Below are all products released by the Upper Midwest Water Science Center in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 (April 1, 2023 - June 20, 2023)
Wisconsin
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/upper-midwest-water-science-center/news/upper-midwest-water-science-center-products-1?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news
By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio
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/2023/06/lake-erie-harmful-algal-bloom-expected-smaller-average/
Wisconsin Water Library
https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/underrepresented-groups-in-nature-history/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
Earlier this year, a group of Michigan scientists published a study in The Journal of Great Lakes Research entitled “Extant mat microbes synchronize vertical migration to a diel tempo.”
Got that?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/science-says-what-bacteria-lake-huron-sinkhole-daily-tango/
Researchers are predicting a smaller-than-average harmful algal bloom for western Lake Erie this year, thanks largely to a dry spring. Read the full story by the Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-bloom-perdiction
Michigan and Illinois plan to spend a combined $114 million to stop the advancement of invasive carp into Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-invasive-carp
Chicago, IL (June 30, 2023) – This week the Michigan legislature approved $64 million in the appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024 to help fund construction of the Brandon Road project designed to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. When combined with the $50 million approved by Illinois, these funds cover the $114 million required for the local cost share. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also has $226 million available, which is enough federal funding to complete preconstruction, engineering and design and pay the federal share for the first year of construction. However, the state of Illinois still needs to sign a Project Partnership Agreement with the Corps to unlock these federal funds and keep the project moving.
Established populations of invasive carp are only 50 miles from Chicago and Lake Michigan, and earlier this month a bighead carp weighing 109 pounds was caught during the Upper Illinois Waterway’s Invasive Carp control program near Morris, Ill. That was after a 90-pound fish was caught just a day before.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes COO and Vice President for Programs Molly Flanagan said:
“Invasive carp pose a serious threat to the ecological health of the Great Lakes and the people and economies these waters support, including the region’s $7 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries.
We are pleased that Michigan and Illinois have joined together to fund the local share of the Brandon Road project designed to keep Invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. All the local funding is now in place to pay for the construction of the project. We urge the state of Illinois to sign the Project Partnership Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as soon as possible so that this critical work can continue uninterrupted.”
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Media contact: Please connect with our media team at TeamGreatLakes@mrss.com.
The post Michigan & Illinois Funding Is Welcome Step toward Construction of Invasive Carp Barrier appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/michigan-illinois-funding-is-welcome-step-toward-construction-of-invasive-carp-barrier/
The intense drought that hit the region for May and much of June helped keep Lake Superior from rising its usual amount in June. The International Lake Superior Board of Control said the big lake’s water level remained unchanged in June, a month it usually goes up by nearly 3 inches. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-superior-drought
As the effects of climate change become harder to ignore, there’s not a place on the planet that won’t feel an impact. However, Michigan will see comparatively fewer issues related to high temperatures, water access, and economic instability. Read the full story by CBS News Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-climate-haven
With threats of spying impacting some naval operations, the Defense Department is thinking about safer locations for some of its most sensitive testing and scientific programs. One idea is to place them away from ocean coasts in the less-vulnerable American Midwest along the Great Lakes. Read the full story by gCaptain.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-naval
Visitors and their pets are advised to avoid the waters of Michigan’s inland Swan Lake after health officials received positive test results for suspected algae blooms, according to Allegan County Health Department. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-allegan-algae
Three municipalities in Illinois, Oswego, Montgomery and Yorkville, are funding an engineering design project for the pipeline that will bring Lake Michigan water to the three communities. Read the full story by the Shaw Local.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-lake-pipeline
Initially rejecting NRG’s plan to close two coal ash ponds at its Waukegan electrical generating plant adjacent to Lake Michigan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awaiting public comment and further study before making a final decision. Read the full story by the Lake County News-Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-coal-ash
This year when volunteer cleaners arrived at the White Shoal lighthouse in northern Lake Michigan, they were met with a bumper crop of dead flies known as midges, which had piled up so thick on the lighthouse’s deck that they had to be shoveled off. Read the full story by MLive.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-lighthouse-midges
Technology has changed the navigation tools for foggy weather on Milwaukee’s lakeshore over the decades. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230630-foghorn
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/june-2023-regional-climate-impacts-and-outlooks
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12664F843BDC.AirQualityAlert.12664F865D90WI.GRBAQAGRB.95772b461ecdeafcc9c0642321d118ec
Eat Your Heartland Out is a Taste Awards nominated program about the intersection of food and culture in the American Midwest. The show is produced by the Heritage Radio Network, a leader in culinary audio storytelling and distributed on the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), which provides content to public radio affiliates across the United States.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/eat-your-heartland-out-how-to-feed-great-lakes-freighter-crew/
Our wonderful water quality monitoring volunteers have kicked off the 2023 monitoring season!
