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In: Other topics
A woman engages a child in a Great Lakes activity.

You can find them across the Great Lakes region: at conferences, zoos, boat shows, farmer’s markets, swim races, film festivals, Earth Day events, and more.

Volunteer Alliance Ambassadors are out in their communities, growing people’s connections with the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes region is huge,” says Volunteer Engagement Manager Olivia Reda, “and our staff can’t be everywhere at once. Alliance Ambassadors are vital in helping us spread the word about how people can help protect the Great Lakes.”

Two women stand behind a table filled with Great Lakes maps and papers.

These dedicated volunteers hail from all 8 Great Lakes states. They join virtual meetings where they learn from experts about topics like plastic pollution, invasive species, and clean drinking water. They receive training in skills like public speaking and tabling. Then they represent the Alliance for the Great Lakes at events across the region.

This year, Ambassadors spoke and tabled at 51 events from Wisconsin to New York. They connected with families, businesses, student groups, and community organizations. They spoke at Adopt-a-Beach cleanups and welcomed guests at the Alliance’s Great Blue Benefit.

Ambassadors went online as well, learning and taking action to protect the Great Lakes. They shared information with their networks, contacted their legislators, attended webinars, and joined exclusive Ambassador conversations on topics like agricultural pollution, lead service line replacement, and climate change and the Great Lakes.

“I can’t thank them enough,” says Reda. “Our Ambassadors are such an integral part of our work and impact at Alliance for the Great Lakes. I am so grateful for everything they have done this year to help protect the Great Lakes and raise awareness about the threats our waters face!”

Join the Alliance Ambassadors

Are you passionate about protecting the Great Lakes and the people that rely on them? If so, consider becoming a volunteer Alliance Ambassador!

Learn More

The post Alliance Ambassadors Grow Community Connections with the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2024/12/alliance-ambassadors-grow-community-connections-with-the-great-lakes/

Judy Freed

On:
In: Latest News, News
Leaking valve on oil pipeline spills nearly 70K gallons of oil in Jefferson County

By Rob Mentzer, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

A valve failure on an Enbridge Energy oil pipeline in Wisconsin caused a spill that dumped some 69,000 gallons of oil into the ground.

The spill happened on the morning of Nov.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/enbridge-oil-spill-jefferson-county-wisconsin-pipeline/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, I Speak for the Fish, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
I Speak for the fish: Sammy the red-nosed sucker

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of stop-motion animated film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I Speak for the Fish columnist Kathy Johnson creates a whimsical remix of the classic holiday jingle. Check out her previous columns.

You know darters and daces and pickerel and gar
Catfish and chub and cisco and char
But do you recall
The most famous fish of them all?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/i-speak-for-the-fish-sammy-the-red-nosed-sucker/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: Daily News

One year after the proposed Icebreaker Wind demonstration project in Lake Erie got shelved, there continues to be talk — but little movement — toward erecting commercial-scale offshore wind turbines in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-offshore-wind

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

An Enbridge Energy pipeline in Jefferson County, Wisconsin spilled nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil underground on November 11th according to federal officials. The spill is Enbridge’s worst in Wisconsin, surpassing a 2012 incident that spilled 50,000 gallons in Adams County. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-pipeline-leak

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

Joel Brammeier, CEO of Alliance for the Great Lakes, has two words for those feeling anxiety about what’s in store for the Great Lakes during the incoming Trump administration: Don’t panic.  Despite expected rollbacks on key environmental initiatives, the Great Lakes region has been here before. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-new-administration-advice

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

A proposed Michigan copper mine on the shores of Lake Superior is sparking fierce debate over environmental and economic priorities, as the state’s House Appropriations Committee approved $50 million in taxpayer subsidies for the controversial project. Read the full story by Newsweek.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-copper-mine

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

The Brandon Road Interbasin Project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Michigan is designed to keep invasive carps out of the Great Lakes. It’s a half mile long underwater obstacle course containing a bubble curtain, noise emitting speakers, electrified water and a navigation lock designed to flush fish downstream. Read the full story by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-carp-barrier

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan Democrats are considering legislation to increase fees for hunting, fishing and boating by 30% or more to raise funding for the state Department of Natural Resources whose fish and wildlife programs have endured budget cuts amid funding shortages. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-fee-increase

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

Getting rid of the legacy coal ash deposits from the NRG Generating State power plant along Lake Michigan in Waukegan got a little more likely with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision keeping the green light illuminated for enforcement of a federal regulation mandating such a cleanup. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-coal-ash-ruling

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Daily News

Lake Michigan surface temperatures peaked at over 6 degrees above normal last month, the warmest they have been in November since 1995 when record keeping began at the National Oceanic and Atmospherec Administration. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241216-lake-warming

Nichole Angell

On:
In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Latest News, News
Safe Drinking Water Act Turns 50

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/safe-drinking-water-act-turns-50/

Circle of Blue

On:
In: invasive carp
Joel Brammeier headshot.
Joel Brammeier, ​President & CEO

I firmly believe in the power of the long view. Great Lakes problems often result from years of accumulated neglect and bad decisions. Righting the ship requires years of patience and steady work until — one day — the breakthrough happens.

