Closely intertwined with Indigenous culture and identity, wild rice was decimated after the arrival of European settlers. But today, many partners are supporting initiatives to restore wild rice. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-greatlakestribes-wildrice
About a mile from Cleveland’s Lake Erie shore, in a stretch of water once among America’s most polluted, a team of conservationists just released a few dozen lake sturgeon into the Cuyahoga River. Lake sturgeon need a nice clean substrate so their eggs don’t suffocate, and biologists believe the Cuyahoga’s improved water quality has made that possible. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-cuyahogariver-sturgeon
On Oct. 18, the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians will release a new mini documentary about the fisheries program at the Fresh Coast Film Festival in Marquette. The 15-minute documentary, “Sacred Waters: Anishinaabeg Naagdawenmaanaanig Giigoonhkewin,” discusses the tribe’s ancient connection to the Great Lakes and how tribe biologists are leading efforts to restore whitefish populations, whose numbers have been severely diminished by invasive species. Read the full story by the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-sault-tribe-documentary
Thousands of water service lines across the state are made from the original infrastructure, at times, dating back 100 years. With infrastructure developments throughout the years, the state has passed a bipartisan bill to replace service lines made with lead pipes. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-bipartisanbill-leadwater-newyork
Cleanup Club is a non-profit that was created two years ago that focuses its cleanup efforts in rivers located in the Great Lakes basin. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-cleanupclub-michigan-greatlakes
This week, the iconic anchor outside the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan got an adjustment to ensure there’s not an “anchors away” situation. The anchor is a popular photo op amongst visitors. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-anchor-upnorthmuseum-photo-op
The Douglas County Land and Water Conservation Department located in Wisconsin, has up to $4,000 in grant funding available next year for environmental projects that promote soil and water conservation or environmental sustainability. Individuals, community organizations and public entities can apply for funding from the Douglas County Environmental Reserve Fund. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-douglas-county-grants
When you think of travel on Lake Michigan, you likely think of the S.S. Badger. It has been an iconic mode of transportation connecting communities and enhancing travel experiences for decades. Read the full story by the Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-ss-badger-icon-steamship
The lakes in the Great Lakes region and around the world don’t freeze over as they did in past centuries. That has serious consequences for people, wildlife, and the environment as a whole. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-less-ice-greatlakes-climatechange
The Great Lakes are in the midst of a waterspout outbreak, and the whirlwind of activity is expected to last into the middle of this this week, forecasters say. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241014-water-spout
GSGP Executive Director David Naftzger hands a participant an Icelandic energy drink made with fish collagen. Photo: Front Room Studios
On Oct.1, the Head to Tail Fish Showcase celebrated Great Lakes fish products — with not a fillet in sight.
The event aimed at elevating awareness of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative, a project that seeks to find commercial uses for all parts of harvested Great Lakes fish. Typically, the fillet, which represents only 40% of the fish, is consumed while the remaining 60% is discarded or used in animal feed and fertilizers.
That fish waste, however, can be turned into pharmaceuticals and other high-value products like fish leather and collagen supplements.
“Our goal is to drive more value through the fishery, create more jobs, create rural economy development and really improve the sustainability of our fishery,” said David Naftzger, executive director of GSGP.
Businesses who join the initiative pledge to use 100% of harvested fish by the end of 2025. So far, 30 Great Lakes commercial fishing and aquaculture operations have signed on, 11 of which are from Wisconsin.
Fish leather was a featured product at the event. Photo: Front Room Studios
“Wisconsin companies have been a real leader and helped to send a message to the rest of the region and to the rest of the fish value chain that there’s raw material available. We want to see it used productively and we want to create some partnerships that can make that happen,” said Naftzger.
The private event was held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences for an audience of media and business, academic and government partners. Representatives from UW-Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program offered remarks in support of the program.
Wisconsin Sea Grant helped organize the event. Interim director Christy Remucal said that the initiative aligns well with the program’s focus on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and commitment to fostering academic, industry and government collaboration.
“I think the 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative really encapsulates the mission of our work for sustainable resources,” said Remucal. “We’re really proud to be part of this partnership.”
