Estimates show Black Lake’s adult sturgeon population may have nearly doubled over the course of the last several decades, according to a fisheries biologist from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-sturgeon-population
A dispute between the City and the Village of Waukesha over construction permits for the water pipes that would connect the City of Waukesha to Lake Michigan has had its first day in court. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-pipeline
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Eric Freedman, Capital News Service
A former top-ranking Michigan official is now overseeing national energy policy — again.
This time it’s the Biden administration’s new Secretary of Energy, former Democratic Gov.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/former-michigan-governor-leads-national-energy-policy/
The Great Lakes are warming. For the coldest and largest of the lakes, Lake Superior, that could mean a lot of changes. Researchers are still sorting out what the future might be, but a lot of it doesn’t look good. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-climate-disruption
Eye-catching blue ice has many braving Northern Michigan’s wintery weather just to catch a glimpse. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-blue-ice
The Port of Milwaukee is one of the biggest ports in the Great Lakes and freighters like the Algoma Sault bring in salt about 200 times a year. Read the full story by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-road-salt
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — As Indiana lawmakers debate dozens of bills addressing environmental matters, tensions are flaring over whether the state should adopt greener initiatives or step back current policy affecting water, energy and other resources.
While some measures in the General Assembly could bring reductions to Indiana’s carbon emissions and make stricter penalties for polluters, others would spur regulatory rollbacks that environmental advocates say could have long-lasting and damaging effects.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-indiana-lawmakers-debate-environmental-regulation-rollbacks/
It offers a significant educational opportunity for land conservancies.
The post COVID-19 spurs visits to nature sanctuaries first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/02/15/covid-19-spurs-visits-to-nature-sanctuaries/
In the Wisconsin Sea Grant online newsroom, we recently introduced four new members of the Advisory Council. Council members help shape Sea Grant’s future, enabling it to better serve the people of Wisconsin.
Now, here on our blog, we’d like to give people a chance to get to know those four newcomers better through Q & As. Our third installment features Becky Sapper, who directs the Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program. The program is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, and Sapper is based in Ashland, Wis.
You can find our previous Q & A session with Deb DeLuca here and with Madelyn Leopold here. Stay tuned to the blog for our fourth and final installment, which will feature Lori Tate.
Becky Sapper (submitted photo).
Do you have a favorite spot in the Great Lakes, or favorite natural area?
I have lived on the shores of Lake Superior for over 25 years, so the waters of Lake Superior provide my sense of place. But, more specifically, my favorite places on the Big Lake are my fishing holes, and I can’t disclose their locations! But I do like to take friends and family to Houghton Falls and Little Girls Point.
What drew you to say “yes” to serving on the Advisory Council?
While I was in a previous role with Extension, I was fortunate to collaborate with several Sea Grant staff during the designation of the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve back in 2010. I have the utmost respect for those individuals and the work Sea Grant has done both in Wisconsin and at a national scale. It was an honor to be asked to join the Advisory Council.
Is there a special aspect of Sea Grant’s work or mission that speaks to you the most?
I like that Sea Grant’s efforts include both research and education priorities. It’s important that we continue to learn more about our Great Lakes, but we also need to understand why it’s important and how that impacts local communities. Sea Grant’s education and outreach efforts really work to tie the people of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes together in a natural way.
Where would you like to see Sea Grant headed in the near future?
Sea Grant’s strategies are already very comprehensive, but in the future I’d like to see Sea Grant continue to strengthen their work with emerging issues that impact people living in and visiting our coastal communities. We often take our water-rich state for granted. I think it’s important that Sea Grant’s efforts are relevant and relatable for those who value and rely on the Great Lakes for work and for play.
