The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has temporarily made public access to all state parks and recreation areas free in order to limit transactions between the public and staff in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus and to encourage people to pursue healthy activities outdoors. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-restoring-lakes
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is planning to release more trout into Lake Ontario and Lake Erie watersheds than anticipated because the trout were grown in hatcheries where zebra mussels were discovered, and thus staff have decided to release the fish only in waters where mussels were previously found. Read the full story by the Times Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-trout
Ohio has closed lodges in its state parks in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, however most parks currently remain open to the public. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-oh-park
New York state officials have continued to limit chinook salmon stocking and catch limits in Lake Ontario as the state works to improve the low alewife populations that serve as the chinook’s food source. Read the full story by New York Upstate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-chinook
The 2019 walleye hatch in Lake Erie has been the second largest recorded since the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ first implementation of the current modern fish survey system. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-walleye
Michigan is allowing its state beaches, parks and recreation areas to remain open, but is restricting large gatherings and urging proper hygiene while using the parks. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-parks-mi
Lawmakers in the Wisconsin Legislature are proposing several bills to mitigate damage caused by shoreline erosion. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-shoreline-bill
Forest preserves in the Chicago area offer opportunities to find rare plant species and beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-lake-co-parks
South Haven, Michigan, closed its marina for the summer season due to damage from high Great Lakes water this winter. The city faces at least $16 million in estimated damage from the high-water levels. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200320-south-haven
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40E85100.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F40E96270WI.GRBSPSGRB.23e6d808842e5736e0274c907ca0fbda
At the Blue Water Bridge, International Bridge, Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and Mackinac Bridge, tolls will stop taking cash.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/bridge-tolls-travel-no-cash-coronavirus/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40E77258.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F40E7E788WI.GRBSPSGRB.54e5ef070b45e49081402cfe9ce09122
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40E75250.HydrologicOutlook.125F40E8ED40WI.GRBESFGRB.86a65ce9a4bb9b6c9b39683aa1d37e47
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/03/20/federal-plan-might-let-states-kill-unwanted-cormorants/
We quickly learned some cities like Cincinnati were proactive and understand the need to restore residential services. Other cities like Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Marysville, and Bellefontaine were not so proactive. Freshwater Future worked with the city of Columbus and small municipalities like Marysville, Bellefontaine, and others to put into place moratoriums on future water shut-offs and the restoration of residential water services. In addition, we worked with our partners at Junction Coalition and the Ohio Environmental Council to restore water to residents and halt future shutoffs in Toledo. We knew our partner, the Alliance for the Great Lakes was working with the city of Cleveland to successfully restore residential water services and halt future shutoffs. We also partnered up with the Alliance for the Great Lakes to urge the Governor to call for all utilities across the state to restore residential water services and halt future shutoffs. As a result, the Governor called on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to work with the private water companies to restore residential water services and halt future water shutoffs, which they did on Monday, March 16th. We are now waiting for the Governor’s office to share their legislation they are working on to require all utilities in Ohio to restore residential water services.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/restoring-water-access-in-ohio/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40D9AEE8.HydrologicOutlook.125F40E7B4C0WI.GRBESFGRB.86a65ce9a4bb9b6c9b39683aa1d37e47
Wisconsin Water Library
https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/goodbye-to-a-great-collaborator-and-friend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=goodbye-to-a-great-collaborator-and-friend
The state of Michigan is working with Japan in a joint effort to preserve and restore lake environments. The agreement allows both countries to share knowledge and expertise in order to protect some of the world’s largest freshwater bodies and to advocate for lake conservation efforts worldwide. Read the full story by C and G News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-restoring-lakes
High Great Lakes water continues to be an issue for Michigan, even as the state mobilizes around fighting coronavirus. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-erosion
