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In: AP, Drinking Water, Farming, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
DNR issues expansion permit for Kewaunee County factory farm

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced March 25 it will issue a permit that will make it harder for a Kewaunee County factory farm accused of contaminating drinking water to expand.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the permit caps the number of cows at the Kinnard Farms facility at about 8,000 head, the number of cows the farm currently houses.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/dnr-issues-expansion-permit-for-kewaunee-county-factory-farm/

The Associated Press

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...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Portions of east central and northeast Wisconsin. * WHEN...Until noon CDT today.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A7B0E8.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.ab1769d9217b4e6f8039daf8c684225a

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and northeast Wisconsin. * WHEN...Until Noon CDT today. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A74130.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Uncategorized
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation changing to snow. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. Minor ice and sleet accumulations, except around a tenth of an inch of ice over Door County. Winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and northeast Wisconsin.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A6BB98.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Michigan, Wildlife

After a four-year hiatus, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has revived its popular Facebook series “IdentiFriday.” IdentiFriday asks participants to guess the species of a plant or animal based on a small portion of a picture each Friday. The correct answer is then posted with the full photo later in the day.

The post DNR keeps people guessing on social media first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/31/dnr-keeps-people-guessing-on-social-media/

Guest Contributor

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In: Uncategorized
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up to two inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and northeast Wisconsin.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A5E4C0.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: canada, Collaboration, Fish, Birds and Animals, invasive species, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, sea lamprey, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
The pandemic that closed the U.S./Canadian border to people may have opened it to the invasive sea lamprey

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Danielle James, Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes invasive species cling to shipments and navigate canals to migrate, but one aquatic invader – sea lamprey – benefitted from border closures instead.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/border-opened-invasive-sea-lamprey/

Great Lakes Echo

On:
In: Uncategorized
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Rain changing to freezing rain and sleet, and then snow. The snow could be moderate or heavy at times Thursday morning. Total snow accumulations of two to four inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 35

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9992960.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: AP, Budget, Detroit, Drinking Water, Equity and Environmental Justice, flint, Grand Rapids, infrastructure, legislation, Michigan, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Recreation and Tourism, The States, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Michigan Legislature approves $4.8B infrastructure plan

By David Eggert, Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers approved $4.8 billion in spending March 24, mostly for infrastructure upgrades, with an influx of federal pandemic and other funds that will go toward water systems, roads, parks and other priorities including affordable housing.

The huge supplemental budget plan, which Gov.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-michigan-legislature-approves-infrastructure-plan/

The Associated Press

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In: News and Announcements

News

Great Lakes Commission releases new video highlighting habitat restoration at Powderhorn Lake near Chicago

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today released a video highlighting work to restore wetlands and reduce flooding at Powderhorn Lake near Chicago. The video shows how a collaborative effort between local, state, regional and federal organizations is restoring more than 100 acres of wetlands, connecting the lake to its northern neighbor, Wolf Lake, and ultimately Lake Michigan.

Powderhorn Lake is part of one of the few remaining examples of the dune and swale topography – sandy ridges interspersed with water pockets – that once characterized the Calumet Region along the south shore of Lake Michigan. The area is home to 100 bird species, 250 plant species and 2,500 insect species. In addition to reconnecting water flow to Lake Michigan, this project will allow fish passage between the lakes, install water control structures to help prevent future community flooding, and increase hemi-marsh habitat. This work aligns with the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative objective of protecting and restoring communities of native aquatic and terrestrial species important to the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes Commission is excited to showcase the collaboration among dedicated partners focused on improving Powderhorn Lake and its surrounding community, the region, and the Great Lakes,” said GLC Chair Todd Ambs, of Wisconsin. “We are proud to coordinate regional partnerships to restore and protect habitat, remediate degraded areas, and ensure resiliency to climate change across the basin.”

A team including Audubon Great Lakes, Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and engineers Hey & Associates, Inc. are collaborating with the GLC and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on this project.

For more information on the Powderhorn habitat reconnection project, visit www.glc.org/work/priorityareas/powderhorn.

The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), 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.

Contact

For media inquiries, please contact Beth Wanamaker, beth@glc.org.

Recent GLC News

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Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/news/powderhorn-033022

Beth Wanamaker

On:
In: Uncategorized
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Rain will change to freezing rain and sleet, and then to snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Snow accumulations of two to four inches are expected and a small ice accumulation. Winds could gust to 35 mph.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E998D6F4.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, Natasha Blakely, News, outdoor recreation, Quiz, Recreation and Tourism, Tourism
Surf and Slide: The Great Lakes Now Episode Quiz

Great Lakes Now tries to make every episode interesting and educational.

