Enbridge said Tuesday it had discovered four spots on the Line 5 oil pipeline in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac where protective coating has worn away, leaving bare metal exposed. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-enbridge
The controversial project to replace the existing 67-year-old Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac with a pipeline in a tunnel under the straits remains an issue between Enbridge Energy and the state of Michigan.
A new point of contention in the project is a new permit that would allow Enbridge to withdraw water from the Great Lakes and discharge wastewater.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/pollution-permits-enbridge-michigan-line-5-tunnel-project/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news//news/scale-hurricane-rainfall-magnitude
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/scale-hurricane-rainfall-magnitude
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/27/fixing-the-food-web-cisco-reintroduction-to-the-great-lakes-could-have-enormous-ripple-effect/
Masks or no, the otters at the Aquatarium at Tall Ships Landing in Brockville, Ontario, know exactly who’s in their den space.
“They really recognize us more by our smell and our boots,” said Jennipher Carter, senior aquarist at the Aquatarium. For the otters at least, adjusting to their caretakers all wearing masks didn’t take long.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ontario-aquatarium-covid-19-virtual-engagement/
The United States and Canada have invested over $22.8 billion over the last 35 years to restore Areas of Concern throughout the Great Lakes, according to a study published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. The study found that the money has been well-spent with investments in cleanups helping revitalize communities with over a 3 to 1 return on investment. Read the full story by WLNS – TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-Great-Lakes-Investments
May typically marks the start of the season for cruise vacations on the Great Lakes, a burgeoning segment of the market that was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020, but the season is being threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-cruise-season
The devastating flooding in Midland is causing concern about potential environmental contamination. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-midland-flood
The U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation announced five U.S. ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System have been awarded the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award, including the Port of Oswego, for increasing international cargo tonnage during the 2019 navigation season. Read the full story by the Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-port-awards
Since 2010, The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) has tracked over 843 Great Lakes drownings. The not-for-profit group says drowning numbers will go down as more people, especially children, are educated about the many aspects of water safety. Read the full story by CKLW – Windsor, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-glsrp
On Friday, lawyers for the state of Michigan and Canadian petroleum giant Enbridge faced off in oral arguments in Ingham County Circuit Court stemming from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit challenging the 1953 easement that made way for the pipeline’s construction. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-enbridge
The city of Holland, Michigan, has installed a new camera at Holland State Park, which will be used to provide water and beach safety information. Read the full story by WZZM – TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-research-camera
High water levels on the Great Lakes mean there’s less beachfront this year. At the same time, the pandemic means there’s more need for space. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-high-water
The Farmory, an indoor growing center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, provides educational programming about sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. It’s also home to the state’s first bio-secure yellow perch hatchery. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-yellow-perch
Two decades after the environmental awakening that saw the EPA’s creation and the first earth day, after the environmental disasters of the decades previous, Michigan would take a clear-eyed look at the challenges of the coming years in the form of the Michigan’s Environment and Relative Risk report. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-environmental+risk
This week, students will learn how the Great Lakes and the land around them – called the Great Lakes watershed or basin – are connected. What we do on the land often ends up in our water. We can each do our part to protect the Great Lakes from pollution. For our final H.O.M.E.School video we’re focusing on plastic pollution with a visit from another Alliance staff member.
This activity will take between 30 minutes and an hour.
You’ll need:
Watch the video below to learn about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.
Ask your kids: What do you like best about the Great Lakes? What are some problems that the lake and beaches, and the fish and birds that live around the Great Lakes face? Have you seen pollution on the ground, at the beach, or in the water? What ideas do you have for protecting the Great Lakes and the HOMES of so many fantastic fish and birds?
Take our Plastic Pollution Quiz to test your knowledge on just how long it takes some of the litter found on our beaches to break down!
Watch Nate Drag create the Great Blue Heron he showed in his video. Then make a Great Lakes creature out of plastic litter. Take a photo or video of your creation, and share it on social media. Tag us and we may share it with others!