Coronavirus or not, the city of Toledo, Ohio, still plans to meet Thursday with contractors who might want to bid on a major wetlands project the city hopes to have done in North Toledo later this year to provide more wildlife habitat and help improve Maumee River water quality. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-toledo-wetlands
The International Joint Commission, charged with regulating water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, plans to keep pushing large amounts of water out of Lake Ontario through the spring. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-outflows
Ohio’s delayed primary has Geneva-on-the-Lake and neighboring Township Park reassessing options for halting severe erosion along Lake Erie. The park service has a levy on the ballot that would aid in that effort, but the final vote on measure now won’t come until June. Read the full story by ideastream.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-geneva-on-the-lake
The City of South Haven, Michigan, has announced that it will be closing its Northside Municipal Marina for the 2020 boating season in order to make needed electrical upgrades. Read the full story by WKZO – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-marina-closure
Living in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region gives residents an advantage when it comes to finding things to do while minimizing exposure to COVID-19. Read the full story by Second Wave Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-social-distancing
Michigan tourists now have a new resource that shows up-to-date conditions at public beaches on Lake Michigan in this season of record-high water levels. Read the full story by Second Wave Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-beach-tourism
A federal judge rejected a challenge by environmental groups against the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, saying the Interior Department had the authority to reverse itself and renew the project’s federal mineral rights leases. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-mine-dispute
Explore shipwrecks this Thursday and have other Great Lakes adventures in the coming weeks with the “Lake Effects” online film series. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200319-great-lakes-series
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/03/19/hike-and-camp-at-state-parks-but-forget-big-outdoor-weddings-and-trail-races/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40D8096C.HydrologicOutlook.125F40E766A0WI.GRBESFGRB.86a65ce9a4bb9b6c9b39683aa1d37e47
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/03/19/new-grants-promote-michigan-beers-ciders-wines-and-spirits/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40CA68C0.HydrologicOutlook.125F40D87280WI.GRBESFGRB.86a65ce9a4bb9b6c9b39683aa1d37e47
Our Great Lakes communities are heading into uncharted waters as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Protecting our health and the health of those around us is top of mind.
As local, state, and national health and safety officials respond to this crisis, the new mantra for all of us has become: wash your hands. This most basic hygiene advice is a stark reminder of the critical importance of clean water to our personal health, and the health and safety of our families and our communities. Surrounded by the Great Lakes, our region can lead by making sure everyone has access to the clean water they need right now.
We commend the cities and other government entities that are taking action to halt water shut-offs and restore residential water service during this crisis, including Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo, Akron, and many others around the Great Lakes region. We urge states to use their power, as was done in Ohio, Wisconsin, and other places, to direct water utilities under their jurisdiction to halt shut-offs and restore water services.
The deepening COVID-19 crisis reinforces the inseparable connection between water and public health. This crisis is going to take a commitment from all levels of government to ensure that everyone has access to the clean water they need, and the Alliance is ready to work with any state or local officials looking for guidance in this critical area. We also encourage you to support the many local environmental and civic organizations working directly in our Great Lakes communities to ensure all residents have access to safe, clean water.
So, what can you do to help? First, be sure to heed the advice of your local, state, and federal health and safety officials. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have helpful, easy-to-understand information on precautions against COVID-19 to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.
Second, find ways to support your local community by donating to relief efforts and contacting elected officials to ask that water shutoffs be halted and services be restored. We’ll be using the Alliance’s social media channels to share local opportunities to get involved. You can also follow the hashtags #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable to join the conversation on social media.
If you need help getting the word out, tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and we’ll do our best to amplify the important efforts happening in Great Lakes communities.
Our staff around the Great Lakes region remain hard at work. We have taken steps to respond to this crisis to protect the health and safety of our staff and volunteers. Our staff are now all working from home but are accessible via their regular email and phone. We are shifting upcoming volunteer training events, community outreach meetings, and other group activities to online events. To protect the health of our supporters and communities, we have canceled all in-person volunteer events, including Adopt-a-Beach events, for at least the next month.
Thank you for your ongoing support of clean water.
