On:
In: Daily News

Parking was hard to come by Friday night as people made their way into the Soo Locks Park to watch the first freighter officially open the 2023 shipping season in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. A few hundred people packed the viewing platform at midnight to photograph, video, and talk about the 1004′ x 105′ Edwin H. Gott slowly working its way into the Poe Lock. Read the full story by Soo Today.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-soo-locks

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

The “status quo” for the Hamilton (ON) Waterfront Trust isn’t among the mix as the new city council pursues a fresh approach to the harbor. That involves studying the arm’s-length agency’s dissolution with the city taking over its functions. Read the full story by the Hamilton Spectator.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-hamilton-waterfront

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

It’s important in Northeast Ohio to have places that provide boats with clear access to Lake Erie. The Ohio Department of Resources has released $500,000 for an important project in the Mentor Harbor Channel based on an announcement recently made by state Rep. Callender and State Sen. Cirino. Read the full story by The News-Herald.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-odnr-grant

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Three northern Michigan men are set to cross Lake Ontario this summer on stand-up paddleboards. The 65-mile round trip will complete the trio’s eight-year quest to paddle across all five Great Lakes, raising tens of thousands of dollars for nonprofits and public awareness about environmental issues affecting the lakes in the process. Read the full story by The Traverse City Ticker.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-paddle-journey

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Archived Projects, Library, Water quality

Library

ErieStat: Project Archive

This project has ended. Archived project materials are available below. For information about ongoing work in this area, please visit the Blue Accounting website: www.blueaccounting.org/issue/eriestat/

Excess phosphorus entering Lake Erie contributes to the formation of harmful algal blooms and dead zones, which can be dangerous for fish, wildlife and people. Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the U.S. and Canada agreed to work together to reduce to amount of phosphorus entering the western and central basins of Lake Erie by 40 percent (from 2008 levels).  ErieStat is part of the Great Lakes Commission’s groundbreaking Blue Accounting program and brings together water quality experts to discuss and agree on methods to measure progress toward the 40% reduction goal.

The nutrient annex of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Annex 4) set the goal of a 40% reduction in the amount of total and dissolved reactive phosphorus entering the western and central basins of Lake Erie. ErieStat is a web-based platform, developed by a binational workgroup of water quality professionals and designed to track progress toward the binational phosphorus reduction goals. ErieStat also shares the strategies and investments intended to achieve the shared goal of phosphorus reduction in western and central Lake Erie.

Learn More about ErieStat

Tracking progress toward a healthier Lake Erie

Lake Erie has a significant social and economic impact on the surrounding region. Currently, harmful algal blooms (HABs) and seasonal hypoxia, which are thought to be the result of excessive phosphorus (P) loading, threaten the water quality and biodiversity of the lake. Recognizing the substantial threat HABs and hypoxia present to the surrounding region, governors and premieres agreed to reduce P loading by 40% (from 2008 loads) by 2025 in the 2015 Collaborative agreement. In the same year, the Great Lakes Commission’s own Lake Erie Nutrient Targets report established similar goals and a set of 10 steps to achieve the targets. Both of those efforts gained further support when the governments of Canada and the United States formally adopted a 40% reduction goal in February 2016 through Annex 4 of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the two nations.

ErieStat is a web-based platform for tracking progress toward the goal of a 40% reduction in phosphorus loads to the western and central basins of Lake Erie. ErieStat provides valuable services to the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York and the province of Ontario as these governments work to implement policies and programs to achieve the binational phosphorus reduction goal.

Reducing P loading is expected to substantially decrease the intensity and frequency of HABs while also reducing the areal extent of the hypoxic zone within the central basin, therefore improving water quality for surrounding communities that depend on Lake Erie for safe drinking water and the Lake’s ecosystem as a whole.

ErieStat was led by a team from the Great Lakes Commission. Guidance for ErieStat came from our Steering Committee and Content Advisory Group, which include members from state, provincial, and federal government; academic research institutions; nonprofit organizations; and other experts in the region.