During the event, participants could try a variety of non-filet fish dishes prepared by Third Coast Provisions in Milwaukee, including whitefish roe sliders, pickled herring kimbap, whitefish liver pate, buffalo walleye cheeks and whitefish chili. Restaurant co-owner Cameron Whyte said the team enjoyed finding creative ways to use different parts of the fish.
A participant picks up a small plate of pickled herring kimbap. Photo: Front Room Studios
“They sent us some really cool products to try, and it was really kind of a fun opportunity for us to flex our culinary muscles and do something a little different,” said Whyte.
The event also featured non-food items, such as locally produced fish leather, fertilizer and dog treats. Several products from Iceland, such as a fish collagen-infused energy drinks and supplements were also on display.
Naftzger explained that the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative is modeled after Iceland’s efforts to use all parts of harvested cod. According to GSGP, over 90% is now used, and the value of products made from cod has risen from $12 to $4,000. What was once waste is now an ingredient in beverages, cosmetics and medicinal bandages.
For Door County commercial fisherman Charlie Henriksen, who attended the event, the increase in value of Lake Michigan whitefish doesn’t need to be dramatic for impacts to be felt.
“If six dollars of that trickles back to us, or even if the value of that fish doubles to us, it’s a game changer,” said Henriksen. “It makes our businesses viable, and it gives us a lot of hope.”
The post Head to Tail Fish Showcase invites producers and consumers to think beyond the fillet first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/head-to-tail-fish-showcase-invites-producers-and-consumers-to-think-beyond-the-fillet/
This year’s Healing Our Waters (HOW) Conference in Chicago brought together advocates, community leaders, and passionate individuals to address major issues facing the Great Lakes, including the pressing issue of water justice. The event focused on solutions, driven by people committed to ensuring that clean water and proper sanitation are accessible to everyone—especially those living in underserved communities. Many members of the Alliance for the Great Lakes team attended the conference, led panels, and participated in planning. Over the two days, one message was clear: this is a fight for fairness, and the people on the ground are leading the charge.
Spotlight on Chicago’s Fight for Water Justice
Meleah Geertsma, Director of Clean Water and Equity at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, facilitated a thoughtful discussion on how community advocates in Chicago have been battling against unfair land use and zoning policies that have harmed neighborhoods for decades. These advocates are using a civil rights legal framework to fight for water justice, focusing especially on issues like flooding and inadequate sanitation systems. They’re not doing it alone—there’s a collaborative effort with city government to make lasting changes.
Meleah began by asking the audience key questions, like how familiar they were with environmental justice cases such as Sackett, a recent environmental law case that weakened the Clean Water Act, and Zanesville, which relied on civil rights law to address denial of water service for a community in Ohio. The responses varied, revealing that while some cases are well-known, especially environmental law decisions, there’s still a need for greater awareness and education about how civil rights law can be an effective tool in the fight for environmental justice.
Insights from the Panel
The panel brought together three leaders who have been on the frontlines of the fight for water justice:
More than 40 people attended the panel. The presence of a representative from the City of Chicago, working alongside community and legal experts demonstrated the growing collaboration between the government and the people who are most affected by these issues.
Celebrating Success and Looking Forward
Angela Larsen, Director of Planning and a member of the conference host committee, played a key role in shaping several discussions throughout the event. Her focus was on celebrating the successes of community-driven efforts and ensuring that future strategies are built around the voices of those most impacted by water issues. Angela made it clear: if we want real change, community vision must be at the heart of every decision.
Tom Zimnicki, the Alliance’s Agriculture & Restoration Policy Director presented on his team’s work monitoring water quality and implementing conservation practices in the Lake Erie watershed. The goal of the project is to reduce harmful algal blooms that make the lake’s water toxic to fish, wildlife, pets, and people. They’re deploying sensors in key watersheds in the Western Basin of Lake Erie to track nutrient runoff, primarily from agricultural land uses, which enters streams and tributaries to Lake Erie and fuels the algal blooms.