The post Adopt-a-Beach Cleanups Suspended Until Early May appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/03/adopt-a-beach-2020-coronavirus-update-cancellations/
Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) says she hopes to ensure the Army Corps of Engineers receives funding to start a multimillion-dollar project on an Illinois river to prevent the invasive Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Bloomberg Environment.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-carp
An early sign of the season: The first ship of the 2020 season has arrived at the Port of Green Bay. Port officials say the Michigan Great Lakes arrived at 12:46 p.m. Sunday. It was bringing petroleum products to U.S. Venture. Read the full story by WLUK-TV-Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-ship-GreenBay
As the actions and restrictions intended to arrest the spread of the coronavirus sweep across the nation and the region, the single largest assemblage of people northwest Ohio sees each spring maintains a precarious perch. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-birding
The impacts of rising water levels on the Great Lakes has been well documented across the state of Michigan but many people living in Mid-Michigan are also feeling the impact. Read the full story by WJRT-TV-Flint, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-rising-water
The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is continuing the Flood Watch for Lake Superior, within its area of jurisdiction. The Conservation Authority advises that water levels on Lake Superior continue to remain well above average. Read the full story by the Net News Ledger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-flooding
The U.S. Coast Guard did not wrongly approve a contingency plan to clean up an oil spill that could potentially result from the leak of an Enbridge Inc pipeline that runs in waters of the Great Lakes, a federal judge in Michigan has ruled. Read the full story by Reuters.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-pipeline
Discovery Center & Pier previously announced plans to transform a coal dock near Traverse City, Michigan into a site that ships could use to land passengers. But CEO Matt McDonough said last week that cruise ships weren’t aligned enough with the pier’s mission. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-cruise-ships
Over 100 acres of wetlands in southeast Chicago will be restored in a three-year, $1 million project, according to the environmental group Audubon Great Lakes. Powderhorn Lake Forest Preserve, along the Illinois-Indiana state line, has prairie, woodland and wetland habitats. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-wetlands
Public health warnings even extend to toilet use amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with officials offering key steps to avoiding problems with untreated sewage. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-flush-carefully
Melanie Ariens, a mixed-media artist from Greendale, Wisconsin, raises awareness on freshwater issues through her pieces on the Great Lakes. Ariens has a degree in painting, drawing and printmaking from UW-Milwaukee. Read the full story by the Shepherd Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200318-lake-art
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a challenge by environmental groups against the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, saying the Interior Department had the authority to reverse itself and renew the project’s federal mineral rights leases.
The Obama administration tried to kill Twin Metals by rejecting the company’s application to renew its leases, citing the risk of acid mine drainage to the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/ap-judge-minnesota-twin-metals-mine-lease-dispute/
Great Lakes Now is partnering with Michigan Sea Grant and the University of Michigan for the now-online “Lake Effects” film series on Thursday evenings.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/lake-effects-university-of-michigan-film-series/
On a Wednesday night in Green Bay earlier this month, three friends reunited to help Wisconsin Sea Grant launch something new: a series we’re calling the Lake Talks. This series of informal talks in different communities near our Lake Michigan shore will touch on a variety of topics related to life in the Great Lakes region. (The name signals that it’s a counterpart to our River Talks, which take place in Superior and connect to the St. Louis River Estuary.)
Kelly Koller, Christina Dzwonkowski, Anne Moser and Dave Landers all helped kick off the Lake Talks, a new series from Wisconsin Sea Grant. (Photo: Jennifer Smith)
For the March 4 presentation at Green Bay’s Neville Public Museum, called “Setting Sail for Great Lakes Learning,” our speakers were Christina Dzwonkowski, Kelly Koller and Dave Landers. The latter two are teachers in Howard-Suamico and Pulaski, respectively, and Dzwonkowski is a conservation warden with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) whose job also includes educational duties, such as sharing with kids a “Critter of the Month.”
All three sailed Lake Superior in August 2019 aboard the Denis Sullivan, a replica 19th-century schooner. Their purpose was a shipboard science workshop. This professional development opportunity for teachers and informal educators helped build a network among them, and also gave them fresh inspiration to take back to their classrooms and other settings.
Anne Moser, senior special librarian at the Wisconsin Water Library, also sailed aboard the ship and introduced the three panelists.
The trio’s presentation was both serious and lighthearted. All three expressed wonder at how small one feels when navigating the waters of an inland sea, gazing up at the stars. But they also talked about little victories aboard a vessel with limited personal space, like getting the toilet to flush or coping with sometimes unpleasant smells that were hard to escape from sleeping bunks near the facilities.
Koller began the talk by mentioning a principle known as “Etuaptmumk,” or “two-eyed seeing.” The word is a Mi’kmaq one, and it guided the 2019 Denis Sullivan trip, which drew from both Western science and the traditional knowledge of the peoples who were the first inhabitants of the Great Lakes region.