Reducing Phosphorus into Lake Erie

Excess phosphorus entering Lake Erie contributes to the formation of harmful algal blooms and dead zones, and can be dangerous for fish, wildlife and people.

In June 2015, the Governors of Michigan and Ohio and Premier of Ontario signed a Collaborative Agreement to work together toward a 40% reduction in the amount of total and dissolved reactive phosphorus entering Lake Erie’s Western Basin by the year 2025, with an interim goal of a 20% reduction by 2020. In the same year, the Great Lakes Commission’s own Lake Erie Nutrient Targets report established similar goals and a set of 10 steps to achieve the targets. Both of those efforts gained further support when the governments of Canada and the United States formally adopted a 40% reduction goal for phosphorus in the western and central basins in February 2016 through Annex 4 of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the two nations. The Commission is working closely with Annex 4 in developing ErieStat.

Project Documents (password protected)

Project Documents (password protected)

These documents are archived for project team members only and are not available for public download.

 

For More Information

Nicole Zacharda
Program Manager, Great Lakes Commission
734-971-9135
nzacharda@glc.org

Return to the Library main page

CONTACT

If you need help finding library items, project information, or materials from inactive projects, please submit your inquiry here.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/work/eriestat

Laura Andrews

On:
In: Uncategorized
...ACCUMULATING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TODAY... .Periods of snow, heavy at times, and gusty north winds are expected across east-central Wisconsin today. Additional snowfall accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are expected with north winds gusting to 35 mph at times. Hazardous travel conditions are anticipated, especially this morning.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12663D57E9B8.WinterStormWarning.12663D590B90WI.GRBWSWGRB.45e648d4d4739514def2bbff252e775f

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Uncategorized
...ACCUMULATING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TODAY... .Periods of snow, heavy at times, and gusty north winds are expected across east-central Wisconsin today. Snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected with north winds gusting to 35 mph at times. Hazardous travel conditions are anticipated, especially this morning. ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON...

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12663D57BD94.WinterStormWarning.12663D590B90WI.GRBWSWGRB.45e648d4d4739514def2bbff252e775f

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Uncategorized
...ACCUMULATING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TODAY... .Periods of light to moderate snow and gusty north winds are expected across east-central Wisconsin today. Snowfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches are expected with north winds gusting to 35 mph at times. Hazardous travel conditions are anticipated, especially this morning.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12663D56F9E0.WinterWeatherAdvisory.12663D590B90WI.GRBWSWGRB.300fa97a05c06561f7bf95411c2c472a

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: great lakes restoration

Chicago, IL (March 24, 2023) – This afternoon Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new investment in Great Lakes restoration. The announcement was made as part of an official state visit to Canada by President Biden.

In reaction, Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier made the following statement:

“The Alliance for the Great Lakes welcomes today’s announcement that the Canadian federal government is investing $420 million in restoring the Great Lakes over the next 10 years. Commitments like these are a critical down payment in ensuring that the Great Lakes are brought back to health and can sustain a way of life for the millions of people who rely on them in both Canada and the United States. This is an important step forward. There is work to be done to make sure these investments address the highest priorities for Great Lakes protection and are not undermined by continuing threats from pollution and climate change. We commend the Trudeau administration for its leadership and look forward to working with our Canadian partners to protect the health of the Great Lakes for all.”

###

Media contact: Jennifer Caddick, Alliance for the Great Lakes, jcaddick@greatlakes.org​

The post Statement: Alliance Welcomes New Canadian Investment in Great Lakes Restoration 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/2023/03/statement-alliance-welcomes-new-canadian-investment-in-great-lakes-restoration/

Judy Freed

On:
In: Uncategorized
...ACCUMULATING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... An area of low pressure is forecast to move into the Great Lakes on Saturday. While heavier snow is expected across southeast Calumet and Manitowoc Counties, a band of 2 to 4 inches will be possible over portions of Winnebago, Brown and Kewaunee Counties,

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI12663D4986E8.SpecialWeatherStatement.12663D49FC18WI.GRBSPSGRB.b18cf691b71b24e4f3504303a69e9511