Hands-On Learning at Oak Street Beach
Beyond the panels, attendees were able to take part in hands-on learning during a field trip to Oak Street Beach. Hosted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Shedd Aquarium, and Save the Dunes, the field trip involved a beach cleanup as part of the “Great Lakes Litter Data” initiative. More than 26 participants joined in, removing over 2,000 pieces of litter—including plastic, foam, and cigarette butts. It was not only a chance to help clean the lakefront but also an opportunity to learn more about plastic pollution and the impact of community science.
The Power of Community Advocacy
From insightful panel discussions to hands-on activities, the HOW Conference was a demonstration of the power of community advocacy. It showed how real change happens when communities, legal experts, and government officials come together with a shared vision. This conference may be over, but the fight for water justice is far from finished as we work to ensure equitable access to clean water across the Great Lakes.
The post Healing Our Waters Conference Recap: Community Voices Leading the Charge for Water Justice appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/10/healing-our-water-conference-recap-community-voices-leading-the-charge-for-water-justice/
By Phil McKenna, Inside Climate News
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.
LUDINGTON, Mich.— Boarding the S.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/lake-michigan-coal-ferry-transition-to-clean-energy/
Wednesday October 9 marks one year since the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, transitioned to using Lake Michigan for its drinking water. The entire project was completed two weeks earlier than anticipated after years of preparation to minimize the impact of radium in the city’s groundwater supply. Read the full story by WTMJ – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-waukesha-diversion
The Great Lakes Observing System’s effort to map every meter of the Great Lakes’ bottom will pinpoint hundreds of underwater shipwrecks, illuminate topographical features and locate infrastructure. The map will also help ships avoid submerged hazards; identify fisheries; and inform erosion, storm surge and flooding models as climate change intensifies. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-lake-bottom-mapping
Little Traverse Conservancy in Harbor Springs, Michigan, has announced its new Wild Shores Initiative, aimed at protecting the undeveloped Great Lakes shoreline in the organization’s five-county service area which includes lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan. Undeveloped Great Lakes shoreline continues to be harder to find beyond those special places already protected as state or federal land or by non-profit conservation organizations. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-shoreline-protection
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Mussel Watch program is collecting invasive mussels at sites across the Great Lakes to measure the concentration of harmful pollutants in their tissue. A report with the results, expected this fall, will serve as an indicator to communities that they may need cleanup. Read the full story by Michigan Farm News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-pollution-indicators
The St. Lawrence Seaway announced its September performance figures, with 23.6 million metric tons of cargo shipped since the beginning of the navigation season. While overall tonnage is slightly down compared to last year, iron, steel, petroleum and potash demonstrate positive trends that underscore the seaway’s role in North American supply chains. Read the full story by Inside Logistics.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-cargo-tonnage
The Yorkville, Illinois, City Council approved several agreements with the DuPage Water Commission on Tuesday as part of the city’s plan to receive Lake Michigan water. The agreements cover how and when the city will pay for the construction of the water line from Naperville to Yorkville and how and when the city will pay for its water. Read the full story by WSPY – Plano, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-water-agreement
Eleven major agricultural groups have asked a Senior U.S. District Judge to let them join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others in a landmark case in federal court that could affect how Ohio is allowed to manage western Lake Erie in the future. These groups claim they have a right to defend themselves from a case that could directly impact their industry. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-agriculture-litigation
A 2021 poll by the Great Lakes Water Quality Board found that 90% of U.S. and Canadian residents in the Great Lakes region support the lakes’ protection. The popularity of the Great Lakes would not have blossomed into such an ambitious and bipartisan conservation effort without the fact that three of those eight surrounding states – Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania – are critical swing states. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-bipartisan-support
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking comments on two draft items related to Wisconsin’s water management, conservation and efficiency efforts under the Great Lakes Compact. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-water-management-input
A New York man has set a state record for catching a 9-pound smallmouth bass from the St. Lawrence River during a bass tournament in Ogdensburg, New York. The record-breaking fish broke the previous state record for a fish caught in Cayuga Lake back in 2022 by 8 ounces. Read the full story by WPTZ – Plattsburgh, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241011-fishing-record
By Daniel Wanschura
Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.
This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.