Volunteers are monitoring sites located throughout the Winnebago Waterways Recovery Area. During the growing season, volunteers monitor once a month for physical, chemical, and biological data as part of the Winnebago Waterways Water Quality Monitoring Program. Their hard work and effort results in data that allows us to monitor the water quality from month to month and year to year. Already this season, they’ve faced dry, rainy, and smoky/hazy conditions. Thank you for all you do water quality monitoring volunteers!!
Read more about the Winnebago Waterways Water Quality Monitoring Program by clicking here!
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org
The post Water Quality Monitoring Season off to a good start! appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/06/29/ww-wq-volunteers-2023-season-start/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ww-wq-volunteers-2023-season-start
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12664F771DA8.AirQualityAlert.12664F848EACWI.GRBAQAGRB.95772b461ecdeafcc9c0642321d118ec
By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio
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/2023/06/how-stay-informed-air-quality-michigan/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Largest solar farm in Illinois will help Chicago’s city operations meet climate goal — Energy News Network
About half of the output from Illinois’ largest solar project will be devoted to offsetting the city of Chicago’s municipal electric use when it’s completed in late 2024.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/energy-news-roundup-ohio-law-solar-energy-development-line-5-michigan-continues/
Chicago, IL (June 29, 2023) – Earlier today, NOAA and its research partners released the annual western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom forecast. In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Agriculture and Restoration Policy Director Tom Zimnicki made the following statement:
“Regardless of this particular forecast’s results, it is abundantly clear that the region will not meet the 2025 phosphorus reduction targets the Ohio and Michigan state governments set for the Western Basin of Lake Erie. Our lack of overall progress, particularly on reigning in agricultural nutrient losses, means the basin will continue to experience algal blooms, tourism will suffer, and municipal ratepayers will continue to foot the bill for any meaningful phosphorus reductions entering the basin. Despite hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, both Michigan and Ohio — the states with the lion’s share of the basin’s drainage area — remain woefully behind in regard to the necessary financial investment and acres of conservation practices in the watershed. It is imperative that the states outline a new, more rigorous strategy to address nutrient loading in the basin that goes beyond the status quo approach.”
The post Region not on track to meet phosphorus reductions needed to limit western Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/region-not-on-track-to-meet-phosphorus-reductions-needed-to-limit-western-lake-eries-harmful-algal-blooms/
Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/lake-superior-day-2023/
TED wants to bring Detroit to the world and the world to Detroit. As the city at the heart of the automotive industry grappling with building a sustainable future, Detroit was a deliberate choice for this year’s Countdown Summit.
This invite-only gathering will take place from July 11-14 in Michigan Central, the Fillmore Detroit and other locations around the city.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/ted-countdown-summit-is-coming-to-detroit/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12664F75CA34.AirQualityAlert.12664F771B50WI.GRBAQAGRB.95772b461ecdeafcc9c0642321d118ec
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Eric Freedman, Great Lakes Echo
Picture decrepit plantations enveloped in aggressively spreading kudzu. Picture the remnants of abandoned outbuildings invisible under kudzu’s woody vines. Picture forests smothered and trees killed by blankets of kudzu.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/watch-out-creepy-kudzu-coming/
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision removed federal protections for many wetlands, leaving states to decide whether and how to protect them. In a watershed like the Great Lakes basin, wetland protections are only as good as the state with the weakest laws. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-wetland-protections
The U.S. EPA has been utilizing two research vessels to collect data on Lake Ontario in order to properly address issues of nutrient pollution, chemical contaminants, habitats and invasive species. Read the full story by WIVB-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-lake-ontario-research
Volunteers in Ellisburg, New York, are trying to make South Sandy Creek more resilient by increasing biodiversity. In just a few days, the team introduced 6,000 plants, including 25 different native species to the region. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Carthage, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-invasive-resilience
One of Metro Detroit’s most well-known historic estates is getting a $7 million federal grant to restore Ford Cove on Lake St. Clair, improve habitats for local species and make it more accessible. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-restoration-grant
A survey of lake sturgeon, a species that dates back to the time of dinosaurs, will count juveniles in Northern Michigan’s Black Lake for the first time since 2013. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-sturgeon-survey
In New York, SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oswego are collaborating with the federal Tunison Lake Ontario Biological Station and several other groups to determine the best ways to transport, raise and reintroduce the coregonine subfamily of freshwater fish. Read the full story by WXHC – Homer, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-fish-restoration
Swimming is currently restricted on Beach 8 at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, because of high E. coli levels. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-beach-restriction
The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, New York, is hosting a new exhibit featuring twenty-five 3D printed and hand painted scale models of shipwrecks located beneath the waters of Lake Ontario and Central New York. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-shipwreck-exhibit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comment on the next phase of an Obama-era Great Lakes program that has become one of the region’s largest for environmental cleanups and wildlife restoration over the past 13 years. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-restoration-input
Captain Paul Berger Jr., of the Interlake Steamship Company, said he is “at home” this shipping season aboard the M/V Mesabi Miner—an iron ore freighter dedicated to the Men and Women of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range. Read the full story by the Mesabi Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230628-shipping-home
Wisconsin Sea Grant is organizing a webinar and has produced a report regarding the status of nature-based jobs in Wisconsin’s northern tier, which includes Douglas, Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties.