In “Surf and Slide,” GLN Host Ward Detwiler learns ice boating from one of the best in the world – right in southeast Michigan. Follow along with the all-women surfing group Lake Surfistas as they strive to make lake surfing more welcoming and stay warm in winter waves.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/surf-and-slide-episode-quiz/

Natasha Blakely

On:
In: Uncategorized
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Rain will change to freezing rain and sleet, and then snow. The snow could be heavy at times Thursday morning. Total snow accumulations of two to four inches and a small ice accumulation is expected. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E998C178.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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President Joe Biden’s proposed $5.8 trillion budget calls for $340 million in funding for the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and at least $300 million for electrifying the federal fleet, as well as $126 million to combat PFAS contamination. Read the full story by The Detroit News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-budget

Theresa Gruninger

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In: Daily News

Ohio’s Defiance County soil and water conservation office, the City of Defiance, and the Great Lakes Commission, with property owners Mike and Michelle Zeedyk, signed an agreement for an experimental water quality project that aims to reduce nutrient loading into the Maumee River. Read the full story by The Crescent-News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-nutrient-loading

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Daily News

A group of U.S. representatives from throughout the Great Lakes region has signed on to a bill, recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, aiming to create a new entity dedicated to developing the area’s communities and conserving its vital natural resources. Read the full story by the Fremont News Messenger.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-great-lakes-authority

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Daily News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $3.3 million dollar contract to a Rochester firm to make repairs to the west pier at Little Sodus Bay in Fair Haven in Cayuga County, New York. The repairs will ensure that boaters have safe passage between Little Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario, and the rest of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by FingerLakes1.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-pier-repair

Theresa Gruninger

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In: Daily News

The city of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, received a grant from the state’s Harbor Assistance Program to improve the moorings in its Harbor Park for the Tug Ludington, a World War II vessel that has been a popular tourist attraction in the city. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-tugboat

Theresa Gruninger

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In: Daily News

Salt deposited over the winter season is an inevitable part of road safety, but is the amount of salt too much? Fresh water resources in Michigan have a lot of salt in them, and scientific projections show that the water, and crowning Great Lakes waters, are indeed getting, and will continue to get, saltier. Read the full story by Jalopnik.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-road-salt

Theresa Gruninger

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In: Daily News

Friends of Second Marsh president Peter Taylor said his group’s vision is to re-purpose the old GM headquarters in Oshawa, Ontario, into a ‘Great Lakes Centre for education and research’. Read the full story by Insauga.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-friends-of-second-marsh

Theresa Gruninger

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In: Uncategorized
...SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND ICE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY... A low pressure system over Illinois is expected to rapidly intensify late tonight as it moves into northern Lower Michigan. It will bring rain changing to freezing rain, sleet and snow to the Fox valley and lakeshore areas after midnight tonight through midday Thursday. Travel could become difficult Thursday morning.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E99844DC.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E998E248WI.GRBSPSGRB.54e5ef070b45e49081402cfe9ce09122

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Uncategorized
...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING... Although temperatures have climbed above freezing across much of central and east central Wisconsin early this morning, freezing rain continued over north central and far northeast Wisconsin. Untreated secondary roads, bridges, on and off ramps, and overpasses will remain ice or sleet covered and slippery through

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E99802D8.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E9988870WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Agriculture, Echo, Michigan, renewable energy

With a worldwide increase in need for food and oil, the soybean industry shows no signs of slowing down. Expanding consumer interest in plant-based foods as popular substitutes for meat could create more opportunities.

The post Meat substitutes, greener fuel drive soybean demand first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/30/meat-substitutes-greener-fuel-drive-soybean-demand/

Guest Contributor

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In: Uncategorized
...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL STILL POSSIBLE IN EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN INTO THE EARLY MORNING... Although temperatures have climbed above freezing in east central Wisconsin, untreated secondary roads, bridges, on and off ramps and overpasses may still be sleet covered and slippery in spots. Conditions should improve as temperatures slowly rise overnight.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E996EBF0.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E9977700WI.GRBSPSGRB.f78a67b308ead913b6602ecedbbe287d

