Crystal M.C. Davis, vice president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, is being recognized for her efforts to ensure fair and equitable access to water. Read the full story by WKSU-FM – Kent, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-cleveland
This year at least six algae blooms were reported on the western arm of Lake Superior, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are likely increasing in the lake due to warm surface water and ample sunlight. Read the full story by The Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-algae-bloom
During the Mackinac Policy Conference on Wednesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other officials offered up the Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit, a plan to add charging stations all along the shoreline. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-ev
Waterspouts, an atmospheric phenomenon that resembles a tornado-like column of swirling air on water, were formed on Lake Michigan Wednesday amid gusty winds and high, damaging waves, according to multiple reports on social media. Read the full story by WMAQ-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-water-spout
The 2021-22 state budget passed this week by the Michigan Legislature includes $25 million for a pilot program in the western Lake Erie basin to increase the participation of agricultural lands using best management practices for water quality. Read the full story by the Daily Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-michigan-budget
The state of Michigan will provide bottled water and water filters in Benton Harbor, where tests have revealed elevated levels of lead, a spokesman said Wednesday. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-lead
Partners for Clean Streams, which focuses on improving quality of life along Toledo-area waterways, is reaching a milestone this Saturday with its 25th annual Clean Your Streams Day. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-cleanup
A fledgling initiative created in part by the Chicago-based Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers has attracted nearly $4 billion in sustainability investments for the region in 19 months. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210924-sustainability-investment
Building boats, cleaning up trash and uncovering amazing fossils around the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/wooden-boats-metal-trash-stoney-fossils-episode-1029/
On September 21, 2021, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers announced a series of actions and resolutions as part of their virtual bi-annual meeting.
The following joint statement was issued in response by: Alliance for the Great Lakes, Audubon Great Lakes, Black Environmental Leaders Association, Drink Local Drink Tap, Flint Community Water Lab, Freshwater Future, Junction Coalition, Michigan Environmental Council, The Midwest Environmental Justice Network, Milwaukee Water Commons, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy in Ohio, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, Village of Healing Cleveland, We the People of Detroit.
September 23, 2021 — The Great Lakes region is facing a water infrastructure crisis. We have not invested in the maintenance of our drinking, waste, and stormwater systems. This is evidenced by lead pipes that poison drinking water, ongoing sewage contamination that closes beaches, and broken water mains that cave in streets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that it will cost $188 billion over 20 years to upgrade the drinking and wastewater infrastructure in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Ohio and Illinois have the unfortunate distinction of ranking #1 and #2 in the nation, respectively, for the number of lead service lines in their states. And The American Society of Civil Engineers gave our nation’s drinking water system a “C-” grade this year, reflecting the fact that much of our drinking water infrastructure is nearing the end of its useful life.
In light of this, we the undersigned organizations are disappointed that the recent announcement from the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers heralding regional priorities to protect the environment and boost the economy failed to take unified action to address a water infrastructure crisis that is impacting millions of people. While the announcement contains very important environmental agreements, such as commitments to protect the lakes from invasive carp and justly transition the region toward clean energy, the omission of water justice and infrastructure action is glaring.
The governors and premiers missed a major opportunity to speak as a region for the drinking water, health, and well-being of all who live in the Great Lakes states. While investing in these infrastructure needs is undeniably expensive, kicking the can down the road does not make sense. The longer we delay, the worse the economic, environmental, and public health impacts will be for the region, taxpayers, and communities that are disproportionately affected by gaps in public spending. We encourage the governors and premiers to discuss collective commitments and actions that will position the region to lead in solving water infrastructure issues.
###
Media contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org
The post Groups: Great Lakes Governors and Premiers miss opportunity on water infrastructure appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2021/09/groups-great-lakes-governors-and-premiers-miss-opportunity-on-water-infrastructure/
It’s hard to believe that 30 years ago in September, volunteers joined our first Adopt-a-Beach events on Lake Michigan. Today the program reaches across all 5 lakes and all 8 Great Lakes states. On Saturday, September 18th, thousands of dedicated volunteers took to the beaches with one goal in mind: To keep the Great Lakes healthy, beautiful, and free from plastic pollution.