The webinar, “What Does Housing Have to do with Green Infrastructure? Workforce Needs in Northern Wisconsin,” is scheduled for noon-1 p.m., Tuesday July 18 on Zoom. Preregister for it here.
The report it is based on, titled, “Workforce Needs for Nature-Based Solutions in Wisconsin’s Northern Tier,” is available for free download from Wisconsin Sea Grant. It was prepared by Birchline Planning LLC and Water 365 LLC.
Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s climate and tourism outreach specialist, said the report and webinar deal with projects that implement green infrastructure practices in communities. “It’s using the benefits of nature to help communities mitigate or reduce the impacts of climate change that we’re seeing because of lake levels, warming and more rain,” Chin said.
Examples of nature-based solutions include stabilizing shorelines through planting greenery instead of hardening the shoreline with concrete and installing pervious pavers in parking lots that allow water to infiltrate into the soil instead of running off into storm sewers or waterways.
The report found not only strong capacity, interest and strengths in the region that support use of nature-based solutions, but also several unexpected limitations relating to a region-wide housing shortage and limits on municipal fiscal capacity.
Natalie Chin, climate and tourism outreach specialist, Wisconsin Sea Grant. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant
“Overall, the region’s public, private, educational and nonprofit leaders have an exceptional understanding of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure practices,” said Chin. “However, the region is held back by the sheer lack of people available to carry out this work. Housing availability was cited as the single most difficult limitation on recruitment. Also, communities need more capacity when it comes to project management. Writing grants and executing them is a full-time job just by itself for these types of projects.”
As next steps, this report recommends that Wisconsin Sea Grant and its regional partners consider options to build grant and project management capacity, address the regional housing shortage, work toward legislative reform and facilitate training that will support specific needs in the northern tier around nature-based solutions. Case studies of efforts in other rural regions are provided to illustrate successful strategies from other areas.
During the July 18 webinar, report authors Juli Beth (JB) Hinds and Linda Reid will share their key findings. This will be followed by a panel discussion where people who were interviewed for the report will share their perspectives. These include Alex Faber, executive director, Superior Rivers Watershed Association; Sara Hudson, director, City of Ashland Parks and Recreation; and Philomena Kebec, economic development coordinator, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
The post Webinar and report available about nature-based jobs in northern Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/webinar-and-report-available-about-nature-based-jobs-in-northern-wisconsin/
This month’s species spotlight highlights Wisconsin’s largest and only aquatic salamander: the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)! This brown or grayish salamander typically has dark spots and deep red, feathery gills. These salamanders have a finned tail too. Mudpuppies can grow up to 16 inches (1.33 feet) long!
The skin of mudpuppies is very slimy, though the rumors that mudpuppies are poisonous are not true. It is still best to avoid touching them and leave them be if you find one because they have sensitive, permeable skin.
Mudpuppies live their whole lives in the water of lakes and rivers. They prefer areas with large flat docks and will live in underwater holes. Mudpuppies eat aquatic invertebrates (animals in the water without a backbone) such as worms and insect larvae. They will also eat small fish and other amphibians.
Mudpuppies breed in late fall and spawn in June. Eggs hatch in July or August. It is estimated mudpuppies can live up to 20 years old.