Theresa Eischen would visit her grandparents every summer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/points-north-a-new-hope-for-anishinaabemowin/
Monroe is split by the River Raisin, which runs directly into Lake Erie. The city’s residents are not shy about taking advantage of its proximity to the water, even if it means fishing in the draining canal of a power plant. Fishers, young and old, gather at the Monroe fishing site near the DTE Energy […]
The post Residents in Monroe County take part in outdoor activities along the River Raisin first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/11/residents-in-monroe-county-take-part-in-outdoor-activities-along-the-river-raisin/
Two Michigan State University (MSU) scientists were recently awarded grants to address per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in agriculture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Hui Li $1.6 million, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) awarded Cherly Murphy $1.75 million to measure livestock bioaccumulation and plant uptake of PFAS.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/pfas-roundup-over-3m-awarded-to-msu-scientists-to-address-pfas-in-agriculture-wisconsin-tackles-pfas-during-hunting-season/
By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest
Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism. Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/wisconsin-towns-are-trying-to-limit-cafo-growth-big-dairy-is-fighting-back/
By Mike Shriberg, University of Michigan
is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
If history holds true to form, I expect the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to begin touting their support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as Election Day approaches.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/swing-state-voters-along-the-great-lakes-love-cleaner-water-and-beaches-%E2%88%92-and-candidates-from-both-parties-have-long-fished-for-support-there/
RESTON, Va. – The U.S. Geological Survey has announced it will invest approximately $2.8 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to collect high-resolution geophysical data focused on areas with potential for critical mineral resources over Wyoming’s Laramie Mountains.
Midcontinent Region
https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/usgs-invests-geologic-data-collection-across-southeastern-wyoming?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news
New York’s Rochester Embayment, a 35-square-mile bay on southern Lake Ontario’s shore, is no longer considered one of the Great Lakes’ most environmentally degraded areas, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-rocherster-embayment-delisting
After years of decline, minks are now thought to be thriving along the once-polluted Detroit River, a good sign that environmental contaminants in the river are decreasing. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-minks
As the weather cools down, cruise lines operating in the Great Lakes prepare for the end of the season. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-cruise-season
A recent study published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research is the first to compare all 188 nonnative species in the Great Lakes, spotlighting the plants and animals that pose the greatest threat to the region’s delicate ecosystems, fisheries and recreational waters. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-invasive-species
The USS Nantucket, a U.S. Navy littoral combat ship on its way to Boston for christening, is stopping by Cleveland on the way. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-navy-combat-ship
It’s been decades in the making, but Milwaukee’s South Shore Beach is finally on the move. The $8 million federally funded project is a part of the larger effort to tackle the county’s capital improvement projects involving the lakefront and clean up the Milwaukee River Estuary. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-south-shore-beach
The state estimates one or more pesticides are found in around 43 percent of 800,000 private wells in Wisconsin, and more than half of the pesticides detected aren’t regulated in groundwater by the state or federal governments. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-pesticides
On Oct. 17, the New York Sea Grant, the Town of Evans, New York, and the Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance will host an informational meeting to help shoreline property owners, municipal leaders, and natural resource managers be better prepared to deal with the potential for seiche-caused coastal flooding and property damage along Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Observer Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241009-lake-erie-seiche-flooding
A dozen Ohio counties are currently under a quarantine for transporting plant material as the state works to get a handle on its growing spotted lanternfly problem.
The invasive spotted lanternfly is being spread primarily by hitchhiking. The quarantine aims to stop by putting in place requirements for businesses that ship goods across county lines, Ohio Department of Agriculture Division of Plant Health Chief Dan Kenny said.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/ohio-department-of-agriculture-is-working-to-stop-the-spread-of-the-spotted-lanternfly/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/a-decade-after-flint-feds-require-nationwide-lead-pipe-removal/
Chicago, IL (October 8, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule today requiring that water utilities across the country replace harmful lead pipes. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) address the widespread use of dangerous lead pipes for American drinking water and take decisive action by requiring replacement of lead service lines, after past rules left too much harmful lead in place. The Great Lakes region contains by far the greatest number of lead service lines of any region in the country, so has borne an especially heavy burden from this toxic legacy that still endures. The region thus stands to enjoy billions of dollars in health and economic benefits from removal of lead service lines.
