days and the sweet taste of freshly picked berries.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/wild-berry-bonanza-juicy-jewels-of-the-great-lakes-summer/
I write today with big news. For more than a decade, we’ve been working with scientists, advocates, federal agencies, and elected officials to prevent invasive carp in the Mississippi River from entering Lake Michigan. I’m thrilled to let you know that the Brandon Road project – a series of barriers on the Des Plaines River to stop silver and bighead carp from reaching the Great Lakes – is now set to begin construction. This couldn’t have happened without you.
As of today, the state of Illinois and the state of Michigan signed a final project agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to get shovels in the ground as soon as January.
This project is a decade in the making and is a major priority for the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Invasive silver and bighead carp have already wreaked havoc on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, out-competing native fish for food and injuring people who recreate on the rivers. By using a series of measures designed to stop the carp, the Brandon Road project will act as the choke point to stop them from reaching Lake Michigan. The fish threaten the economic health of the Great Lakes’ $7 billion commercial and sport fishing industry, its $16 billion recreational boating industry, and the entire Great Lakes ecosystem.
This historic agreement wouldn’t have happened without you. Thank you for advocating for the lakes, contacting your elected officials, supporting us with your donations, and being a part of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Together, we’ve been leading efforts to stop invasive carp for more than a decade. We released a groundbreaking report, advocated before Congress, negotiated with industry and elected officials, informed feasibility studies, helped secure federal and state funding, and more. Through it all, we kept up the pressure.
I’d also like to thank Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as well as U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Debbie Stabenow and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their leadership to make this project happen and ensure the Great Lakes are protected.
I hope you’ll join me in taking a moment to celebrate this historic win for the lakes.
The post Historic Win for the Great Lakes: Invasive Carp Barrier Gets Final OK appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/07/historic-win-for-the-great-lakes-invasive-carp-barrier-gets-final-ok/
Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today applauded the states of Illinois and Michigan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for signing a project partnership agreement (PPA) for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project. This project, which was originally authorized in 2020, is a key component of the region’s longstanding efforts to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp.
“Preventing invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes is a team effort, and the Great Lakes community is stepping up to meet the moment,” said Erika Jensen, executive director of the GLC. “Signing the Brandon Road PPA is a critical step in keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. Illinois, Michigan, and the Army Corps of Engineers all deserve enormous credit for the years-long effort to address this threat. The GLC is also especially grateful for our Great Lakes congressional delegation, who have worked tirelessly to secure federal funding and policy changes necessary to move forward with construction.”
The GLC has worked for over 30 years on efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species, including support for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project. Since 2019, the GLC has convened the Brandon Road States and Provinces Forum, which has served as an important venue for information-sharing and problem-solving.
The Brandon Road Interbasin Project is located at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois. This project will include installation of technologies that will prevent invasive bighead, black, and silver carp from entering Lake Michigan through the Chicago Area Waterway System. Invasive carp present a significant threat to the Great Lakes, including their impacts on ecosystems, fisheries, and recreation, all of which help to drive the Great Lakes regional economy.
The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/news/brandon-road-070124
Chicago, IL (July 1, 2024) – Today, a coalition of environmental, conservation, and advocacy groups celebrated the announcement that Illinois Governor Pritzker, Michigan Governor Whitmer and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) signed a historic Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) to begin construction on the Brandon Road Project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.
The thousands of businesses that rely on the Great Lakes for their livelihoods owe Governor Pritzker and Governor Whitmer, and their staff, a debt of gratitude for this historic agreement. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) also tirelessly worked to ensure the Brandon Road project moved forward and that the Great Lakes are protected. Appreciation for the agreement should also be shared with the Army Corp for shepherding the project through the planning and design stage, and the Biden Administration for providing significant funding for the first phase of construction through the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act.
Advocates, some of whom have been pushing for the project since the early 2000s, hailed the milestone agreement to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.
“By signing the agreement, Governor Pritzker and Governor Witmer cemented their legacies as strong defenders of the Great Lakes. Invasive carp are poised to wreak havoc on Lake Michigan, and because of their actions, we now have the chance to stop them at Brandon Road,” said Molly Flanagan, Alliance for the Great Lakes Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Programs.
“The signing of the Brandon Road Project Agreement is historic and will help protect our fishery, our economy and quality of life.” said Marc Smith, policy director with National Wildlife Federation. “Keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes is a national priority. We applaud Illinois Governor Pritzker for his leadership in working with Michigan Governor Whitmer, all the Great Lakes states, the U.S. Congress and the Biden Administration in finalizing this project.”