Each year, roughly 85% of the litter collected at beach cleanups is made up of plastic. Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are on the front lines of keeping plastic out of our lakes. Tackling litter and plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is no small task, but together we are able to make a difference.
Our September Adopt-a-Beach event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup. We are still compiling beach cleanup data, but in the meantime, take a look at a few memorable moments shared by volunteers, highlighting cleanup events around the region.
The post 30th Anniversary of September Adopt-a-Beach a Success! appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2021/09/30th-anniversary-of-september-adopt-a-beach-a-success/
When Flint Rising, the Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint, and the St. Francis Prayer Center contacted Great Lakes Environmental Law Center (GLELC) and Earthjustice attorneys with concerns about Ajax Materials’ plan to build an asphalt plant in Flint, Michigan, it immediately raised significant alarms. The city has been an epicenter of environmental injustices for decades, the most recent of which captured attention of people across the world after thousands of residents were exposed to toxic drinking water.
Recognizing the cumulative impacts of the current environmental risks posed to the community, along with the undeniable disparate impacts of the proposed plant on a low-income community of color, GLELC and Earthjustice attorneys submitted a comment on behalf of their clients that urges Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to deny the permit.
If granted, the permit would authorize air pollution from a hot mixed asphalt plant at 5088 Energy Drive without any cumulative impact analysis. Of the 2,970 people living within 1-mile of the proposed plant, 86% of the population identify as people of color, including 77% of the population identifying as Black and 10% of the population identifying as Hispanic. Forty-three percent of households have incomes of less than $15,000 a year. The area’s per capita income in 2018 was $14,991.18.
EGLE’s failure to utilize its power to conduct a cumulative effects analysis perpetuates a long history of societal disenfranchisement, disinvestment, and disregard for communities of color. The confluence of environmental and social impacts, when combined, must trigger this heightened level of scrutiny applied to permit decisions for facilities near these large historically marginalized communities.
The comment can be viewed in its entirety below.
News - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center
News - Great Lakes Environmental Law Center
https://www.glelc.org/our-blog/2021/9/23/supporting-call-by-impacted-flint-residents-glelc-and-earthjustice-submit-comment-urging-asphalt-plant-air-permit-denial
You searched for flood - The Press
You searched for flood - The Press
https://gopresstimes.com/2021/09/23/community-partners-launch-flooding-survey/
Fish and Wildlife Service News
Fish and Wildlife Service News
http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=%0Aus-fish-and-wildlife-service-announces-final-recovery-plan-for-the-&_ID=37002
Proposed state regulation of sand and gravel mining would wrest control from local authorities and could lead to a similar loss of authority over other issues, according to local and environmental officials.
The post Push for state regulation of sand and gravel mining draws opposition in Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/09/23/push-for-state-regulation-of-sand-and-gravel-mining-draws-opposition-in-michigan/
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP) — Between an inch and 4 inches of rain fell on the Detroit area as of Wednesday morning during the latest batch of wet weather to roll through parts of Michigan and other Midwestern states.
The long duration of the storm, however, allowed rainfall runoff to enter storm drains, rivers and streams more slowly starting Tuesday afternoon, which helped the area avoid levels of flooding that submerged thousands of basements, dozens of streets and even freeways this summer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-long-duration-storm-rain-detroit-area/
Six Native American tribes sued Wisconsin on Tuesday to try to stop its planned gray wolf hunt in November, asserting that the hunt violates their treaty rights and endangers an animal they consider sacred.
The Chippewa tribes say treaties give them rights to half of the wolf quota in territory they ceded to the United States in the mid-1800s.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-6-tribes-sue-wisconsin-november-wolf-hunt/
LAKE ORION, Mich. (AP) — A virus is being blamed on the deaths of between 300 and 600 mostly adult common carp this summer in a Detroit-area lake.
An investigation has confirmed that the koi herpesvirus caused the fish kill in Lake Orion, Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources said Friday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-dnr-virus-deaths-common-carp-detroit-area-lake/
Methylmercury uptake rate in phytoplankton is among the highest recorded
Sept. 22, 2021
By Moira Harrington
A recently published study in the journal of the American Chemical Society, Environmental Science and Technology, found that while Great Lakes waters harbor low methylmercury concentrations, the rates of methylmercury transfer to phytoplankton are extremely high, higher than rates observed in open oceans. Phytoplankton are the smallest organisms in an aquatic food web.