Thanks to your support, 2024 has been a year of breakthroughs for the Great Lakes and the people who rely on them. Some of the year’s most important achievements include:

Blocking Invasive Species. As a result of more than a decade of advocacy, construction will begin in 2025 on barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes as they advance from the Mississippi River watershed. This project at the Brandon Road Lock & Dam in Illinois will be the most effective deterrent to keep the invasive carp from wreaking havoc on the ecosystem and economic health of the Great Lakes.

Keeping Plastic Out of Our Waters. Adopt-a-Beach volunteers collected a milestone 10 millionth piece of litter this year. This amazing accomplishment spanned more than 200,000 volunteers who cleaned up their shorelines over 20+ years. In April, we released a groundbreaking report based on the data these volunteers collected. The report, which found that the vast majority of litter we collect is plastic, gained national media attention and has strengthened national and state-level efforts to reduce the scourge of Great Lakes plastic pollution.

Getting Lead Out of Drinking Water. In October, the EPA finalized new standards that require most water utilities in the Great Lakes to replace harmful lead pipes within 10 years. The agency significantly tightened longer timelines for Cleveland and Chicago, two Great Lakes cities with hundreds of thousands of lead lines to replace. EPA also reduced the allowable levels of lead in drinking water, above which water systems need to take additional protective steps.

Fighting Toxic Algae Blooms. In October, we finished deploying the most significant agriculture pollution monitoring network in the region in southeast Michigan’s Lake Erie watershed. Measuring and studying the agricultural runoff that causes toxic Lake Erie algal blooms will improve targeting of conservation practices in Michigan to address the issue.

Expanding the Clean Water Circle. We’re working to ensure state and federal infrastructure funding doesn’t bypass communities that bear an unfair burden of failing water systems. 200+ members have joined our forum, which provides information and training to bring funds to communities in critical need of safe drinking water and protection from flooding and sewage overflows.

None of these breakthroughs would have been possible without our supporters. Whether you were one of the volunteers who removed more than 573,000 pieces of litter from Great Lakes shorelines; one of the advocates who sent more than 16,000 messages to federal, state, and local decision-makers; or one of the donors who gave generously to protect our waters, your contribution made a real difference for the lakes this year.

Thank you for making 2024 a year of breakthroughs for the Great Lakes and clean water. Your support is invaluable in ensuring that our Great Lakes remain a thriving, vital resource for all. We’re ready to keep up the momentum in 2025.

Keep the Breakthroughs Coming

Donate today to protect fresh, clean, and safe water, and support our work to preserve our Great Lakes. 

Give a Gift Today

The post Breakthroughs for the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2024/12/breakthroughs-for-the-great-lakes/

Judy Freed

On:
In: Uncategorized

USGS Upper Midwest Water Science center researchers presented their science at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2024 meeting, the world’s largest annual Earth science meeting.

Original Article

Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Upper Midwest Water Science Center

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/upper-midwest-water-science-center/news/upper-midwest-water-science-center-agu-2024?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news

jvelkoverh@usgs.gov

On:
In: Uncategorized
Fog, locally dense, will continue across the Fox Valley and lake shore tonight, reducing visibilities to a quarter mile in places. Motorists are encouraged to exercise caution by slowing down, using your low-beam headlights, and leaving plenty of distance between vehicles.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.1cde2a5b965de860bff9741ca58266a72d85cfec.001.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Uncategorized
Fog, locally dense, will continue across the Fox Valley and lake shore late this morning, reducing visibilities to under one half mile at times. Motorist are encouraged to exercise caution by slowing down, using your low-beam headlights, and leaving plenty of distance between vehicles.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.a2ec85506bd0918c6194c3a3e5eeacfc8dac3b97.001.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Uncategorized
Overnight precipitation and lingering drizzle has led to a thin glaze of ice on untreated roads and sidewalks this morning. Motorist are encouraged to exercise caution and slow down especially around corners, near intersections, and on bridges. Pedestrians should be alert for slippery spots when walking on outside surfaces.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.a2ac6b4b97325d11ece70d0b2983ac2a308c6d3f.001.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Uncategorized
Light snow mixed with sleet will change to freezing rain and then rain tonight. Roads and sidewalks have a small slushy accumulation, so please travel with care tonight.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.9b144b77928705d06dc10af9d1aa544a7fb57503.002.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Uncategorized
Light snow will continue in the Fox Valley through mid evening, then change to freezing rain for a short while and then rain. Roads and sidewalks have a small slushy snow accumulation, so please travel with care this evening.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ed4bbecc6d8439d433df5c7f1ff1163d04eff543.002.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Uncategorized
* WHAT...Mixed precipitation and freezing rain expected. Total snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to a tenth of an inch. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Kewaunee Counties. * WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to midnight CST tonight. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.b44ffd37f43c1859e56558f27ef8970d744b6e53.002.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Uncategorized
* WHAT...Mixed precipitation and freezing rain expected. Total snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to a tenth of an inch. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Kewaunee Counties. * WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to midnight CST tonight. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions.

Original Article

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI

https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.d4ff0a868470c0ea3593d7cd2bd983f5a027780f.001.1.cap

NWS

On:
In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Latest News, News
Michigan eyes hunting, fishing, boating fee increases, change to park fees

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/michigan-eyes-hunting-fishing-boating-fee-increases-change-to-park-fees/

Bridge Michigan