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Authors, Chicago, Energy, Energy News Roundup, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Power outages in Michigan, future of nuclear power in Illinois

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

  • When it comes to smog, Cook County is the worst neighbor in the country, EPA finds — Chicago Tribune

Cook County, Illinois, contributes more to smog pollution violations in other states than anywhere else in the country, according to federal data.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/energy-news-roundup-power-outages-in-michigan-future-of-nuclear-power-in-illinois/

Kathy Johnson

On:
In: Daily News

A public meeting, hosted by the City of Toledo, Ohio and project partners, presented a feasibility study currently underway to assess restoration options for the channelized Duck Creek, which runs through the Collins Park Golf Course. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230324-collins-park

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Allouez Bay, Cat Island project, David Grandmaison, Matt Steiger, piping plovers, St. Louis River Alliance, St. Louis River Summit, wild rice, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Point, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Field trip participants with the St. Louis River Summit learn about efforts to encourage piping plovers to nest on Wisconsin Point. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

I participated in a field trip during the recent St. Louis River Summit that involved snowshoeing out to a bird sanctuary on Wisconsin Point, which is near Superior, Wisconsin. The sanctuary is a protected area on a sandy spit of land, specifically designated for endangered shorebirds called piping plovers (Charadrius melodus).

I enjoy any opportunity to visit Wisconsin Point, but I also attended because I was involved in early habitat restoration efforts for these cute little birds before I worked for Wisconsin Sea Grant. I was interested in hearing the latest intel about their status.

A piping plover. Image credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The St. Louis River Estuary had breeding plover pairs up until 1989. The last nesting pair was seen at this bird sanctuary site. Plovers, which look like killdeers, prefer large isolated beaches for nesting. Much of this habitat type has been lost due to development and recreational pressure. Work to increase the population of plovers is going on all across the Great Lakes and in other parts of the country.

Matt Steiger, St. Louis River Area of Concern Coordinator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), led the field trip along with David Grandmaison, St. Louis River wild rice and habitat restoration coordinator with the Wisconsin DNR.

As we snowshoed out to the end of the beach in a cold wind from the northeast, Steiger explained that several projects had taken place on the site over the years to make it attractive to plovers and common terns. The latest was begun with Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding in 2019, which involved enlarging the beach with clean dredged sand. The goal was to create habitat that would last despite changing water levels in the harbor and storms and would require minimal maintenance. Fourteen acres of nesting and foraging habitat were created along with three “nesting pans” composed of small cobblestones that plovers prefer.

Matt Steiger, WI DNR, (center) discusses the Wisconsin Point Bird Sanctuary restoration efforts to field trip participants. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Piping plover monitors coordinated by the St. Louis River Alliance have kept their eyes peeled for any plovers on this site and others around the estuary. So far, none have nested, but sometimes these efforts take time – decades, even. Steiger said that a female plover was spotted in the sanctuary during the spring 2022 migration season at the same time a male was spotted on nearby Minnesota Point. Let’s hope that someday two plovers will land on the same beach at the same time!

In other areas of the state, Wisconsin Sea Grant has played an integral role in habitat restoration that benefits piping plovers. Our staff were involved in the Cat Island Restoration Project in Green Bay, which created 1,400 acres of barrier islands in Lake Michigan that had previously disappeared due to high lake levels and storms. In 2016, for the first time in 75 years, endangered piping plovers successfully nested on a restored island there and fledged chicks.

Sea Grant was also involved in an earlier effort on Wisconsin Point’s Shaefer Beach to create plover habitat. We were involved in initial design discussions for the bird sanctuary work but are not currently participating. For more information, see this cool post and videos on the Perfect Duluth Day website.

At the end of the tour, Grandmaison described work going on in nearby Allouez Bay to restore wild rice beds. Historically, wild rice was abundant in Allouez bay and throughout the estuary, providing an important food source for Native Americans. Wild rice beds also provided habitat and food for birds and wildlife. Their abundance in the estuary declined significantly in the past century, and today only a sparse remnant stand exists in Allouez Bay. Wild rice seeds were spread throughout the bay. Exclosure fencing was installed protect the seedlings from browsing pressure of Canada geese.