Researchers, including a UW-Madison-supported postdoctoral scientist, say this is important because the bioaccumulation of methylmercury into phytoplankton sets the baseline for methylmercury levels in fish.
Methylmercury is highly toxic and is the form most encountered by people. This is generally through eating fish and shellfish, which is why advisory consumption guidelines are issued, particularly targeted toward pregnant women and young children. However, monitoring fish and shellfish varieties—some have higher levels of methylmercury—and consumption frequency, people can still enjoy the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids found in the food.
From 2010 to 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey Mercury Research Lab in Madison, Wisconsin, teamed up with the U.S. EPA and its research vessel the Lake Guardian to monitor inorganic and methylmercury dynamics in the five Great Lakes. This was done through a combination of vertically, seasonally and spatially comprehensive water quality measurements and analysis of seston collections, which is the suspended particle mass in the lakes made up of plankton, bacteria, bugs and detritus.
Ryan Lepak, a postdoctoral scientist (Ph.D. UW-Madison, 2018) through the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and its sister organization, Sea Grant and stationed at the U.S. EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division in Duluth, Minnesota, said, “Ultimately, the study concluded the very low concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, the substrate which competes with phytoplankton for methylmercury but also can serve as a source of sustenance, in these lakes likely create a scenario where methylmercury transfer to phytoplankton is facilitated. The planktonic methylmercury levels are quite low, but exceedingly higher than we’d expect considering the extremely low methylmercury levels in the waters in which they reside.”
Lepak continued by explaining the transfer of methylmercury up the lower food web, from phytoplankton to herbivorous zooplankton and then to omnivorous zooplankton, was not statistically different. Finally, he and the team tested whether water-mercury concentrations have declined over the study period and determined that without more routine continuous monitoring, trends could not be identified because unresolved sources of variability masked data trends.
“The conditions that make the Great Lakes highly susceptible to methylmercury bioaccumulation are common to the world’s great lakes,” Lepak said. “These global water bodies should serve as excellent sentinels to track the impacts mercury reductions at local, regional and global scales have on biota. This paper’s important finding could aid those planning global mercury monitoring networks aimed at tracking mercury reductions due to actions resulting from the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a multilateral environmental agreement the U.S. signed in 2013 and which would reduce global mercury pollution.”
The post Methylmercury water concentrations low, but Great Lakes fish consumption advisories persist—new research documents one probable culprit first appeared on WRI.
News Release | WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/methylmercury-water-concentrations-low-but-great-lakes-fish-consumption-advisories-persist-new-research-documents-one-probable-culprit/
Methylmercury uptake rate in phytoplankton is among the highest recorded
A recently published study in the journal of the American Chemical Society, Environmental Science and Technology, found that while Great Lakes waters harbor low methylmercury concentrations, the rates of methylmercury transfer to phytoplankton are extremely high, higher than rates observed in open oceans. Phytoplankton are the smallest organisms in an aquatic food web.
Researchers, including a UW-Madison-supported postdoctoral scientist, say this is important because the bioaccumulation of methylmercury into phytoplankton sets the baseline for methylmercury levels in fish.
Methylmercury is highly toxic and is the form most encountered by people. This is generally through eating fish and shellfish, which is why advisory consumption guidelines are issued, particularly targeted toward pregnant women and young children. However, monitoring fish and shellfish varieties—some have higher levels of methylmercury—and consumption frequency, people can still enjoy the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids found in the food.
From 2010 to 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey Mercury Research Lab in Madison, Wisconsin, teamed up with the U.S. EPA and its research vessel the Lake Guardian to monitor inorganic and methylmercury dynamics in the five Great Lakes. This was done through a combination of vertically, seasonally and spatially comprehensive water quality measurements and analysis of seston collections, which is the suspended particle mass in the lakes made up of plankton, bacteria, bugs and detritus.
Ryan Lepak, a postdoctoral scientist (Ph.D. UW-Madison, 2018) through Sea Grant and its sister organization the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institure and stationed at the U.S. EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division in Duluth, Minnesota, said, “Ultimately, the study concluded the very low concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, the substrate which competes with phytoplankton for methylmercury but also can serve as a source of sustenance, in these lakes likely create a scenario where methylmercury transfer to phytoplankton is facilitated. The planktonic methylmercury levels are quite low, but exceedingly higher than we’d expect considering the extremely low methylmercury levels in the waters in which they reside.”