Mudpuppies are typically nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. They may be more active during the day if the live in murky/muddy water but are tricky to spot and study. Currently, Wisconsin’s mudpuppy populations have not been extensively studied, so it is unknown how the species’ population is faring in Wisconsin. Their status is listed as common, but have recently been listed as a species of special concern in Minnesota, and are threatened in Iowa and Illinois. It is known that mudpuppies in Wisconsin are the only host of the Salamander Mussel, a state threatened species. In the winter, mudpuppies may be a common bycatch during the ice-fishing season, and in 2022 the Wisconsin DNR asked for help documenting mudpuppy observations. Mudpuppies are active year round, even under winter ice!
Article written by Katie Reed, Winnebago Waterways Coordinator: katherine@fwwa.org
Featured Image Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Additional Image Credit 1: US Fish and Wildlife Service – National Digital Library
Additional Image Credit 2: thismia CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources:
DNR Asks Public to Report Mudpuppy Observations – WDNR
Mudpuppy: NECTURUS MACULOSUS – WDNR
Mudpuppy – Endangered Resources – WDNR
Mudpuppy – Environmental Education For Kids
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance recovery initiative. Contact us at wwinfo@fwwa.org
The post Species Spotlight: Mudpuppy appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/06/28/species-spotlight-mudpuppy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=species-spotlight-mudpuppy
By Irena Li, 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/2023/06/michigan-under-statewide-advisory-as-canada-wildfire-smoke-hits-midwest/
By Kelly House 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/2023/06/nessel-10b-pfas-settlement-with-3m-doesnt-resolve-michigans-claims/
June 27, 2023
Fresh is a biweekly newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region today. Sign up for Fresh: A Great Lakes Policy Briefing, straight to your inbox, every other Tuesday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/fresh-federal-judge-orders-line-5-shutdown-on-tribal-land-in-wisconsin/
Cities across the country are investing in their stormwater infrastructure with hopes of achieving triple bottom line benefits – for people, the environment, and economic return. In the face of a changing climate that brings more extreme wet weather, a combination of gray infrastructure (pipes and tunnels) and green stormwater infrastructure (plants and soil) is a recipe for resilience that many cities are trying to perfect.
But responsibility for green stormwater infrastructure is rarely the primary mandate of any one department or agency. Instead, multiple agencies manage green infrastructure – from transportation to parks, stormwater to planning. And when agencies don’t collaborate, inefficiencies, inequities, and working at cross purposes often result.
Shared service arrangements can help. These legal agreements help agencies save money, pool resources, and collaborate to solve systemic water problems while still achieving their individual mandates.
Models of Shared Service Arrangements in Stormwater Governance takes a high-level look at 7 types of agreements, from simple informal agreements to Joint Benefits Authority. Each type of agreement is described with an easy-to-read overview of how it operates, when it’s suitable, advantages & disadvantages, and an example.
Read more to learn what type of agreement could be the best fit for your agency and its partners.
The post Models of Shared Service Arrangements in Stormwater Governance appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/models-of-shared-service-arrangements-in-stormwater-governance/
Every year the DOT regional office schedules a “take your kid to work” event that combines fun activities and learning. This year, the office combined an outing to the DePere lock with a demonstration on boat safety from a DNR warden. About 46 kids and 24 adults attended to learn the history and operation of the DePere lock—the busiest lock of all 17 locks on the Fox River. Lock tenders talked about how the locks were used for shipping, cargo, and vital to navigate the sharp drop in elevation of the Fox River. From Menasha to Green Bay, the river drops 168 feet in elevation—equal to the vertical height of Niagara Falls.
Lock tender Scott Thompson explained the size of boats that can fit into the lock chambers and told the kids that in the late 1800s and early 1900s the river was used to ship goods on giant barges and ships. The kids all got the chance to flood the lock chamber by opening the valves and taking a spin on the turnstile to open the giant lock doors. The word from the kids: “This is COOL!”
Blog – Fox Locks
https://foxlocks.org/blog/take-your-kids-to-work-day/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12664F56ACF8.AirQualityAlert.12664F771B50WI.GRBAQAGRB.95772b461ecdeafcc9c0642321d118ec
Adopt-a-Beach volunteers launched the 2023 Adopt-a-Beach season with hundreds of cleanups on Great Lakes beaches, harbors, bluffs, and trails. By June 26, volunteers had removed more than 191,000 pieces of litter from shorelines around the region.