The final rule, announced by President Joe Biden today in Wisconsin, will require drinking water systems nationwide to replace lead service lines within 10 years, with limited exceptions for water systems with the most lead lines, such as Cleveland and Chicago. Under one alternative that the EPA proposed, Chicago would have gotten as long as 50 years to replace its lead service lines. The final rule announced today substantially shortens the exceptions for systems like Chicago and Cleveland, responding to the call from the Alliance for the Great Lakes and other advocates that the rule must not leave vulnerable residents behind for decades more. The rule also requires more rigorous testing of drinking water and strengthens the threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water.
While the announcement also highlights that EPA is investing an additional $2.6 billion for drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacements, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, billions more in federal funding will be needed to get the job done.
“Addressing lead service lines once and for all will bring huge benefits to the region by reducing negative impacts to childhood development and improving cardiac health, while creating thousands of jobs to get the lead out. President Biden and the EPA should be commended for this final rule,” said Meleah Geertsma, Director of Clean Water and Equity at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “Now it’s up to Congress to provide the necessary funding to remove lead pipes once and for all, and water systems and states to ensure that community members most vulnerable to lead in drinking water are first in line to get their lead pipes replaced.”
###
Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes dcarr@greatlakes.org
The post EPA Finalizes Clean Drinking Water Rule That Will Get the Lead Out of Great Lakes Drinking Water appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/10/epa-finalizes-clean-drinking-water-rule-that-will-get-the-lead-out-of-great-lakes-drinking-water/
Taking stream flow measurements in Sturgeon Bay. Image credit: Megan Jensik
By Megan Jensik, Freshwater Collaborative summer research student
This summer, 35 undergraduate students from across the country conducted research with Freshwater@UW, the University of Wisconsin’s cross-site, cross-discipline research opportunities program. Freshwater@UW is supported by the Freshwater Collaborative, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Water@UW–Madison, the Water Resources Institute and the University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School. In the final weeks of the program, students reflected on what they learned. Here’s Megan Jensik, an undergraduate junior in biology from the University of Central Florida-Orlando, who worked with Greg Kleinheinz, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
As I sat on the boat coasting along the Fox River, I felt like a kid again, my feet dangling over the seat as we sped around Little Muskego Lake, heading for the sandbar for a day of swimming. But now, 15 years later, this was my job! We were collecting samples to analyze for nutrients, chlorophyll and more. During a day of learning field sampling techniques, I got a nasty sunburn, but it was one of my favorite days of the whole summer.
A few weeks earlier, I headed to Door County for more field sampling. In Sturgeon Bay, we collected data on stream flow and health. We spent the day in the river, taking flow measurements, but it never felt like work. It made me remember when I was a kid, catching frogs and kicking around in the water in the small creek behind my childhood home.
An algae bloom in Lake Winnebago. Image credit: Megan Jensik
Every week, I traveled around Winnebago County to collect samples for my project. I got to explore local lakes and see both their beauty and reality. Some days the water was clear and beautiful. Other days, algae blooms and dead fish littered the shore. When I returned to the lab, I analyzed my samples and gained a quantitative understanding of what’s happening in these lakes. I used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine concentrations of the toxin microcystin. I correlated these to phycocyanin measurements that I took in the field with a probe. I was able to relate and connect what I saw in the field to what I analyzed in the lab.
Experiencing fieldwork this summer helped me remember why I love what I do. As much as I love lab work, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the beautiful environments that I work in. Being in the field reminded me of why I’m so passionate about what I do and why I chose to do this work.
A boat trip for sampling along the Fox River. Image credit: Megan Jensik
It also reminded me that I want to dedicate my work to protecting the environment around me. It can be difficult to see the challenges of aquatic ecosystems firsthand, but I’m always comforted by the people I’m surrounded with who are working so hard to protect these beautiful lakes. Sometimes caring for the environment can be an emotional and professional burden, but it’s a burden I’m willing to carry if it means I can continue to protect this world.