Ryan Lepak aboard the U.S. EPA RV Lake Guardian sampling Great Lakes waters for methylmercury. Contributed photo.
Lepak continued by explaining the transfer of methylmercury up the lower food web, from phytoplankton to herbivorous zooplankton and then to omnivorous zooplankton, was not statistically different. Finally, he and the team tested whether water-mercury concentrations have declined over the study period and determined that without more routine continuous monitoring, trends could not be identified because unresolved sources of variability masked data trends.
“The conditions that make the Great Lakes highly susceptible to methylmercury bioaccumulation are common to the world’s great lakes,” Lepak said. “These global water bodies should serve as excellent sentinels to track the impacts mercury reductions at local, regional and global scales have on biota. This paper’s important finding could aid those planning global mercury monitoring networks aimed at tracking mercury reductions due to actions resulting from the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a multilateral environmental agreement the U.S. signed in 2013 and which would reduce global mercury pollution.”
The post Methylmercury water concentrations low, but Great Lakes fish consumption advisories persist—new research documents one probable culprit first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/methylmercury-water-concentrations-low-but-great-lakes-fish-consumption-advisories-persist-new-research-documents-one-probable-culprit/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=methylmercury-water-concentrations-low-but-great-lakes-fish-consumption-advisories-persist-new-research-documents-one-probable-culprit
Large one-time investments in water infrastructure and environmental protection are included in Michigan’s 2022 budget, which puts millions toward drinking water emergency response, municipal flooding and erosion aid, pollution cleanups and dam repairs. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-michigan-budget
The bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has already passed the Senate and is expected to be voted on by the House by the end of September, directs dollars to improve water quality not just locally in the Great Lakes but across the Midwest. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-infrastructure
Wisconsin tribal official Daniel Guzman has been appointed to the EPA’s Small Community Advisory Subcommittee, which was established in 1996 to solicit input from community leaders about ideas to improve and protect the health of the people of the environment where they live. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-tribal-official
The nine catfish species found in the Great Lakes are a surprisingly interesting group of fishes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-catfish
The Senecaville State Fish Hatchery is one of six fish hatcheries operated by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, that produce more than 40 million fish a year to stock many of Ohio’s waterways. Read the full story by The Daily Jeffersonian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-hatchery
A proposed solar canopy array in the parking lot will help Presque Isle State Park reach net-zero energy consumption. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-solar-panels
A meeting to discuss coastal resiliency is planned for this week in in a southwest Michigan township. The township has received a grant from the Land Information Access Association to help it update its master plan with coastal resiliency in mind. Read the full story by WSJM – St. Joseph, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-coastal-resiliency
Waves as high as 20 feet could be possible on the Great Lakes and flooding occurring in parts of southeast Michigan as a multi-day storm system settles into the region, according to the National Weather Service. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-waves-and-flooding
Tens of millions of fish from the Great Lakes are caught annually and most of them meet the same culinary fate becoming fried filets. However, groups and individuals around the region have recently been working on projects aiming to encourage this culinary path and expand the scope of Great Lakes fish and wild game consumption. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210922-fish-fry
Their daily work aims at reducing microplastics and invasive species in the Great Lakes, increasing attention to equity in the region’s environmentalism, helping communities finance water infrastructure, and better connecting foundations in coastline cities.
For this, six individuals from around the Great Lakes region earned a 2021 leadership award from the Great Lakes Protection Fund.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/great-lakes-protection-fund-award-plastics-invasives-equity/
Tens of millions of fish from the Great Lakes are caught and kept every year by recreational anglers, and it’s common knowledge the vast majority of them meet the same culinary fate: filets coated in some type of breading or dipped in batter, and then fried in oil.
Walleye and yellow perch are the two species who suffer this fate the most.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/regionwide-local-fish-game-recipes/
September 21, 2021 – The Great Lakes Protection Fund named Crystal M.C. Davis a recipient of a 2021 Great Lakes Leadership Award in recognition of her efforts to protect the health of the Great Lakes basin and the people who live in the region. She is one of six individuals the Fund is recognizing for their trailblazing efforts on behalf of the Great Lakes.
