Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a bill into law that will require life rings to be placed along the state’s Lake Michigan shoreline to prevent drownings. Read the full story by the Lake & Mchenry County Scanner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220608-life-rings
By Scott Bauer, Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge on Tuesday agreed to keep on hold his ruling from April that prevented state regulators from requiring businesses and others responsible for pollution by PFAS chemicals to investigate and clean up the contamination.
Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said because of the importance and impact of his ruling, it made sense to keep it on hold while the state Department of Natural Resources appeals.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-wisconsin-judge-pfas-hold/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202205
Public transit agencies in Michigan are facing post-pandemic ridership and staffing shortages. The Michigan Public Transit Association launched ad campaigns in February to address those needs and has seen many great responses, especially on social media, but the association's members still face hardships, and no one knows if they’ll get all of their riders back.
The post Ridership, staffing challenges face local bus systems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/08/ridership-staffing-challenges-face-local-bus-systems/
By Michael Hill, Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers have passed a milestone environmental measure designed to tap the brakes on the spread of cryptocurrency mining operations that burn fossil fuels.
Both supporters and opponents say that the closely watched bill, approved early Friday by the state Senate, is the first of its kind in the U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-landmark-bill-limit-cryptomining/
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) — At least 15 people who attended a public affairs conference last week on Michigan’s Mackinac Island have tested positive for COVID-19, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The gathering is put on each year by a business group, the Detroit Regional Chamber, and attracts more than 1,000 public officials, journalists and others who discuss a variety of political and policy issues.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-covid-michigan-event/
By Kathiann M. Kowalski, Energy News Network
This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission.
Ohio cities are using new data mapping tools to identify and respond to disparities in energy burdens, climate risks, and pollution impacts.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/mapping-tools-ohio-environmental-justice/
By Enrique Saenz, Indiana Environmental Reporter
Citizens Energy Group announced it would begin a multi-year program to replace thousands of lead service lines owned by its customers.
The company said it received an order from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission granting it permission to launch a five-year, $22.7 million effort to replace customer-owned lead service lines at about 2,500 homes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/citizens-energy-lead-service-line-program/
Starting this year, hunters in Michigan will have to report their deer harvest online. Wildlife officials presented the plan to the state Natural Resources Commission and said online reporting will provide more accurate information about what kinds of deer are being taken and provide it more quickly.
The post Deer kill count moves online first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/07/deer-kill-count-moves-online/
By Michael Casey, Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Brenda Hampton first came across the toxic industrial compound PFAS after finding it was part of the cocktail of contaminants that tainted the drinking water in her North Alabama community.
Hampton, who believes the contaminated water contributed to kidney problems she and other residents suffer, soon learned the chemicals were found in another source that hit close to home — fast food wrappers, boxes and plates.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-pressure-growing-remove-pfas-wrappers/
By Lester Graham, 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/2022/06/harmful-algal-blooms-lake-erie/
The population of sea lampreys in the Great Lakes could increase significantly in the next year or two due to pandemic delayed mitigation, and it’s currently unclear how quickly the population can be culled back. Read the full story by WJET – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-lamprey
As Chicago battles erosion intensified by climate change on its 26 miles of public lakefront, officials are scrambling to find more money for repairs, scientists are tracking the disappearing sand and environmental groups are seeking ways to protect the fragile resource. Read the full story by The Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-chicago-shoreline
Pictured Rocks National Shoreline officials say they are struggling to keep up with the crowds of visitors that flock to the picturesque shoreline in Michigan’s upper peninsula which was the country’s first designated national lakeshore in 1966. Last year, more than 1.3 million people visited the park which is seasonally staffed for around 400,000-500,000 visitors. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-pictured-rocks