The post Get to know the Advisory Council: Q & A with Becky Sapper first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/get-to-know-the-advisory-council-q-a-with-becky-sapper/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618EB108E4.WindChillAdvisory.12618EB256E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.653aec9e7fb1dd486b68f762441f3ef3
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618EB03B6C.WindChillAdvisory.12618EB256E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.ea3b4a26518ca26311a9a0ec0e68a9b4
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/www.weather.gov/media/grb/GRBSpringFirstFloodingOutlook2021_TopNews.pdf
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618EA36E78.WindChillAdvisory.12618EB256E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.881c27023c611d5787ffa34ac2a38c1c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618EA2CCC0.WindChillAdvisory.12618EB256E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.881c27023c611d5787ffa34ac2a38c1c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618EA21078.WindChillAdvisory.12618EA314A0WI.GRBWSWGRB.881c27023c611d5787ffa34ac2a38c1c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618EA0E1BC.WindChillAdvisory.12618EA314A0WI.GRBWSWGRB.881c27023c611d5787ffa34ac2a38c1c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618E944CA4.WindChillAdvisory.12618EA314A0WI.GRBWSWGRB.881c27023c611d5787ffa34ac2a38c1c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618E940AA0.SpecialWeatherStatement.12618E948034WI.GRBSPSGRB.6fc20bf70889aab619ae6ac651c361d8
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618E93FEE8.WindChillAdvisory.12618EA314A0WI.GRBWSWGRB.881c27023c611d5787ffa34ac2a38c1c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618E933B34.SpecialWeatherStatement.12618E93B12CWI.GRBSPSGRB.6fc20bf70889aab619ae6ac651c361d8
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/high-demand-new-michigan-water-infrastructure-grants/
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:
A series of water main breaks in Joliet this week prompted a boil water order in case of cross contamination during repairs.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/drinking-water-waukesha-lake-michigan-groundwater-contamination-ontario/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202101
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-minnesota-biden-epa-regulations/
Ice coverage across the Great Lakes rapidly expanded over the last week as frigid arctic air finally made its appearance, with Lake Erie nearly fully covered with ice. Read the full story by The Weather Channel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-ice-coverage
The rapid accumulation of ice in the St. Clair River has caused ice dams, flooding homes in East China Township in Michigan. The extent of ice cover has hindered U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard efforts to break up the ice. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-icejam
Managers in Owasco Lake in New York are deploying high-resolution water sensors to track fluctuations in water levels and monitor conditions across the Owasco watershed. Read the full story by The Citizen.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-owasco
Residents in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, are pushing candidates for an open Wisconsin State Assembly seat to take a supportive stance towards state regulation of PFAS chemicals. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-pfas-peshtigo
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is urging water plants to check their security protocols following a breach in Florida where a hacker tried to poison municipal drinking water. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-water-plant-security
This weekend brings Michigan’s annual free fishing weekend. It’s an effort to promote Michigan’s world-class fishing opportunities, introduce new people to the sport, and invite those who may not have cast a line in years to return. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-fish-safe
Commercial fishing companies based along Great Lakes shorelines are facing increasing competition from real estate developers seeking to build along the waterfront. The trend threatens fishing companies that rely on access to the lakes for operations. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-fish-waterfront
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation released its two-year progress report on Great Lakes restoration efforts, noting significant progress on actions to improve water quality and shoreline restoration in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-nydec
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12618E827A24.SpecialWeatherStatement.12618E833090WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
By Steve Carmody, 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/2021/02/glwa-dwsd-oakland-county-overflows-rouge-river/
In the Wisconsin Sea Grant online newsroom, we recently introduced four new members of the Advisory Council. Council members help shape Sea Grant’s future, enabling it to better serve the people of Wisconsin.
Now, here on our blog, we’d like to give people a chance to get to know those four newcomers better through Q & As. Our second installment features Madelyn Leopold, a retired attorney and private landowner.
You can find our previous post about Duluth Seaway Port Authority Executive Director Deb DeLuca here. Keep following the blog for future posts on the remaining two new members: Becky Sapper and Lori Tate.
Madelyn Leopold (submitted photo).
Do you have a favorite spot in the Great Lakes, or favorite natural area?
I love rivers, so my favorite spots usually have a river somewhere in the scene. One favorite is Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa, across the Mississippi from Prairie du Chien, at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. The views from the high bluffs in that park always remind me of how vast and grand our Midwestern landscape is.
What drew you to say “yes” to serving on the Advisory Council?
