The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society had one of its most successful seasons ever in 2021 while searching for wrecks. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Ferndale, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-shipwreck
Starting April 1, underwater spearfishing in Michigan will expand to include the chance to harvest additional species, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-spearfishing
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, Soo Area Office will open the Poe Lock at 12:01 a.m., March 25, marking the 2022 Great Lakes shipping season start. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Suite Ste. Marie, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-soo-locks-open
The Save Our Great Lakes project aims to improve storm water management on Barker’s Island off the Lake Superior coast of Wisconsin. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-island-storm-water
The sites include a plastics manufacturer in Wyandotte, a sewage treatment plant in Jackson, an ice-cream maker in Ludington and a petroleum fuel terminal in St. Clair, according to a recent federal report that reviewed climate risks throughout the nation. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-climate-change
Icebreaking efforts are continuing on the St. Lawrence River in anticipation of the start of the 2022 navigation season. While ice-breaking activity is ongoing, residents are urged to stay off the ice. Officials stated that icebreaking will dislodge pack ice and pose severe dangers to those on the river. Read the full story by InformNNY.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-ice-breaking
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8E09378.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E8E16D70WI.GRBSPSGRB.76da5ce219500ceb3bdff6aeb6e1606c
The recent discovery of a dangerous family of chemicals in Michigan cattle has a statewide environmental group renewing efforts to ban the controversial substance.
The post Michigan Environmental Group pushing for ban on controversial chemical first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/18/michigan-environmental-group-pushing-for-ban-on-controversial-chemical/
Great Lakes Echo recently placed second in the College Newspaper of the Year category of a Michigan Press Association contest.
The post Michigan Press Association honors Echo in news contest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/17/michigan-press-association-honors-echo-in-news-contest/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Arya Dara, Great Lakes Echo
New legislation in Ontario can result in a fine if boats are not cleaned properly when they are moved from one body of water and into another.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ontario-watercraft-regulations-invasive-species/
By Todd Richmond, Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s swing justice appeared skeptical Thursday about whether to remove a conservative Department of Natural Resources board member who refuses to step down even though his term ended almost a year ago.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul sued in August to oust Fred Prehn from the board.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-key-justice-dnr-board-member/
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The comment period on a draft analysis of the environmental impact of rerouting an oil and gas pipeline around an American Indian reservation in northern Wisconsin will run for an additional month, state regulators announced Wednesday.
The Enbridge Line 5 pipeline carries oil and natural gas liquids from Superior to Sarnia.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-dnr-extends-comment-period-enbridge-reroute/
A practice called regenerative farming could be the next step for sustainable farming in Pennsylvania. It reduces carbon, a greenhouse gas driving global warming, and improves water quality.
The post Sustainable farming practice mitigates climate change impacts first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/17/sustainable-farming-practice-mitigates-climate-change-impacts/
By Timberly Ferree, Indiana Environmental Reporter
In the first direct analysis of its kind, a study by Indiana University researchers has found a link between lead in drinking water, specifically from private wells, and juvenile delinquency.
“There’s not been a direct analysis on lead exposure and children’s outcomes later in life before.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/study-lead-exposure-juvenile-delinquency/
In Lake Huron’s Les Cheneaux Islands, a school is preserving the craft of building wooden boats.