In the closing round of the 2022 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, all three finalists offered ideas for dealing with threats to water supply. Innovation in water is one of Wisconsin’s most vital resources for many reasons and offers hope in the years ahead as pressures mount on the supply and quality of fresh water in Wisconsin and beyond. Read the full story by Madison.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-wisconsin-innovation
Flooding on the Minnesota-Ontario border is a disaster of historic proportions and causing millions of dollars in damages. Measurements of the flooding have topped those of the record 1950 flood that have been measured among other lakes and rivers in the watershed and increasing concern about leached mine pollutants. Read the full story by StarTribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-flooding-mines
According to the results from a Minnesota Walleye population survey, the walleye population in the St. Louis River Estuary is strong and growing. Read the full story by The Bedmidji Pioneer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-walleye
Anglers and people using the St. Marys Rapids in Sault Ste. Marie, ON are advised that the area will see the highest flow since 2019 after June 6. The compensating works gate movements are scheduled for June 6 and will increase the flow to approximately 720 cubic meters per second, or 25.4 thousand cubic feet per second. Read the full story by SooToday.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-lake-flows
Four years ago, fisheries management biologist Heather Hettinger began stocking Elk Lake with brown trout. In 2018, she stocked 40,000 fish. In 2019, 40,000 more. The count of brown trout stocked into Elk Lake is now over 180,000. And yet, according to the reports Hettinger receives in her role with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, very few have been caught. Read the full story by Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-trout-missing
By Briana Rice, 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/2022/06/detroit-incinerator-demolished-complaints/
Minnesota state legislators approved a bill funding more than 40 high-priority conservation projects, including culvert improvements benefiting brook trout populations as a part of Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund. Read the full story by WTIP – Grand Marais, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220606-mn-trout
A culvert washout in Superior, Wisconsin, during a flood in 2012. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
A new program for community leaders in northern Wisconsin who are looking for ways to address climate change is available through Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve.
The Lake Superior Climate Champions Program provides a yearlong opportunity for community teams to work on a goal of their choosing that addresses climate change, with a minimum of $2,500 in funding, guidance from Sea Grant and Reserve staff members and the chance to connect with other communities working on climate challenges.
Participating teams of two to four people must be from one of the four coastal counties (Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland or Iron). The teams should include community members in decision-making roles, such as tribal or county government staff, elected officials, members of local boards and committees or regional intergovernmental committees.
“All across Lake Superior’s coastal communities, we feel the impacts of climate change firsthand,” said Karina Heim, coastal training program coordinator with the Lake Superior Reserve. “Finding time and the capacity to address climate issues can be a challenge for local leaders. Our Climate Champions Program offers dedicated support for climate work.”
Teams who want to participate need to apply online by Aug. 1 at: bit.ly/39Zovej. Two teams will be selected for 2022 and the program will begin in the fall.
Examples of projects include: finding and using an assessment or planning tool to prepare for climate challenges (flooding, public health, etc.), planning a workshop or a facilitated process that allows for climate change learning and dialog and incorporating climate change considerations into an existing project or process, such as land-use planning or stormwater management.
For more information, visit lakesuperiornerr.org/focus-areas/coastal-leadership/lake-superior-climate-champions/.
The post Lake Superior Climate Champions Program Available for Communities first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/lake-superior-climate-champions-program-available-for-communities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lake-superior-climate-champions-program-available-for-communities
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 Public Television.
The practice of rewilding is frequently carried out in wilderness areas, but cities like Detroit are beginning to reintroduce native species of plants and animals to enhance biodiversity and reap all the benefits of making nature part of everyday urban life.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/great-lakes-moment-rewilding-metropolitan-detroit/
Michigan watersheds are still wracked with pollution from decades ago, along with new runoff. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan would make preserving land and water a statewide priority.
The post Watershed groups fight decades-old pollution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/06/watershed-groups-fight-decades-old-pollution/
This month of The Catch features stories from our partners in the Great Lakes News Collaborative. The collaborative’s investigation of the cost of water in the Great Lakes region was the focus of the latest episode.