Davis is reorienting environmentalism in the Great Lakes region to focus on the needs of the people who live there. Her approach focuses on fair and equitable access to the benefits that come with restoring the ecological health of the system – like access to clean drinking water and the removal of toxins from the lakes and surrounding waterways. She currently serves As Vice President of Policy & Strategic Engagement for the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
“Crystal is changing the nature of environmentalism in the Great Lakes region. She serves as a tireless advocate for the those who are disproportionately impacted by environmental challenges,” said David Rankin, executive director of Great Lakes Protection Fund, in announcing the award. “With so much of the work in this region focused on policies like the Water Quality Agreement and the Clean Water Act, she was one of the first to say, ‘What about the people who live here? How will their lives be improved by these policies?’ And for that, she’s a trailblazer.”
Davis’ approach is prompting both environmentalists and policymakers to look at water quality issues throughout the Great Lakes basin in a new way. She spearheaded the development of Shut Up and Listen, which guides those who want to listen to community concerns. Last year, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed her to a three-year term on the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. Additionally, she led the effort to develop the first-ever Ohio Environmental Justice Platform, and also led a study about water affordability in Ohio.
“Thank you to the Great Lakes Protection Fund for this honor and for recognizing that we need to bridge the gap between the grass-tops and grassroots movements,” said Davis. “The power to solve complex water challenges lies at the intersection of authentic community engagement and public policy making.”
Other winners of the 2021 Great Lakes Leadership Award are:
The Great Lakes Protection Fund (the Fund) is the impact investor for the Great Lakes. Over the past three decades, the Fund has turned big ideas turn into big impact by investing $91 million into projects and teams that are pioneering new technologies, practices, and financing strategies to restore and protect the health of the Great Lakes. From improved water quality to sustainably managed forests to fewer invasive species entering the lakes, the Fund launches and accelerates innovations that consistently lead to long-term improvements throughout the region.
This is the third year for the Great Lakes Leadership Award. In 2019, the Fund recognized innovation in water technology that has the potential to vastly improve in the health of the Great Lakes and help secure clean water for the future. The 2020 Great Lakes Leadership Award went to top storytellers in the region. Learn more here.
###
Contact:
Valerie Holford for Great Lakes Protection Fund at valerieholford@starpower.net or 202-365-5336
The post Crystal M.C. Davis Receives 2021 Great Lakes Leadership Award appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2021/09/crystal-m-c-davis-receives-2021-great-lakes-leadership-award/
Participants on the tour listen to Matt Steiger, Wisconsin DNR, describe improvements to the Barker’s Island inland beach. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov
Last week, I joined a walking tour to check on the progress of projects designed to improve the environment on Barker’s Island in Superior, Wisconsin. After a welcome at the Lake Superior Estuarium by Jim Paine, the mayor of Superior, we hoofed it over to Barker’s Island beach. Although most of the work on the beach was done back in 2019, progress is still being made.
Native plants that replaced invasive buckthorn bushes were thriving and in fine color. Yellow sunflowers and purple bottle gentians lined the raised boardwalk along with many other grasses, flowers and shrubs. Our tour guides from the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve (Reserve) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) pointed out porous concrete underneath the picnic tables and pervious pavers in the parking areas along the street. These are designed to allow water to soak into the ground instead of running directly into the lake, which diminishes pollution.
The Barker’s Island beach and boardwalk. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Matt Steiger with the Wisconsin DNR said the changes are working. Before the improvements, the E. coli bacteria amount exceeded standards 42% of the time for the summer season in 2015 and 2016. After the project was completed in 2020, E. coli exceedances dropped to only 8%.
The second area we visited encompassed the charter fishing dock parking lot and the Barker’s Island Inn lot and tennis courts. Funded by a grant to the city of Superior from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sustain Our Great Lakes Program, progress on these projects has been slower than anticipated because of the many challenges brought about by the COVID pandemic.
However, city staff expect ground to be broken in the spring of 2022 on medians in the parking lot, which will be planted with native trees and shrubs to slow water runoff. The tennis courts behind the inn will be turned into a green space, and the paved walking path across from the inn will be extended.