As I snowshoed back to my car, I remained hopeful that someday, Wisconsin Point will be home to nesting piping plovers and lush stands of wild rice, thanks to these efforts.

The post Restoring piping plover habitat on Wisconsin Point first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/restoring-piping-plover-habitat-on-wisconsin-point/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=restoring-piping-plover-habitat-on-wisconsin-point

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Daily News

A federal review of plans for a Great Lakes oil pipeline tunnel will take more than a year longer than originally planned, officials said Thursday, likely delaying completion of the project — if approved — until 2030 or later. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230324-oil-pipeline

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Essex County’s surface water quality, forest conditions, and phosphorus levels have all received failing grades in a five-year environmental report card from the Essex Region Conservation Authority. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230324-water-quality

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Lake Michigan is one of Illinois’ greatest assets. But plastic pollution puts Lake Michigan and all our waterways at risk, polluting our drinking water and harming wildlife.

Polystyrene foam – a plastic used to make single-used foam cups and food containers – is among the most polluting plastic products. Polystyrene foam doesn’t biodegrade in nature and is nearly impossible to recycle. Byproducts of polystyrene production can pollute the water, harming neighborhoods near factories.

Some of the most common items Adopt-a-Beach volunteers remove from Lake Michigan’s Illinois shorelines are foam take-out containers and pieces of polystyrene foam. While our volunteers are on the frontlines of keeping plastic out of Lake Michigan, we know that they are only able to pick up a fraction of the plastic pollution on our beaches. And once single-use polystyrene pieces end up in our waterways, it’s nearly impossible to clean them up.

The Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this week that would phase out single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware. The bill is now being considered by the Illinois Senate.

We hope Illinois will join the eight states and roughly 200 cities and municipalities that have enacted bans on polystyrene foam containers.

The post Single-Use Plastic Foam Foodware Ban Advances to Illinois Senate 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/2023/03/single-use-plastic-foam-foodware-ban-advances-to-illinois-senate/

Judy Freed

On:
In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Fish, Birds and Animals, Forests and Plants, Habitat Restoration, Lake Huron, Latest News, Michigan, News, restoration, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wetlands
Multi-million dollar restoration projects proposed for the Saginaw Bay watershed; paid with settlement money from corporate polluters

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/restoration-projects-proposed-saginaw-bay-watershed-settlement-money-corporate-polluters/

Michigan Radio

On:
In: Daily News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found more efficient ways to construct a barrier near Chicago to keep invasive carp in the Mississippi River system out of the Great Lakes. But the cost is nearly 13 percent higher than a 2019 estimate.  Read the full story by Michigan Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230322-carp-barrier

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Daily News

The ecological success of artificial reefs in Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay could teach people how to restore fish populations across the world. Researchers observed that the number of trout eggs found indicated the fish used the constructed reefs just as much as the natural reefs. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230322-artifical-reefs

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Daily News

Recently, the International Joint Commission, which manages Plan 2014 regulating Great Lakes water outflows, completed the first phase of the study. The commission has started the second phase, which focuses on long-term impacts of extreme weather. Read the full story by Spectrum News1.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230322-ijc-phase2

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Echo

Strengthening the laws would be instrumental to us as we think about the future of this state and what is going to attract and retain people here.

The post Polluter-pay laws could return under Democratic majority first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/03/22/polluter-pay-laws-could-return-under-democratic-majority/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Agricultural runoff, Lake Erie algal bloom

Note: This blog is part of a periodic series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.

Donald Jodrey headshot.
Don Jodrey, Director of Federal Government Relations

The first week of March was a busy time in Washington, DC, as Great Lakes advocates from around the region, including the Alliance, gathered for the annual “Great Lakes Days” to lobby Congress for funding and laws to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The event, organized by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes coalition, brought hundreds of Great Lakes advocates to Washington, DC, to meet with Members of Congress.