Opened in 2005, the Great Lakes Boat Building School is located in Cedarville, Michigan, a small town tucked in the scenic bays and natural harbors of the area. A few dozen students a year learn how to build wooden boats.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/great-lakes-boat-building-school-grant-funding/
The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards recently signed to an updated version of Great Lakes Geographic Annex agreement between the two coast guards, an environmental partnership. Read the full story by WIMS – Michigan City, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-coast-guard
In January, the U.S. Army Corps announced $226 million to complete design on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, an $858 million effort to keep carp out of the Great Lakes. But Great Lakes advocates say more work is needed to close off other pathways for potential invasion, from Great Lakes freighters to recreational boats and online pet shops. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-carp
As several groups of researchers race to bring back Great Lakes grayling, one program recently got a big assist with a $70,000 grant to find the best design for an incubator to produce the fish that hasn’t been in Michigan waters since 1936. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-grayling
After decades of failure, the tide has finally turned in the battle against invasive species in the Great Lakes. Scientists say the main reason is mandatory saltwater flushing of ship ballast tanks. Read the full story the Anthropocene.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-ballast-water
In the nationwide search for extra nuclear submarine maintenance capability, one proposal would transform two sites located on the shores of Lake Erie in rural Ohio into a big, integrated naval maintenance center. Read the full story by Forbes.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-navy-shipyard
A proposed wind farm, located about eight miles off the coast of Cleveland and first pitched in 2009, would bring six wind turbines to Lake Erie, making it the first freshwater wind farm in North America. But the project is as hated as much as it is loved. Read the full story by the Cleveland Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-wind-turbine
An environmental bill that would require the removal of pollutants near the shores of Lake Michigan is advancing in the Illinois General Assembly, despite objections from opponents who argue the legislation singles out one company unfairly. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-power-plant
Ottawa County, Michigan, is hoping to nearly double the size of Rosy Mound Natural Area, a rustic park popular among beachgoers and hikers. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-park
Permitted users in the cities of Two Harbors and Grand Marais, Minnesota, take an average of 50 million gallons per day out of Lake Superior, the largest of those users being Northshore Mining. Read the full story WTIP – Grand Marias, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-lake-superior
Permitted users in the cities of Two Harbors and Grand Marais, Minnesota, take an average of 50 million gallons per day out of Lake Superior, the largest of those users being Northshore Mining. Read the full story WTIP – Grand Marias, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-lake-superior
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced Tuesday that the Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.7 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Great Lakes Boat Building School, in Cedarville, Michigan, to construct a 10,000-square-foot school expansion, establish new boat-docking infrastructure, and purchase additional marine electronics testing equipment. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-boating-school
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced Tuesday that the Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.7 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Great Lakes Boat Building School, in Cedarville, Michigan, to construct a 10,000-square-foot school expansion, establish new boat-docking infrastructure, and purchase additional marine electronics testing equipment. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-boating-school
The state of Michigan has scrapped a risk study on Enbridge’s Line 5 and fired a researcher working on the study just a week before a first draft was to be released. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220316-deq
A new project hopes to find the best design for an incubator to produce the fish that hasn’t been in Michigan waters since 1936. It is part of a multi-step effort by the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative, a collaboration of more than 40 partners to make the fish self-sustaining in the Great Lakes.
The post Streamside incubator could help restore grayling to Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/16/streamside-incubator-could-help-restore-grayling-to-michigan/
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:
Three of the loan recipients qualified for a total of more than $3 million in principal forgiveness.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/drinking-water-news-roundup-illinois-new-york/
This summer, a Great Lakes watchtower will celebrate its 200th birthday as any centenarian should: with cake and ice cream.
The Marblehead Lighthouse sits on Lake Erie’s temperamental shore in Ohio, about 20 miles away from Sandusky. It’s the oldest continually operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, thanks to the state of Ohio, which, according to the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society, took over the maintenance in the 1990s.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/lighthouse-restoration/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8B392C4.DenseFogAdvisory.1263E8B3F4D0WI.GRBNPWGRB.2f01fee6971d34a58f667975c6bc2940
In a study recently published in the journal, “Aquatic Toxicology,” researchers found that while concentrations of the herbicide fluridone similar to those used when it’s applied to lakes to control Eurasian watermilfoil and hydrilla did not kill fathead minnows, it can impact fish health in more subtle ways.
Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive water plant that grows so densely it can make boating, fishing and swimming unpleasant and difficult. Image credit: Gavin Dehnert, Wisconsin Sea Grant
“The good news for fluridone is that it didn’t really have any impacts on survivorship or even on fish growth, which was to be expected. But when we looked at some of the more sensitive endpoints, particularly prey capture and endocrine disruption, we see that at certain concentrations there seems to be an impact,” said Gavin Dehnert, research team member and Wisconsin Sea Grant’s emerging contaminants scientist.
Fluridone is one of the major active ingredients in commercial aquatic herbicides. It affects the entire plant by inhibiting its ability to photosynthesize, which eventually leads to death. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is interested in using herbicides containing fluridone as an alternative to those containing 2,4-D, which preliminary research has found can be toxic to fish.
Dehnert said that before commercial use, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates testing of fluridone to ensure it does not impact fish survival and growth parameters such as length and weight. This testing is done with very high concentrations and recommendations are derived.
“The problem is, they (the EPA) rarely test the actual lower concentrations that they say are safe for the lake,” Dehnert said. “That’s usually a big question mark. It’s like, well, they just said it was safe, but is it actually?”
The research team, led by William Karasov with the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, exposed fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to concentrations of fluridone that would be found in a lake during treatment. Unlike 2,4-D, which only needs to be applied once, fluridone herbicides could require several applications to a lake to be effective over a minimum of 45 days but usually 90 days. The minnows were exposed to the chemical in the lab for 35 days and then a subsequent generation of larval minnows from the original test group was exposed for 65 days.
Larval fathead minnows were tested for impacts from the aquatic herbicide fluridone. Image credit: Gavin Dehnert, Wisconsin Sea Grant.