Our next stop was Barker’s Island Marina. Manager Eric Thomas showed us the many improvements completed this spring thanks to several grants and cooperation among Sea Grant programs in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio, as well as the City of Superior, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, The Ohio State University, and the Wisconsin Marine Association. These include a rubber mat that catches toxic paint chemicals and biofouling organisms when boats are removed from the water and washed at the end of the season.
Eric Thomas, manager of Barker’s Island Marina, describes new environmental improvements. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Pavement at the marina has been replaced and regraded so that it drains toward a new engineered wetland along its edge. Todd Breiby with the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program explained that the wetland includes a forebay, which catches the pavement runoff and allows contaminants to settle. Then the water moves into a basin filled with plants, which filter the water, and then into another plant-filled basin, before emptying into the bay.
Breiby and Thomas then walked us closer to the road to the marina parking lot stormwater pond, which was retrofitted to make it function better. The pond used to flood the lot because it had no outlet, so a culvert was added that allows water to drain into the bay once it reaches a certain level. A forebay was also installed, which captures sediment coming off the marina parking lot and improves water quality.
To ensure these new marina improvements are doing their job cleaning water, researchers from Ohio State and the Reserve are monitoring water quality and noting “before” and “after” changes.
Todd Breiby with the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program describes changes to the Barker’s Island Marina parking lot stormwater pond. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Walking back to my office (which is on Barker’s Island) at the end of the tour, I was struck by how things that look so natural, like the wetland and the pond, can do such a good job of cleaning water if we give them a chance. Although some had only been put in this season, they already looked like they’d been around for years. It’s good to know that these features are in place and working, and that they’ll serve as examples for other communities and marinas to try.
The post Environmental improvements to Barker’s Island progressing first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/environmental-improvements-to-barkers-island-progressing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=environmental-improvements-to-barkers-island-progressing
Michigan’s hemp industry could get up to $100 million in federal funds to help it compete globally under a proposal pushed by a nationwide growers association.
The post Michigan’s growing hemp industry faces roadblocks first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/09/21/michigans-growing-hemp-industry-faces-roadblocks/
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was present for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off a project that will restore more than 100 acres of wetlands by connecting Powderhorn Lake to Wolf Lake in the southeast area of Chicago, Illinois. Read and view the full story by WBBM-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-restoration
Minnesota regulators have ordered Enbridge to pay more than $3 million for allegedly violating state environmental law by piercing a groundwater aquifer during construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-enbridge
According to the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership, the Seaway system handled over 20 million metric tons of cargo from the opening of the Seaway on March 22 through August 31. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-seaway
Previous research and current study find troubling trends for the freshwater fish of Minnesota and elsewhere, owing in part to the impact of global warming caused by climate change. Read and hear the full story by The Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-fish-trends
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on Friday appointed a new clean water public advocate. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-clean-water
A decade ago, a blue-green algae bloom had never been reported on Lake Superior. Now, half a dozen blue-green algae blooms have been reported this summer across Lake Superior, including one that formed recently in Superior. Read and hear the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-algae
A major voice has chimed in regarding the potential placement of wind turbines in Lake Erie. During its September meeting, the New York State Conservation Council went on record as calling for a “permanent moratorium on offshore industrial wind turbine development in any Great Lakes waters.”. Read the full story by the Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-turbines
Most of the Great Lakes continue to have declining water levels from the record-high levels over the past few years. The water level decline of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron has been the most amazing. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-water-loss
A native of Quincy, Illinois says he has created a solution that takes Asian carp and turns them into a liquid fertilizer at his facility in Pearl, Illinois. Read and view the full story by WGEM -TV- Quincy, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-carp
The North Country Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (NCCISMA) in Cadillac, Michigan has created a series of educational videos on how to control invasive species. Read the full story by the Ludington Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210920-invasives
I Speak for the Fish is a new 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/i-speak-for-the-fish-catfish/
Three grants totaling more than $334,000 were awarded to Wisconsin Sea Grant to support the state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries, particularly in the areas of career development and resilience planning.