“It’s so much fun to see the sense of community our volunteers create,” said Olivia Reda, the Alliance’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. “Everyone is working together to clean up their shoreline. Scouting groups, businesses, families, yacht clubs – it’s exciting to see so many different types of people get involved.”
And Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are working with a community that’s larger than their local cleanup, said Reda. “They’re working with volunteers all over the Great Lakes to collect important data about plastic pollution.”
This year marks 20 years of data collection by Adopt-a- Beach volunteers. While scientists have been studying plastic pollution in the ocean for decades, there is much less research about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Adopt-a-Beach data collection is one way our Great Lakes community is beginning to fill that gap.
Volunteers use a datasheet at every cleanup to tally each item they pick up. The event’s team leader tallies up all the data collected at the event and enters it into our online system.
“It might feel a little silly to count up every cigarette butt, bottle cap, or piece of tiny trash when you’re on the beach,” Reda said. “But the data from each cleanup tells a story. And when you put everyone’s data together in one place, the power of all that information is amazing!”
One of this spring’s data stories comes from Green Bay, Wisconsin. A group of Adopt-a-Beach volunteers led by Green Bay Sail & Paddle removed 677 pounds of trash from the South Bay Marina in just a few hours.
“It’s a bit unusual to collect so many pounds of trash at one cleanup,” said Reda, “but spring is a time when the heavy stuff shows up in the data, the stuff that washed ashore over the winter.” The litter this team collected included plastic, broken glass, rusted metal, and wooden planks. “This group really made their shoreline safer!”
Another spring data story comes from Cleveland, Ohio, where Adopt-a-Beach volunteers led by Drink Local, Drink Tap set an ambitious goal: remove 1 million pieces of trash from Lake Erie shorelines. The organization has already collected more than 500,000 pieces of litter from cleanups dating back to 2010. The vast majority of those items are plastic.
“Drink Local, Drink Tap is an amazing organization,” said Reda. “Their dedication to their community and Edgewater Beach is so inspiring! And the fact that they see so much plastic reflects the trend we see around the region. Roughly 85% of the litter found at Adopt-a-Beach cleanups is entirely or partially made of plastic.”
Because so much of the litter they collect is made from plastic, some Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are taking their cleanup efforts back to the source. In Chicago, Illinois, Organizing for Plastic Alternatives is working to reduce plastic use as the best way to keep plastic out the Great Lakes.
“Researchers say that more than 22 million pounds of plastic pollution end up in the Great Lakes each year. And the best way to keep plastic out of the lakes is to reduce how much plastic we use in the first place,” Reda said. “It’s so great that Adopt-a-Beach Team Leader and Alliance Ambassador Eileen Ryan – and the Organizing for Plastic Alternatives team – are raising awareness about problems associated with single-use plastic in their community!”
Every Adopt-a-Beach volunteer has a story to tell. And each of their stories adds up to an even bigger story told by 20 years of litter data.
“I really appreciate the volunteers who’ve returned for many years, and people who just joined this year. I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for the Great Lakes!” said Reda. “I hope to see you on the beach again this year.”
A special thanks to Bell’s Brewery and Unilever, this year’s top Adopt-a-Beach sponsors. Both companies are organizing shoreline cleanups throughout the region as well as providing financial support.
The post Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/adopt-a-beach-launches-20th-year-of-data-collection/
Adopt-a-Beach volunteers launched the 2023 Adopt-a-Beach season with hundreds of cleanups on Great Lakes beaches, harbors, bluffs, and trails. By June 26, volunteers had removed more than 191,000 pieces of litter from shorelines around the region.
“It’s so much fun to see the sense of community our volunteers create,” said Olivia Reda, the Alliance’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. “Everyone is working together to clean up their shoreline. Scouting groups, businesses, families, yacht clubs – it’s exciting to see so many different types of people get involved.”
And Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are working with a community that’s larger than their local cleanup, said Reda. “They’re working with volunteers all over the Great Lakes to collect important data about plastic pollution.”
This year marks 20 years of data collection by Adopt-a- Beach volunteers. While scientists have been studying plastic pollution in the ocean for decades, there is much less research about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Adopt-a-Beach data collection is one way our Great Lakes community is beginning to fill that gap.
Volunteers use a datasheet at every cleanup to tally each item they pick up. The event’s team leader tallies up all the data collected at the event and enters it into our online system.
“It might feel a little silly to count up every cigarette butt, bottle cap, or piece of tiny trash when you’re on the beach,” Reda said. “But the data from each cleanup tells a story. And when you put everyone’s data together in one place, the power of all that information is amazing!”