In Chicago, journalist Laura Gersony is rolling out a new biweekly offering from Circle of Blue called Fresh: A Great Lakes Policy Briefing.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/the-catch-policy-news-great-lakes-region/
The former Valley View Pork farms near Walkerville, Michigan, are at the center of a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy investigation into PFAS groundwater and soil contamination after leather tannery sludge waste was spread on fields there starting in the mid-1990s. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-tannery
The scraggly cedars growing on Lake Michigan’s white limestone cliffs are amazing. With an estimated age of 1,400 years in one case, they are the oldest living trees in Michigan, having sprouted centuries before Europeans settled North America and likely dating back to the era of the vanished Hopewell indigenous culture. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-clifftrees
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources approved a water withdrawal and consumptive use permit for Massachusetts-based Aquabounty on March 14. The permit will allow operators to pull about 28 million gallons from the Michindoh Aquifer to fill salmon tanks, plus about four million gallons per day thereafter. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-salmonfarm
With the recent expansion of service, Duluth-Superior is the only U.S. port besides Cleveland, Ohio, that’s capable of handling maritime container shipments on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-supplychain
Michigan’s summer is looking sweet: Water levels are receding, summer is expected to be hotter than normal, fisheries are strong, invasive species are mostly in check and algae blooms are expected to remain relatively low. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-amplefish
A stalled movement to give the invasive Asian carp a more palatable name has regained momentum, and the big reveal is now set for June 22. Read the full story by WTTW – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-asiancarp
Shepler’s Ferry is kicking off its Lighthouse Cruises and Night Sky Cruises this month with one new kind of cruise and some other fresh sights added into an always-popular lineup departing from Mackinaw City, Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-sheplers
Always clean, drain, and dry your boat and fishing gear, says the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and check your boats and gear for aquatic hitchhikers. Read the full story by the Times Herald-Record.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-invasive
Lighthouses traditionally warn sailors away from land, but this year, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes — Marblehead Lighthouse in Ohio — will be attracting visitors like moths to a flame. Read the full story by the Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-marblehead
Didymo, most commonly referred to as rock snot, is a kind of algae that continues to spread in Michigan’s Manistee River. The appearance of rock snot was first reported last fall, and it still continues to be a problem. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-rocksnot
Great Lakes cruising has returned to the Port of Cleveland with the first ships dropping anchor in Northeast Ohio last month. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220603-clevelandcruise
The North American Sea Glass Association held its 16th Annual Sea Glass Festival at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge on Lake Erie – the first time it wasn’t held at a saltwater venue.
“This is probably the crème de la crème of festivals,” said Beverly Vinch, of Washed Ashore Jewelry, based in Avon Lake, Ohio.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/great-lakes-sea-glass/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
In September, Illinois lawmakers passed a watershed clean energy law which established the state as a leader for its efforts to decarbonize.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/energy-news-roundup-impending-energy-crisis/
All through the spring, baby fish hatch and laze in the sun-warmed shallows, bird chicks take their first wobbly flights, bunnies get their first taste of the greens in my garden and seedlings sprout and reach for the sky. And then they die.
The post June: The Cruelest Month? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/03/june-the-cruelest-month/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Caroline Miller, Great Lakes Echo
High water and ice scouring has shifted native wetlands inland and opened a door to invasive species along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coast.
A new study documents the first sighting of the invasive species, European frogbit, in Wisconsin and says that it could threaten native plants, fish and invertebrates.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/rising-water-lake-michigan-wetlands-invaders/
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Marshfield and Adams have joined the list of Wisconsin cities that have shut down municipal wells due to PFAS contamination.
Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the state Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday that sampling in the two cities has detected PFAS high enough to concern state health officials.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-wisconsin-wells-pfas-pollution/
By Zahra Ahmad, 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/2022/06/michigan-great-lakes-summer/
A recent sunny morning on the Memorial Union Terrace of the University of Wisconsin-Madison seemed a literal representation of the sunny outlook of the nine undergraduate students assembled to kick off their 10-week summer freshwater research experiences.
Students were nationally recruited and hail from Michigan Technological University, University of the Sciences, James Madison University, North Carolina State University, Skidmore College and Beloit College. Three students didn’t have to travel far. They are currently enrolled at UW-Madison. Six of the students self-identify as underrepresented.