I’ve been so lucky to travel to my home state and perform research that I’m passionate about. Fieldwork helped me remember my younger self and the desires that brought me where I am today. I’ve also been inspired to continue my work and research in graduate school. This summer solidified how much I want to continue this work. I’m very grateful for these experiences!
The post Summer fieldwork reminds student of childhood and environmental passions first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/summer-fieldwork-reminds-student-of-childhood-and-environmental-passions/
By Eric Freedman Capital News Service The mighty oak may be in trouble in the Great Lakes region – and climate change is largely to blame. A mix of factors is in play, including rising temperatures, more severe and intense rainstorms, increasing susceptibility to plant-eating animals and vulnerability to disease-causing microorganisms, a new study from […]
The post Oaks under threat from invading insects, warming temperatures, disease first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/08/oaks-under-threat-from-invading-insects-warming-temperatures-disease/
Kevin Boyle getting ready to run all the way around Lake Winnebago.
Lake Mendota tried, but it didn’t turn Kevin Boyle from a runner into a rower.
“Tall runners make good rowers,” Kevin explained. “I was a runner in high school, and I was recruited to row at UW.” He loved rowing, but he only stuck with it for one year. Kevin really wanted to get back to running, and ultimately became the president of the track club.
Lake Winnebago didn’t even try. It just tempted Kevin to show up and do what he does best – run.
Kevin is a writer for Wiscampsin, an online blog and newsletter seeking to further engagement with Wisconsin’s great outdoors. He was researching lake sturgeon for an article he was writing, but he got sidetracked when he learned there was a published record for the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for running all the way around Lake Winnebago.
Kevin has friends who enjoy trying to set new FKTs, and they decided this was a great opportunity. But they wanted to leverage their attempt into a way to protect and restore the waters of Lake Winnebago.
“I started looking into who is helping restore it to the best it can be,” said Kevin. That’s how he found Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. Reading through the website, he thought to himself, “I would love to do something with them!”
Kevin wrote an article for his readers, telling them all about what makes Lake Winnebago amazing. And he invited them to follow his attempt to run the 72-mile course around the lake at record pace.
Race day came with beautiful spring weather, and Kevin and his friends enjoyed abundant sunshine. It was a nail-biter to the end, but after 14 hours and 8 minutes, “we ended up breaking the record by 10 minutes,” Kevin said.
Kevin wasn’t the only winner that day. Thanks to his efforts to promote Fox-Wolf, he and his friends raised $600 to support Fox-Wolf’s mission. “Fox-Wolf was easy to work with,” Kevin said. “The mission is clear, and people were very receptive.”
People so often take Wisconsin’s water resources for granted. “You don’t realize until you move away or visit around the world,” Kevin said, “but we have the largest body of fresh water right in our backyard. I really enjoy being right next to the Great Lakes.”
Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org
The post Watershed Moments: The Best It Can Be appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2024/10/08/watershed-moments-best-it-can-be/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watershed-moments-best-it-can-be
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit PBS.
From a distance, I caught a glimpse of a relatively small elongated furry animal moving along the shoreline of the Detroit River.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/great-lakes-moment-mink-thriving-along-the-detroit-river/
The state of Michigan has picked a team from the University of Michigan’s Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering department for a nearly $200,000, yearlong project to develop a maritime strategy for the state. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241007-maritime-strategy
New standards adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exempt the existing fleet of ships on the Great Lakes from installing new ballast water treatment systems to control the spread of invasive species. But they don’t apply to the current fleet of lakers. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241007-laker-standards
Last year, Michigan’s environmental agency drafted more rigorous rules to protect state waters from a new tide of farm-based pollution. Stronger regulatory measures could succumb to political pressure from farm and energy interests. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241007-water-protections
Anglers in Pennsylvania’s portion of Lake Erie reported the second-highest walleye catch rates since 1993 for July and landed in the top five highest rates for August. A July survey found a catch rate of 1.99 fish per hour. Read the full story by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241007-pennsylvania-walleye
Scientists are preparing to test selective fish migration tools in a project in Traverse City, Michigan. A fight is brewing over which fish get to pass. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241007-fish-passage