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Uncategorized
...SLEET AT THE SURFACE UNDER THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST-CENTRAL WI THIS EVENING... An area of sleet is moving across central and east-central Wisconsin this evening accompanied by a period of rain and thunder. Areas affected by sleet and rain will see a deterioration of road conditions with slick conditions for the early overnight

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9969D6C.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E996EC54WI.GRBSPSGRB.d65efe55088dd94d9c460efb2df919a6

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

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In: Drinking Water, Drinking Water News Roundup, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Maya Sundaresan, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Drinking Water News Roundup: Best tasting water in the world in Ohio, nation’s worst waterways in Indiana

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Gladstone warns residents of water nitrate levels, says infants younger than 6 months should not drink it—WQAD8

The Village of Gladstone is warning residents with infants younger than 6 months of high levels of nitrate in the town’s drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/drinking-water-news-roundup-best-tasting-water-ohio-worst-waterways-indiana/

Maya Sundaresan

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In: News
Episode 2203: Sailing Close to the Winter Wind

This lesson will explore the phenomenon of wind in the winter through the pastime of ice boating to learn about the science behind how winds are produced, sailboats move, and how wind can be a renewable source of energy. Learners will engage in design projects to build a wind-powered sail cart, anemometer, and windmill.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/2203-ice-boating-lesson-plan/

Gary Abud Jr.

On:
In: Press Releases, Washington Update

Contact:
Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
Jordan Lubetkin, Lubetkin@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589

Biden Budget on Clean Water: Boost to Water Infrastructure, Cuts to Great Lakes Restoration

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (March 29, 2022)—The Biden Administration’s proposed budget, released yesterday, cuts the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, boosts funding to reduce lead in drinking water, maintains funding for the nation’s primary water infrastructure loan programs, and increases the EPA’s budget to confront climate change and address environmental injustices.

“The Biden Administration’s proposed budget supports clean water priorities broadly, while coming up short in funding the nation’s marquee Great Lakes restoration program,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Federal investments to restore the Great Lakes and address pollution have been immensely important over the years. However, serious threats remain, and with many communities still grappling with health-threatening pollution, it’s important that the federal government do all that it can to ensure that every person has access to clean, safe and affordable water.

“The Biden Administration’s proposed budget provides a strong starting point for the U.S. House and Senate to discuss how best the country can meet its clean water goals. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition looks forward to working with members of Congress to make sure Great Lakes and clean water priorities receive the attention they deserve in the federal budget in order to protect our Great Lakes, drinking water, public health, and way of life.”

The Biden Administration’s budget contains:

  • $11.9 billion for the U.S. EPA for fiscal year 2023. Congress funded the agency at $9.56 billion in the current fiscal year.
  • $340.1 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Congress funded the GLRI at $348 in the current fiscal year.
  • $1.64 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps communities fix and upgrade wastewater infrastructure. Congress funded the program at $1.64 billion in the current fiscal year.
  • $1.13 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which helps communities fix and upgrade drinking water infrastructure. Congress funded the program at $1.13 billion in the current fiscal year.
  • $140 million for grants to communities to confront environmental injustices. Congress funded the program at $94 million in the current fiscal year.
  • $182 million for the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water program, which is an increase of more than $160 million over previously enacted.

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 170 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes

The post Biden Budget on Clean Water: Boost to Water Infrastructure, Cuts to Great Lakes Restoration appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/biden-budget-on-clean-water-boost-to-water-infrastructure-cuts-to-great-lakes-restoration/

Lindsey Bacigal

On:
In: Echo, Great Lakes, Michigan

A Harvard historian’s book about slavery in Detroit- - the last stop on the Underground Railroad – examines how that history was influenced by the region’s geography.

The post Harvard historian examines Detroit slavery link to Great Lakes geography first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/29/harvard-historian-examines-detroit-slavery-link-to-great-lakes-geography/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Beaches, Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, History and Culture, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, Natasha Blakely, News, outdoor recreation, Recreation and Tourism, Tourism
Surfing the Great Lakes: Want to know where to start?

Sunny weather, bikinis and board shorts, the salt spray of the ocean – surfing tends to conjure a very specific image in most people’s minds, and it’s on the ocean coasts, not the freshwater ones in the Midwest.