Undergraduate summer research students, mentors and Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley gather for a kick off meeting of the 10 week experience. Photo: Bonnie Willison
The cohort is the inaugural group of a new program to offer student research opportunities to enhance workforce development skills and expose undergraduates to graduate studies across the University of Wisconsin System and under the auspices of Water@UW-Madison, which connects water scholars across the state’s flagship campus.
“I’m thinking about going to graduate school and this internship will prepare me for freshwater research in both the lab and the field,” said Lily Wagner who smiled through a conversation despite being jetlagged following her return just hours earlier from a semester abroad in Copenhagen studying environmental sciences of the Arctic.
She will join the lab of Christy Remucal of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to understand the degradation rate of the aquatic pesticide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol, which is used to control populations of invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes watershed.
Faculty mentors also have high hopes for the pilot research program. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our Water@UW-Madison community to come together in a different way; to share research with a new generation of water scientists,” said Grace Wilkinson, Center for Limnology.
Wilkinson reported being undaunted by the lack of a track record on the program and is looking forward to shepherding a student through a project that will look at how nutrient-rich waters in Dane County are transforming, storing or moving organic material and how the cycle is affected by climate change and anthropogenic pressures.
Her student, Victoria Wright, has experience in science communication. Wilkinson said she’ll tap into Wright’s expertise in creating communications products that will be used as part of a community science monitoring program based at two urban ponds in Middleton.
In remarks to the group, Wisconsin Sea Grant and University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) Director Jim Hurley called out features of the Memorial Union’s surroundings that are emblematic of UW-Madison’s leadership in water—nearby buildings, including the Center for Limnology and the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory; Lake Mendota, known as the world’s most-studied lake; and a plaque commemorating former UW-Madison President Edward A. Birge, often cited as the founder of the study of limnology.
A plaque on the UW-Madison campus details a history of water research.
Hurley said through the years countless research ideas have been sparked sitting alongside Lake Mendota, over beverages and in the company of enthusiastic scientific peers, and he was confident the 2022 Water@UW-Madison summer research students would be similarly inspired.
Sea Grant and its sister organization WRI are funding the program, as well as the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. The Freshwater Collaborative is part of a statewide initiative with support from the Wisconsin Legislature and Gov. Evers that is tackling 10 grand water challenges, as well as curriculum development, undergraduate research opportunities, career development and field training experiences for students with an interest in water-related offerings on UW System campuses. The collaborative is also a partnership of universities, connecting with industry, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups. Its mission is to establish Wisconsin as a world leader in freshwater science, technology, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
The post Summer of research kicks off first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/summer-of-research-kicks-off/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-of-research-kicks-off
In our newest TikTok, Echo reporter Shelby Frink discusses the results of a recent study published in Agricultural and Resources Economic Review that explores how climate change impacts milk and feed production.
The post Climate change increases milk production: TikTok edition first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/02/climate-change-increases-milk-production-tiktok-edition/
This month of The Catch features stories from our partners in the Great Lakes News Collaborative. The collaborative’s investigation of the cost of water in the Great Lakes region was the focus of the latest episode.
Toronto-based journalist Andrew Reeves discusses a piece he wrote for Great Lakes Now about the history and current issues in Canadian water infrastructure.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/the-catch-canadian-water-infrastructure/
By Lester Graham, 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/2022/06/toxic-hot-spots-michigan-great-lakes-states/
The massive Viking Octantis cruise ship is due to make its first-ever stop at the small Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Houghton on Wednesday, June 1. Read and hear the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220601-cruise
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set a goal of completing work to delist 22 of the 25 remaining Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes region. Of the three remaining AOCs that won’t be completely cleaned up, two are in Michigan. Read and hear the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220601-aoc-cleanup
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasts that water levels will be above the long-term average for most of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior. Read and listen to the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220601-water-levels
High water and ice scouring has shifted native wetlands inland and opened a door to invasive species along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coast. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220601-invasives