Want to learn more? Check out these resources!
Find more Great Lakes lessons at H.O.M.E.School.
The post H.O.M.E.School Week 8: Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/05/homeschool-plastic-pollution/
HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — Wolves and moose won’t notice much human company at Isle Royale National Park.
The remote island in Lake Superior said it’s delaying the summer opening because of coronavirus restrictions. Camping might become available by late June or July but there will be no ferry service.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-isle-royale-covid-19/
PORTER, Ind. (AP) — Indiana Dunes National Park has started an information line to help visitors find an open beach with available parking amid severe shoreline erosion along Lake Michigan and the need for social distancing.
Beginning Saturday morning, visitors can call 219-395-1003 to hear recorded information on available parking at Indiana Dunes National Park beaches and nearby Indiana Dunes State Park.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-indiana-dunes-covid-19-beach-parking/
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/26/looking-back-at-michigans-environmental-risk/
Many of the locks feature portages for kayaks or canoes and it is a great way to visit the locks and the Fox River. However, in recent years, people have been trespassing on the land and accessing the river at the closed Rapide Croche lock.
According to Wisconsin state statute, this lock must remain closed to boaters to prevent the spread of invasive species and it is not safe for pedestrians as high water has caused erosion on the banks. The property along the lock is fenced, “no trespassing” signs are posted, and the Fox River Navigational System Authority does not staff the lock.
Any person transporting a watercraft from the Fox River at the Rapide Croche lock has the potential to transport invasive species. Please understand that any person trespassing on this property is breaking state law. Also understand that the site is being monitored with cameras and periodic inspections. There are no businesses or organizations that have permission to use portage at this lock, so please pay attention to the no trespassing signs and enjoy the river at another portage site.
Blog – Fox Locks
http://foxlocks.org/2020/05/24/attention-kayakers-rapide-croche-lock-remains-closed/
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/TributetoWeatherObservers
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4D00F53C.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4D018BA0WI.GRBSPSGRB.ac3f24996c964d1ebd7a8fbc8af6defb
A lot of focus has been placed on Dow Chemical Company—which is headquartered in Midland, Michigan—after two dams breached and flooded many areas around Midland County including near a Superfund site.
Dow stated in a press release Thursday that there were “no reported product releases” and though the floodwaters entered an on-site brine pond used for groundwater remediation, “material from the brine pond does not create any risk to residents or the environment.”
But while there might not be new contamination issues to deal with, much of the progress on the cleanup of Dow’s last chemical contamination might be lost.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/chemicals-contaminants-untreated-sewage-midland-dam-breaks/
Photo credit: Great Lakes algal blooms, August 2010, NASA Earth Observatory.
“Trimming our Sails: Land-Based Workshops about the Great Lakes and Inland Waters,” is a virtual, 6-week workshop series that explores how people influence the Great Lakes and vice versa.
Designed for any fourth- through twelfth-grade formal, non-formal or informal educator in Minnesota or Wisconsin, the series is offered by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL). Participants will learn from educators who have participated in shipboard science workshops, researchers, and CGLL staff about Great Lakes science along with classroom and field applications.
Registration is required so a Zoom link can be sent. Registration deadline is June 16. For more information, visit the workshop web page.