One of this spring’s data stories comes from Green Bay, Wisconsin. A group of Adopt-a-Beach volunteers led by Green Bay Sail & Paddle removed 677 pounds of trash from the South Bay Marina in just a few hours.
“It’s a bit unusual to collect so many pounds of trash at one cleanup,” said Reda, “but spring is a time when the heavy stuff shows up in the data, the stuff that washed ashore over the winter.” The litter this team collected included plastic, broken glass, rusted metal, and wooden planks. “This group really made their shoreline safer!”
Another spring data story comes from Cleveland, Ohio, where Adopt-a-Beach volunteers led by Drink Local, Drink Tap set an ambitious goal: remove 1 million pieces of trash from Lake Erie shorelines. The organization has already collected more than 500,000 pieces of litter from cleanups dating back to 2010. The vast majority of those items are plastic.
“Drink Local, Drink Tap is an amazing organization,” said Reda. “Their dedication to their community and Edgewater Beach is so inspiring! And the fact that they see so much plastic reflects the trend we see around the region. Roughly 85% of the litter found at Adopt-a-Beach cleanups is entirely or partially made of plastic.”
Because so much of the litter they collect is made from plastic, some Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are taking their cleanup efforts back to the source. In Chicago, Illinois, Organizing for Plastic Alternatives is working to reduce plastic use as the best way to keep plastic out the Great Lakes.
“Researchers say that more than 22 million pounds of plastic pollution end up in the Great Lakes each year. And the best way to keep plastic out of the lakes is to reduce how much plastic we use in the first place,” Reda said. “It’s so great that Adopt-a-Beach Team Leader and Alliance Ambassador Eileen Ryan – and the Organizing for Plastic Alternatives team – are raising awareness about problems associated with single-use plastic in their community!”
Every Adopt-a-Beach volunteer has a story to tell. And each of their stories adds up to an even bigger story told by 20 years of litter data.
“I really appreciate the volunteers who’ve returned for many years, and people who just joined this year. I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for the Great Lakes!” said Reda. “I hope to see you on the beach again this year.”
A special thanks to Bell’s Brewery and Unilever, this year’s top Adopt-a-Beach sponsors. Both companies are organizing shoreline cleanups throughout the region as well as providing financial support.
The post Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2023/06/adopt-a-beach-launches-20th-year-of-data-collection/
Wisconsin Water Library
https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/reel-in-the-summer-fishing-and-conservation-book-display/
GIS Analyst – Full-Time
In support of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance (Fox-Wolf)’s mission, the GIS Analyst is responsible for providing technical support to further the awareness of Fox-Wolf’s work to advance water quality. Duties include but are not limited to a wide range of work including: needs assessments, database design, application design, data development, software development and installation, cartographic mapping, user training, acceptance testing, rollout support, and technical support. The successful candidate will utilize project management principles to manage projects within time, scope and budget, work effectively with partners, and coordinate tasks with multi-faceted project teams. We are looking for a self-motivated, independent and detail-oriented individual who is passionate about the mission of Fox-Wolf.
This position reports to the Winnebago Waterways Director and will work on the following tasks:
● Design, monitor, and maintain the structure and integrity of the Fox-Wolf GIS database
● Own GIS data creation (compilation, editing, conversion of non-spatial data, digitization) and data management
(organization and structure, quality control) tasks
● Work closely with program directors to create systems to collect, analyze, and visualize a variety of data metrics to
show progress in implementation of water quality efforts
● Facilitate partner Land and Water Conservation Department staff in tracking and reporting adoption and
environmental and financial outcomes resulting from the adoption of climate smart agricultural practices
● Maintain and build relationships with conservation partners by providing training and support for conservation staff
● Support the Lower Fox Director in managing the Climate Smart Commodities grant project including standardized data collection, management, and reporting
To apply, email resume and cover letter to jessica@fwwa.org
The post GIS Analyst appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/06/26/gis-analyst/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gis-analyst
Because the holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, we made some scheduling changes. The only locks that will be open on Tuesday, July 4 are the De Pere and Little Kaukauna locks. Locks in the Fox Valley and Kaukauna will be closed on that day but will be open the Saturday and Sunday before and after the 4th of July. We know mid-week holidays may throw off your planning but just remember: for the record July 4, 1776 was a Thursday!
Blog – Fox Locks
https://foxlocks.org/blog/4th-of-july-schedule-changes/