To be honest, it was (Sea Grant Assistant Director for Communications) Moira Harrington. She and I serve together on the Board of Park Commissioners in Madison. Moira always brings a broad, science-based perspective to the board discussions. It was clear that her lens was much broader than most, and I credited some of that perspective to her work with Wisconsin Sea Grant. I was curious to know more about her organization and the work that it does.
Is there a special aspect of Sea Grant’s work or mission that speaks to you the most?
I am excited about many elements of Sea Grant’s work and mission. What comes first to mind is its emphasis on engaging young people of diverse backgrounds in science-based projects; we need to broaden the community of people who care and are smart about managing our waters.
I’m also excited about how Sea Grant’s work engages communities and businesses in local projects where the impacts can be seen and appreciated and supported; these connections are important for expanding the public’s understanding and support of scientific research.
It’s also great to see the “Wisconsin Idea” reach into so many corners of the state through Sea Grant’s focus on a resource that all Wisconsinites know and love–their waters and waterways.
Where would you like to see Sea Grant headed in the near future?
I’d like to see Sea Grant’s work become better known among the general public; the stories coming out of its work are interesting and compelling.
The post Get to know the Advisory Council: Q & A with Madelyn Leopold first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/get-to-know-the-advisory-council-q-a-with-madelyn-leopold/
Ice coverage on the Great Lakes has been low after a relatively mild winter, but with the arctic air that has moved into Michigan over the last few days, it has more than doubled on all of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WXYZ -TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-ice-coverage
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds potential grant applicants that pre-proposals for the 2021 Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) grants are due Feb. 16. Read the full story by The Chronicle Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-sustain-great-lakes
Ice volcanoes have formed along Lake Michigan after two winter storms in recent days brought frigid subzero temperatures to some areas. Read the full story by NBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-ice-volcanoes
Three projects by water and drainage agencies in Michigan’s Oakland and Wayne counties together expect to eliminate about 48 million gallons of stormwater mixed with sewage that otherwise makes it, untreated, into the Rouge River and beyond to Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-rouge-river
The Village of Waukesha, Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit against the city that aims to shut down construction of the water diversion project within its village limits. The hearing will take place on February 11 in Waukesha County Circuit Court. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Independent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-waukesha
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy halted a portion of the demolition process due to concerns about dust coming from the demolition of a baghouse at the plant, EGLE officials said. Read the full story by The Mining Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-power-plant
The spiny water flea has been latching onto fishing equipment, traveling the Great Lakes for decades, but now they are being transported to some of the most pristine waters in the Upper Midwest. Read the full story by Outdoor Life Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-spiny-water-flea
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden has yanked back the health assessment of a notable “forever chemical,” alleging the document was compromised by “political interference” in the final days of the Trump administration. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-pfas
Twenty-six people fishing on Lake Superior were rescued when an ice floe broke away from the Minnesota shoreline, stranding them in frigid weather. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-anglers-rescued
Indiana moved to protect seven remaining inland lakes with cisco; Illinois backs re-establishing them in southern Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-cisco
As issues with shoreline erosion on Lake Huron continue to plague Bluewater, Michigan residents along the lakeshore, councillors agreed to defer a decision on a policy to allow residents to install shoreline protections on municipal properties. Read the full story by the Shoreline Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-erosion-protection
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Twenty-six people fishing on Lake Superior were rescued when an ice floe broke away from the Minnesota shoreline, stranding them in frigid weather.
The Duluth Fire Department got a call Tuesday morning from a resident who saw ice shanties floating away. Crews brought the anglers to shore a few at a time by boat.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-26-rescued-ice-floe-lake-superior-minnesota/
Upper Peninsula man explores intersection of spirituality and nature.
The post Seeking connection and meaning under a Hunger Moon first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/02/11/seeking-connection-and-meaning-under-a-hunger-moon/
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/pfas-house-toxic-forever-chemicals-home/
The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Great Lakes Commission and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are embarking on a project that will restore disappearing wildlife habitats along a stretch of Lake St. Clair. Read the full story by Grosse Pointe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210210-ford-cove