But to a small community around the Great Lakes region, surfing looks very different – featuring more full-body coverage and ice-cold weather.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/surfing-great-lakes-where-to-start/

Natasha Blakely

On:
In: Alex Hill, Feature Homepage, Great Lakes maps, History and Culture, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, lighthouses, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, mapping, Michigan, News
Mapping the Great Lakes: Lighthouse search

Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/mapping-great-lakes-lighthouses/

Alex Hill

On:
In: Marne Kaeske, Michael Anderson1854 Treaty Authority, River Talks, wild rice knockers, wild rice sticks

A River Talk participant forms a wild rice knocker into shape during the March talk. Image credit: Michael Anderson

The River Talk for March was held as an evening in-person event during the 12th annual St. Louis River Summit at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

This particular talk required hands-on participation. Marne Kaeske, cultural preservation specialist with the 1854 Treaty Authority, led an activity where attendees constructed their own wild rice harvesting sticks, called, “Bawa’iganaakoog” in Ojibwe. Wild rice is a grass that can grow to reach 8 feet tall.

River Talkers use the wall to brace their work on wild rice knocking sticks. Image credit: Michael Anderson

Kaeske explained that she learned to make rice knockers from cedar because the wood is lightweight. Rice is harvested by two people. One paddles or push-poles the canoe through the wild rice (manoomin) beds found in wetlands while the other uses the sticks to bend the rice over the canoe, tapping the wild rice seeds into it. Hand-harvesting wild rice can be time-consuming, so the lighter the sticks, the less tired a ricer’s arms will get.

Different resource management agencies have different requirements for the length of wild rice sticks. Kaeske said current 1854 Treaty Authority Ceded Territory Code regulations call for “round, smooth cedar, no longer than 32-inch” sticks. In Wisconsin, they can be 38 inches.

One problem in efforts to preserve wild rice beds comes from people harvesting the rice too early. “We live by the clock and the calendar nowadays instead of by waiting and living on the rice lake until it’s time to rice,” Kaeske said. When people harvest the rice before it is mature, it lessens the good seed for the next year’s crop and can damage the plants.

“When you harvest wild rice, you’re also reseeding the lake,” Kaeske said. “Rice is an annual plant.”

Rice knockers aren’t something a person can buy in a store. Kaeske showed the audience how she learned to do it. After a short introduction, she offered the tools needed (measuring tape, planers and an ax) and let participants “go to town” on the wood she provided.

She explained that all the bark needs to be removed as well as any rotten wood. The sticks are usually tapered, larger where the hand grips and smaller on the ends.

By the end of the class, everyone had sticks to take home and they were ready for ricing season, which usually occurs in late summer or early fall.

The remaining River Talks for this season will be held April 13 and May 11. For more information, visit the River Talks page: go.wisc.edu/4uz720.

The post A River Knock first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/a-river-knock/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-river-knock

Marie Zhuikov

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In: Daily News

The 2022 commercial shipping season is underway after the opening of the Soo Locks at midnight March 25th. The Edgar B. Speer was the first freighter through the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie and was presented with a plaque to the ship’s captain and hat to each crew member. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-shipping-opens

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The Western New York Land Conservancy has received a $2 million grant to protect forested watersheds and safeguard drinking water in Allegany County and another to supply native plantings to Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-restoration

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The privately-owned retired U.S. Army Corps tugboat Lake Superior began listing at its slip in Duluth Harbor and over the course of a weekend the stern of the vessel was underwater. The saga of the Lake Superior continues, with the U.S. Coast Guard discovering the tugboat is now leaking oil. Read the full story by Bring Me The News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-duluth

Patrick Canniff

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In: Daily News

Smelt fishers will be able to tend their nets until midnight this spring in a traditional Milwaukee harbor spot, according to a plan announced last week by Port Milwaukee officials. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-fish

Patrick Canniff

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In: Daily News

For the past two years, an 800-foot line of large, barrel-shaped green barriers have lined South Beach to prevent erosion along Lake Michigan in South Haven, MI. Considered as a must for saving the beach, but an eyesore by others, the HESCO barriers are going away in a decision citing lower water levels on Lake Michigan. Read the full story by South Haven Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-lake-levels

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, community, Feature Homepage, lake erie, Lake Ontario, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Recreation, Recreation and Tourism, Sharon Oosthoek, sports, Toronto, Tourism
Surfing the Great Lakes: ‘What? People do that here?’

On a cool fall day in 2007, Robin Pacquing slipped on a wetsuit, grabbed a surfboard and headed into Lake Ontario.

As a teenager, Pacquing had been a huge Baywatch fan and learned to love surfing during a family trip to Hawaii. As an adult, she went on to surf the waves off Tofino, British Colombia, never dreaming she might do the same just outside her door.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/surfing-great-lakes/

Sharon Oosthoek