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/minnesota-and-wisconsin-educators-invited-to-land-based-water-workshop/
As high lake levels continue to erode Indiana’s Lake Michigan shore, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission is collecting information about the damage to help convince the state to declare a public emergency in the region and allocate funding to help with repairs. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-nirpc
Scientists and activists fear that flooding from the dam collapse on the Tittabawassse River near Midland, Michigan, will have undone years of work to remove toxic chemicals and contamination from the nearby Superfund site. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-midland
Ohio regulators approved the siting of six wind turbines on Lake Erie with the condition that the turbines stop during the night between March and November to limit the risk to birds and bats. The company developing the wind farm says these conditions effectively kill the project. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-wind-turbines
Once an existential threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem, sea lamprey populations have been effectively controlled through the Sea Lamprey Control Program run by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-lamprey
The International Joint Commission has appointed a 16-member public advisory group of both US and Canadian stakeholders who live along Lake Ontario to help identify potential improvements to the regulation of Lake Ontario outflows. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-ijc
The EPA’s new rules remove protection for about 50 percent of wetlands and 65 percent of the streams in the Great Lakes states, threatening the lakes and people who rely on these waterbodies for clean water. Read the full story by The Hill.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-cwa
Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology estimate there are approximately 381 metric tons of plastic in Lake Erie and over 10,000 metric tons of plastic that enter the Great Lakes each year. Read the full story by the Rochester City Newspaper.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-plastic
Following heavy bouts of rain this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Lake Michigan, Huron and Erie set a new water level record for April 2020 and is on track to set a new record in May. Read the full story by Up North Live.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-levels
The Great Lakes shipping industry has been hit by high water levels that delayed shipping and fluctuating demands for shipments as the coronavirus shuts down the economy. While demand for shipping wheat and grain products have been strong, iron ore shipments for manufacturing have contracted, placing the industry in flux. Read the full story by WorkBoat.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-shipping
Officials at Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie in Pennsylvania expect a swell of visitors during Memorial Day weekend but are encouraging visitors to follow coronavirus safety guidelines while enjoying the outdoors. Read the full story by GoErie.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521-erosion
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=181:27
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/22/research-delayed-megan-mader/
By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — It took seven years to settle on a plan for cleansing two rivers and floodplains polluted with dioxins from a Dow Chemical Co. plant in central Michigan. The work itself has lasted nearly twice as long, with plenty still to do.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-michigan-flood-pollution-dioxins-superfund-site/
A USGS hydrologic technician finishes installation of a rapid-deployment streamgage on the Tittabawassee River in Midland, Michigan. A USGS crew in the distance makes streamflow measurements using a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler.(Credit: Tom Weaver, USGS)
The USGS Tittabawassee River in Midland streamgage measured record water levels, called river stage, at about 35 feet on Wednesday. This level is the highest ever recorded during the streamgage’s 84 years of record, and exceeds the previous highest stage by about two feet. Water levels are beginning to recede as of this morning, and two two-person USGS crews are on site measuring streamflow. They also installed a rapid-deployment gage to provide backup to the permanent streamgage at the Midland site.
Strong storms passed through parts of the Midwest starting last Thursday, causing minor-to-major flooding in some lower Michigan locations. On Tuesday, May 19, two large dams on the Tittabawssee River failed in succession, causing two lakes upstream of Midland to drain. The USGS crews will continue to monitor water levels and streamflow as flooding continues.
Elsewhere in Michigan, the USGS Rifle River streamgage near Sterling crested on Tuesday with a record streamflow of 7,460 cubic feet per second. There are currently four single-person USGS crews measuring streams throughout lower Michigan, not including the Midland-based crews, and they will continue to monitor flooding for at least another day.
Information collected by the USGS during flooding is critical for resource managers and emergency responders to help protect life and property. The USGS coordinates efforts with the National Weather Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and many local and state partners.
There are about 200 streamgages in Michigan that measure water levels, streamflow and rainfall. When flooding occurs, USGS crews make numerous streamflow measurements to verify the data USGS provides to federal, tribal, state and local agencies, as well as to the public.
For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the U.S. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and for many recreational activities.
Access current flood and high flow conditions across the country by visiting the USGS WaterWatch website. Receive instant, customized updates about water conditions in your area via text message or email by signing up for USGS WaterAlert. See where floodwaters go by following a stream trace at Streamer. View water data on your mobile device. Learn how a USGS streamgage works.