The Alliance was tapped to lead the Illinois delegation and brought together allies from several Illinois-based organizations, including Friends of the Chicago River, the Illinois Environmental Council, and Stantec. Our group met with over 10 Illinois congressional offices on March 9 to discuss Great Lakes policy priorities.  Overall, we believe we had a productive and frank dialogue, especially noting the difficulty of achieving some of our funding and legislative priorities this year with a divided Congress.

We couldn’t have timed our advocacy better as the White House released the FY 2024 President’s Budget the same day of our congressional visits.  While we did not see the increases we had hoped for in all of the programs targeting the Great Lakes, the budget does have some good news. We appreciate that the Administration proposed a $1.9 billion (19%) increase for US EPA’s budget, with the majority of these funds targeting programs supporting water infrastructure improvements for rural and underserved communities. In addition, US EPA’s budget includes increases for programs that reduce lead in schools and support actions to address PFAS, including EPA’s first-ever draft rule to regulate PFAS in drinking water.

The budget debate now moves to Congress, and it is going to be contentious as House Republicans are determined to reduce federal spending. Overall, House Republicans have vowed to cut federal non-defense programs back to FY 2022 levels or lower. With the Senate in Democratic hands, it is unclear how top-line spending policy will ultimately be worked out, but we will continue to advocate for programs that protect our water resources.

In addition to the release of the President’s Budget, the House considered and passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to disapprove the Biden Administration’s recently released “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) Clean Water Act rule that sets forth protections for the nation’s lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. We supported the development of the “Waters of the United States” rule and opposed the congressional resolution to disapprove the rule as the rule provides important Clean Water Act protections to the region’s water resources. The Senate is anticipated to take up the resolution soon, although the final vote is unclear, and the Biden Administration is expected to veto the resolution if it passes. 

With all of these events occurring during Great Lakes Days, it gave us a great opportunity to talk about our federal priorities to our congressional representatives and to build a foundation upon which to continue the dialogue as we move forward in the legislative process.  We will keep you informed of how developments in Washington, DC, this year and appreciate your support for programs that protect and restore the Great Lakes.

Protect the Great Lakes & Our Communities

Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water – whether it is lead-tainted water coming from taps in homes or algal blooms fouling beaches. Visit our Action Center and learn how you can take action.

Take Action

The post DC Update: Great Lakes Advocates Head to Washington, President’s Budget Released 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/2023/03/dc-update-great-lakes-advocates-head-to-washington-presidents-budget-released/

Michelle Farley

On:
In: Other topics

James Kessler is a scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. His educational background comprises an engineering degree in Earth Systems Science and a Master’s of Science from the University of Michigan. He has dedicated his research efforts to understanding the intricate physical processes of large lakes and creating numerical models of ice and hydrodynamics.

Resources:

Great Lakes Products

Great Lakes Ice Cover

Lakes Chat Podcast

Subscribe to the Lakes Chat Podcast

Every Tuesday, the Alliance for the Great Lakes will chat with special guests about Great Lakes issues and dig into what it all means for you and your community. Subscribe to our Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer (more platforms coming soon).

Hear More Episodes

The post Great Lakes Ice Cover Season 2, Episode 26 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/2023/03/great-lakes-ice-cover-season-2-episode-26/

Michelle Farley

On:
In: Christine Carlson, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa., Fond du Lac MN, Mark McConnell, Ojibwe stories, River Talks

Christine Carlson and Mark McConnell. Image credit: Anna Martineau Merrit

Two speakers shared their wealth of knowledge with a large audience for the March River Talk, held at the Lake Superior Estuarium in Superior. The evening began with Christine Carlson, a historian and columnist for the Fond du Lac Tribe’s newspaper.

The talk was held on March 8, which was International Women’s Day. In honor of this, Carlson highlighted Sophie Bruin, a woman who lived on an island in the St. Louis River between Gary and New Duluth in a one-room cabin with her eight children. Her granddaughter Bea Bruin was in the audience. Newspaper accounts detailed their rescue by rowboat in 1897 when the island flooded. Sophie earned money by selling milk from her four cows. She also had a vegetable garden and hay field off the island.