After 30 days of fluridone exposure, the adult male fish showed an increased number of nuptial tubercules, which can indicate endocrine disruption. Dehnert explained that some herbicides, especially when they are used at low concentrations, can mimic fish hormones. The tubercules are found near the minnows’ noses and increase or decrease in number depending on how much androgen and estrogen a fish produces. “That’s really important because it could have major impacts on reproduction,” Dehnert said.
The researchers also found that the fishes’ livers were enlarged and that their ability to catch prey decreased significantly when exposed to fluridone, which could be because it impairs their ability to move. Previous studies suggest fluridone can act as a neurotoxin.
The DNR funded the study because, as Dehnert said, “In the state of Wisconsin, everybody likes to fish. So, we’re trying to make sure we protect them as much as possible.”
Other members of the team included Angelo Cozzola and Amber White, all with UW-Madison.
The post Herbicide Study Finds Good News, Bad News for Use of Fluridone in Lakes first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/herbicide-study-finds-good-news-bad-news-for-use-of-fluridone-in-lakes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=herbicide-study-finds-good-news-bad-news-for-use-of-fluridone-in-lakes
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Water main breaks blamed on temperature fluctuations has prompted Flint officials to ask residents and businesses to temporarily cut back on water usage.
The water conservation request is through Wednesday, the city said Friday in a release.
Main breaks have impacted water storage supply in a reservoir and elevated water tower, according to the city.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-flint-water-main-breaks/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8B31D94.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E8B37FA0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8B31C04.DenseFogAdvisory.1263E8B3A6B0WI.GRBNPWGRB.80d96971c689ab7dce4b9c8113be1428
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8B2EACC.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E8B35890WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8B2E810.DenseFogAdvisory.1263E8B3A6B0WI.GRBNPWGRB.05eeead8c61e33fed8e93928ad88ed8e
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E8B29D10.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E8B30A70WI.GRBSPSGRB.b186990a900487b912f892c9938f6613
Ultrasonic acoustic detectors are being used to detect and identify the northern flying squirrel that is endangered in Pennsylvania.
The post High tech surveillance tracks endangered flying squirrels first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/15/high-tech-surveillance-tracks-endangered-flying-squirrels/
Great Lakes Now introduced a new segment in Episode 2203 – The Catch.
In it, we take you around the region to hear bite-sized updates from reporters about the issues they’re covering and how it impacts our environment and the people who live around it.
In the premiere segment, we look at a range of Lake Michigan stories from reporters Leonard Fleming, Joseph S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/the-catch-benton-harbor-indiana-dunes-shoreline-armoring/
By David Eggert, Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state of Michigan sued the owner and operator of a hydroelectric dam, alleging that its mismanaged drawdown of a lake to do repairs created sediment that has choked a 30-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River, impeded recreational use and threatened public safety.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-dam-owner-sediment-kalamazoo-river/
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/2022/03/invasive-carp-money-great-lakes/
A wholesale fish dealer from Platteville has been convicted of illegally selling invasive carp in Wisconsin. As the state’s first case involving illegal sale of bighead, grass and silver carp, Li Fish Farm, LLC was ordered to pay more than $13,000 in penalties. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-carp-conviction
Enbridge’s plan to relocate a portion of its Line 5 pipeline in northern Wisconsin could involve a controversial drilling method, Horizontal Directional Drilling, which the company admits may release toxic chemicals into surrounding waters. Read the full story by Public News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-line-5
Concerns about potential impacts on rivers and lakes linger in the lead-up to a long-awaited environmental hearing into a proposed palladium and copper mine near Marathon, Ontario. Read the full story by The Chronicle-Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-mining
More than a year after it arrived at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore for a scheduled maintenance overhaul to prep it for its Great Lakes assignment, the 225-foot cutter Spar is on its way to its new home port in Lake Superior. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-ice-breaker
Scientists at Bowling Green State University recently joined researchers from around the region in studying how Great Lakes algal blooms persist in winter months. Read the full story by Sentinel-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-winter-algae
An experimental project, named Phosphorous Optimal Wetland Demonstration, located in Defiance, OH is aimed at preventing harmful algae blooms and improving water quality in the Great Lakes and is featured in the February edition of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers magazine, The Corps Environment. Read the full story by The Star Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-phosphorous-ohio
The Ontario government is proposing legislative changes that would open the door to storing carbon dioxide underground in the province. Experts say the area near the north shore of Lake Erie between Port Dover and Windsor has the best geologic potential for storing carbon dioxide in Ontario. Read the full story by Canada’s National Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220314-carbon