USGS News: Upper Midwest Water Science Center
USGS News: Upper Midwest Water Science Center
https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-crews-measure-major-flooding-lower-michigan
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/2020/05/pfas-epa-limits-new-york-burn-plant-wisconsin/
COVID-19 has devastated communities across the Great Lakes region, and has deepened many already existing racial and social inequities in public health outcomes, access to safe and clean drinking water, and many other areas. At the same time, many HOW Coalition members and other organizations are working within the communities that the Coronavirus pandemic has hit the hardest, advocating for and providing relief to those who need it most.
To support in these efforts, the HOW Coalition is offering help to member NGOS and frontline groups, and to facilitate members helping other members in this time of crisis. Working with our network of Coalition members, the Governance Board, and the Equity Advisory and Action Committee, we are offering financial resources and human resources (technical, policy, research, communication skills) through a small grant program (details below).
We recognize that many of our member groups and frontline groups and individuals need additional financial resources along with additional skills-based resources during the pandemic. Through the Coalition’s relationships we hope to identify and provide these needed resources.
The HOW Coalition has up to $25,000 in funds and is developing a resource bank of skills and services available from HOW member groups. The HOW Coalition is starting this effort with $25,000 but we are seeking opportunities to increase the amount of these funds.
Please click here to see the application.
HOW is accepting applications from member frontline groups that focus on providing needed funds or resources to organizations for services during the pandemic. Preference will be given to HOW member groups and we will encourage membership for others.
Applications can be brief and should not exceed one page. Applications MUST include:
Please do not exceed one page for the narrative of the application. Typical awards will be between $1,000-5,000.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. You can expect a response within 2 weeks from your application. There is no deadline for application.
Examples of project or needs that would be fundable include (but are not limited to):
Research—research on public drinking water stations, policy options, or other strategy
Trainings–remote work skills and tools, outreach strategies, cultural sensitivity
Writing–grant deliverables, translation services, press releases
Communications—assistance with setting up email list serves, zoom meetings or subscriptions, media training and advice, review of communications materials
Policy—consultation on strategy and implementation
Materials or supplies—masks, gloves, food, bottled water, printing
Staff—specific and time limited staffing needs
Direct Lobbying is ineligible.
A final report on how the funds were used, the outcome, and any lessons learned is required within a month of the completion of the project.
The post COVID-19 Crisis Help to Frontline Communities appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/covid-19-crisis-help-to-frontline-communities/
The lead of a study looking at the devouring of the Lake Erie shore says high lake levels are just the beginning of the problem. Man-made changes to the shoreline are also contributing to the erosion. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521-erosion
A new documentary highlighting surfers in Lake Superior is now being filmed on Minnesota’s North Shore. Read the full story by KQDS-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521-surfing
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker has activated nearly 60 Illinois National Guard soldiers and ordered additional steps by the state to prepare for projected flooding along the Illinois River and other streams.
The National Weather Service forecasts the Illinois River will reach major flood stage Saturday morning at Meredosia, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Springfield, and continue to rise through the middle of next week.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-illinois-governor-national-guard-flood/
A Great Lakes engineer explains that the unusually high water levels combined with strong winds are likely to increase flooding in northwest Ohio. Read the full story by WTOL – TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/flooding
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered the owner of the Sanford Dam near Midland, Michigan to establish an independent investigation team to determine why floodwaters overflowed the structure. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/sanford+dam
A small breach in an oil line in in Casco Township, Michigan caused crude oil to leak into several ditches, according to St. Clair County Emergency Management. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/oil+spill
The devastation wreaked by the collapse of the Edenville Dam followed a 16-year battle between the dam’s owner and federal and Michigan state regulators that ultimately failed to bring the dam into compliance. Read the full story by WXYZ – TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/Edenville+Dam
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust is raising funds to purchase 131 acres of lakefront property in Port Washington, Michigan to create a natural recreation area, similar to Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/recreation
The city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has released final design standards for a planned extension of the Milwaukee RiverWalk. Read the full story by Urban Milwaukee.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/milwaukee