“She was an incredible woman and that’s why I wanted to highlight Sophie Bruin,” Carlson said.

She then provided the audience with copies of her self-published book, “Wa ye kwaa gichi gamiing: Fond du Lac, End of Great Body of Water & a Visual Feast,” which contains history of the area and many photos.

Carlson grew up in Fond du Lac, which was a settlement for the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples and a fur trading post — precursor to the city of Duluth. When the Fond du Lac Reservation was established in 1854, many Native people moved there, but some stayed in the town of Fond du Lac. Carlson described the lives of some of the families that stayed, including the Charettes, LeGardes and Durfees. She also described how Fond du Lac was a popular tourist destination beginning in the late 1800s. Riverboats from Duluth would ferry people to the spot.

“Some of those boats had a thousand people in them. They’d come for picnics – huge picnics in Chambers Grove – the Elks, the newsboys, the police officers. The riverboats docked at 133rd Avenue West, Nekuk Island, and a third location,” Carlson said. The Montauk was perhaps the longest-running riverboat. It sported slot machines, not allowed on land, and offered dancing.

Later, a ski jump called Ojibwe Bowl, a fish hatchery, and an arboretum were built in the community. Carlson recalls sliding down the ski jump hill once competitions were over. “We didn’t have sleds back then. We just had cardboard. It was a big climb and then we’d slide down that hill. What a ride that was, I tell ya,” she said.

The second speaker was Mark McConnell, an Elder with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. His family used to live on Wisconsin Point and like those who Carlson mentioned, did not move to the reservation.

He related seven stories, which are usually only told during winter. He began with a water-based tale about how the loon got its necklace, or the patterning around its neck. His next described why making maple syrup is so labor-intensive. “Everything that we do in our culture for gathering – be it sugar bush, ricing, netting fish – takes a lot of work. I think it gives people more appreciation for the end product,” McConnell said.

His third story described why the black bear’s tail is so short. Others were about how porcupines got their quills, why turtles don’t migrate, and how the Apostle Islands were formed (which involved a giant beaver). His final story dealt with a lost deer hunter who, after falling into a lake, took shelter overnight in winter with a hibernating bear.

McConnell also discussed how fire fits into Ojibwe culture to encourage the growth of blueberries and to honor the dead. It’s nice to see fire coming back,” he said. “It’s not a bad thing if handled carefully.”

The next River Talk will be held on April 12 in-person at the Lake Superior Estuarium and by Zoom. It will feature local environmental science painter and muralist Adam Swanson who will describe how he mixes art and science.

The post History of Fond du Lac and winter Ojibwe stories shared at River Talks first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/history-of-fond-du-lac-and-winter-ojibwe-stories-shared-at-river-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=history-of-fond-du-lac-and-winter-ojibwe-stories-shared-at-river-talks

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Authors, diving, ducks, Feature Homepage, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, I Speak for the Fish, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, St. Clair River
I Speak for the Fish: Playing follow-the-leader with diving ducks

I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/i-speak-for-the-fish-playing-follow-the-leader-with-diving-ducks/

Kathy Johnson

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In: Daily News

Ice conditions across the Great Lakes during the 2022-2023 season were the third-lowest on record. Although this is a widespread trend, it has had significant impacts on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Read the full story by WETM-TV – Elmira, NY.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-river-ice

Connor Roessler

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In: Daily News

In Michigan, federal, state, and tribal trustees have come up with an extensive plan to spend some of the last of the money from two huge settlements to restore land in the Saginaw Bay watershed. The drafts of the plans are up for public review.  Read and listen to the full story by Michigan Radio.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-saginaw-bay

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Adam Tindall-Schlicht was appointed in November as the 11th administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. (GLS) by President Biden and is the youngest GLS administrator to date. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.

 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-seaway-administrator

Connor Roessler