Landers described the group’s route from St. Ignace, Michigan, to Duluth, with some memorable experiences along the way, such as learning from Karen Diver about treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. Diver served as President Obama’s Special Assistant for Native American Affairs and is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Dzwonkowski, the GLIFWC representative, is based in Odanah, Wisconsin, and is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She’s one of 22 wardens covering three states for the agency, which was formed in 1984. Her role combines law enforcement, conservation and education. She marveled at how she and her fellow sailors could feel like a family so quickly—despite the intensity of the trip, it lasted just six days.
All three echoed the importance of Great Lakes literacy and place-based education that helps kids and adults alike appreciate the amazing region we live in and understand it through more than one framework.
One resource that Koller recommended to the 35 or so attendees is the book “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants,” by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Educators who are interested in going on the next shipboard science workshop may apply now (though, like everything these days, plans may be affected due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation). Applications are due April 6; find information on the website of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy.
We thank Dzwonkowski, Koller and Landers for sharing their experiences with us, and helping get the Lake Talks off to such a great start! We are also grateful to the Neville Public Museum for generously hosting us. You can read more about the Denis Sullivan trip in this earlier story in our online newsroom.
Barring any cancellations or delays due to the current public health situation, the next Lake Talk is scheduled for May 28 in Green Bay. “Green Bay: A Saga of Life, Destruction and Restoration” will feature two University of Wisconsin-Green Bay graduate student researchers, Cadie Olson and Brandon Falish.
Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/lake-talks-kick-off/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/educational-support-through-noaa
The agencies and businesses running the services, centers and parks are adapting daily, hourly.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/great-lakes-parks-centers-tourism-coronavirus-covid-19/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F40C91BF0.HydrologicOutlook.125F40D87280WI.GRBESFGRB.86a65ce9a4bb9b6c9b39683aa1d37e47
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/03/18/rising-waters-threaten-wells-drinking-water-systems/
Our Great Lakes communities are heading into uncharted waters as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Protecting our health and the health of those around us is top of mind.
As local, state, and national health and safety officials respond to this crisis, the new mantra for all of us has become: wash your hands. This most basic hygiene advice is a stark reminder of the critical importance of clean water to our personal health, and the health and safety of our families and our communities. Surrounded by the Great Lakes, our region can lead by making sure everyone has access to the clean water they need right now.
We commend the cities and other government entities that are taking action to halt water shut-offs and restore residential water service during this crisis, including Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo, Akron, and many others around the Great Lakes region. We urge states to use their power, as was done in Ohio, Wisconsin, and other places, to direct water utilities under their jurisdiction to halt shut-offs and restore water services.
The deepening COVID-19 crisis reinforces the inseparable connection between water and public health. This crisis is going to take a commitment from all levels of government to ensure that everyone has access to the clean water they need, and the Alliance is ready to work with any state or local officials looking for guidance in this critical area. We also encourage you to support the many local environmental and civic organizations working directly in our Great Lakes communities to ensure all residents have access to safe, clean water.
So, what can you do to help? First, be sure to heed the advice of your local, state, and federal health and safety officials. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have helpful, easy-to-understand information on precautions against COVID-19 to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.
Second, find ways to support your local community by donating to relief efforts and contacting elected officials to ask that water shutoffs be halted and services be restored. We’ll be using the Alliance’s social media channels to share local opportunities to get involved. You can also follow the hashtags #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable to join the conversation on social media.
If you need help getting the word out, tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and we’ll do our best to amplify the important efforts happening in Great Lakes communities.
Our staff around the Great Lakes region remain hard at work. We have taken steps to respond to this crisis to protect the health and safety of our staff and volunteers. Our staff are now all working from home but are accessible via their regular email and phone. We are shifting upcoming volunteer training events, community outreach meetings, and other group activities to online events. To protect the health of our supporters and communities, we have canceled all in-person volunteer events, including Adopt-a-Beach events, for at least the next month.
Thank you for your ongoing support of clean water.
The post Clean water is important now more than ever appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/03/covid-19-crisis-clean-water-update/