“The signing of this agreement to advance the Brandon Road Project marks a proud and historic day for Great Lakes communities,” said Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr., Mayor of the City of North Chicago, IL and member of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. “I commend Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for leading the charge against the threat of invasive carp, securing the best possible financial arrangement for the State of Illinois, and protecting the blue economy on which our shoreline communities depend.”
“We commend Governors Pritzker and Whitmer for working together and with federal partners to advance the Brandon Road project to help keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes and thereby avoid a potential ecological and economic disaster,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director at the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
“We applaud Governor Pritzker and the State of Illinois for reaching this critical agreement with the State of Michigan to protect our priceless shared asset, Lake Michigan,” said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter. “This agreement starts work on a major defense for Lake Michigan against invasive species, and we urge all parties to move as quickly as possible to protect our precious Great Lakes.”
“We are grateful to Governor Pritzker for continuing to exercise environmental leadership in prioritizing the long-term health and vitality of our most critical ecosystems and economic drivers like Lake Michigan,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Together, we can protect the future of our Great Lakes for generations to come.”
Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes, dcarr@greatlakes.org
The post Historic Agreement Signed to Keep Invasive Carp Out of the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/07/historic-agreement-signed-to-keep-invasive-carp-out-of-the-great-lakes/
Chemicals like perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were likely spilled after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. A low-pressure storm system moved these chemicals across the Great Lakes region affecting all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-regional-pfas
Pennsylvania Sea Grant announced a new online platform to help citizens learn more about commonly found aquatic invasive species (AIS) in waters near them and offers tools to help accurately identify them. Read the full story by WJET – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-new-ais-app
Studies show that indoor air can be more polluted than the outdoor air in the biggest, most industrial cities in the Great Lakes region. Therefore seeking refuge indoors may actually be posing greater health risks. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-air-quality
Genetics is being pointed to as a major factor in the downturn in mallard numbers in the Atlantic Flyway and the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Outdoor News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-mallard-population-decrease
Newly hatched Great Lakes piping plovers are all feet and fluff. A captive rearing program in northern Michigan is working to help their population increase. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-plover-rearing
Since 2006, the number of new invasive species entering the Great Lakes has declined by 85%, but with climate change warming the lakes, the number of freshwater species that can ultimately survive in the interconnected body of water is only increasing. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-michigan-invaders
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its seasonal outlook for Lake Erie’s algal levels this summer. The annual bloom, commonly known as blue-green algae, is expected to become visible by early July and last into September. Read the full story by KDFW – Dallas, TX.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-summer-algae-bloom
Volunteers and invasive species partners will be at boat launches all over the state of Wisconsin this weekend, working to educate boaters on how to follow clean, drain, dry protocols to prevent the spread of invasive species. Read the full story by WCLO – Janesville, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-landing-blitz
The plastic pollution problem is widespread in the Great Lakes region. At a beach cleanup at Chicago’s North Avenue beach in May of 2024 participants picked up litter including lots of bits of plastic. Read the full story by Environment Illinois.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-beach-cleanup-mi
The Superior Watershed Program’s Lake Superior Volunteer Corps teamed up with the Great Lakes Climate Corps and community volunteers to clean up the new city pier in Marquette, Michigan. Volunteers pulled weeds and invasive plants from the area while planting native flowers and seeds. Read the full story by the WLUC – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-native-planting
July 1, 2024
By Moira Harrington
Wisconsin has about 1.2 million billion gallons of water underground. If it were above ground, it would submerge the state in 100 feet of water. Simply because there is a lot of groundwater, however, does not mean that volume keeps it immune for challenges related to quantity and quality.
After a rigorous review, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute selected two projects out of 15 that were submitted in a competition held last year. Those new projects got underway on July 1.
“We are so grateful to all of the researchers who submitted proposals to address Wisconsin groundwater challenges. Understanding problems is the first step in finding solutions, and we wish that we could have funded all of the submissions,” said Jennifer Hauxwell, WRI’s director of research. “The projects that we selected for funding this year will go a long way in understanding how surface waters and groundwater are connected as well as how geology interacts with groundwater and contaminants.”
Hauxwell shared these details:
News Release | WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/1-2-million-billion-gallons-of-groundwater-will-meet-wri-science-through-new-projects/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit PBS.
Traditional natural resource management used to focus on individual issues, like controlling pollution from industries and municipal wastewater treatment plants or managing a single species.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/great-lakes-moment-ecosystem-approach/