Sharon Moen, Eat Wisconsin Fish outreach specialist. (Photo: Marie Zhuikov)
Recently, NOAA Sea Grant announced federal funding to aid the sustainable growth of the U.S. seafood industry. One of the efforts focuses on the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafood resources. Wisconsin Sea Grant has been awarded $186,000 in funding through that competition, meant to increase the resilience of the seafood sector to respond to future disruptions. The project has a two-year time span and was one of 13 awarded nationally by NOAA Sea Grant. Sharon Moen, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Eat Wisconsin Fish outreach specialist, is the project lead.
A second recently announced grant of $98,000 was awarded through NOAA Sea Grant and NOAA Office of Sustainable Fisheries (more specifically, through the “Food from the Sea” Careers Program).
The work funded by this grant enables the Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs to collaborate on building the framework for a Great Lakes commercial fisheries apprenticeship program over the next six months. Project leads for this effort are Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant fisheries specialist, and Lauren Jescovitch, a Michigan Sea Grant extension educator in the Upper Peninsula. Moen will also be a key player. Together, the team will assess apprenticeship program needs among both tribal and nontribal fishers. The implementation phase of the apprenticeship program will be funded by the two-year grant.
Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist.
A third grant of $50,000 enables the Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative to continue to grow its outreach potential over the next year. Moen leads this project.
“It is exciting that NOAA Sea Grant selected these three Wisconsin proposals for funding,” said Moen. “Food fish—both wild-caught and farm-raised in the U.S.—is an important part of our economy and food security. This funding will enable us to build on our efforts to help commercial fishers and fish farmers thrive in a challenging environment.”
The commercial fishing side of the projects focuses on developing the Great Lakes region’s first-ever apprenticeship program in fishing and fish processing. “Commercial fisheries across the country are graying as the older generation gets older, but who will take the wheel to keep these fisheries going?” said Seilheimer.
Continued Seilheimer, “Our work will build the framework for an apprenticeship program to train the next generation of commercial fishers. We will learn from tribal and state fishers about the needs and wants for a new training program. We hope to build an apprenticeship program that will provide an experienced workforce for tribal and commercial fisheries for years to come to support sustainable Great Lakes fisheries.”
Clarence Pratt of the Red Cliff Fish Co. shows a vacuum-sealed package of lake trout from Lake Superior that has just been processed. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)
While the pandemic has been tough all-around, noted Moen, “It has had a disproportionate impact on Indigenous commercial fishers.” One partner in this project is the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which operates the Red Cliff Fish Co. The fish market prioritizes local retail sales and supplying Lake Superior fish to Native American elders.
While other states have apprenticeship programs focused on commercial fishing and fish processing, Moen said this one will focus on needs specific to the Great Lakes.
The aquaculture side of the projects will include efforts to inform fish consumers and the general public about fish-farming methods.
“Aquaculture in the U.S. has come a long way in the last several decades, and public perceptions have not kept up with reality,” said Moen. “Regulations in the U.S. as a whole are quite strict, and even more so here in Wisconsin, which should give consumers confidence that they’re choosing a safe product that has been raised responsibly. It pays to check labels or ask at the fish counter when you’re shopping.”
Moen and Seilheimer will carry out the funded activities along with members of Sea Grant’s science communication and education teams.
At their core, the three grant-funded projects are responding to challenges faced by Wisconsin fish farms and commercial fishers, from pandemics to workforce issues. “In the end,” said Moen, “We want to create a stronger food network and food systems so that when future disruptions happen, we’ll be better prepared.”
Those interested in learning more about these projects may contact Sharon Moen or Titus Seilheimer.
The post Wisconsin Sea Grant awarded $334,000 to support state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-sea-grant-awarded-334000-to-support-states-commercial-fishing-and-aquaculture-industries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wisconsin-sea-grant-awarded-334000-to-support-states-commercial-fishing-and-aquaculture-industries
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota regulators have ordered Enbridge to pay more than $3 million for allegedly violating state environmental law by piercing a groundwater aquifer during construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline.
The state Department of Natural Resources said Enbridge, while working near Clearbrook in January, dug too deeply into the ground and pierced an artesian aquifer, which resulted in a 24 million gallon groundwater leak.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-enbridge-pay-line-3-groundwater-leak/
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, millions of Americans suddenly found themselves out of work or working remotely, their recreational options severely limited with the closure of bars, eateries, gyms and countless public spaces.
So what better way to spend time with family while remaining socially distanced than buying a boat and hitting the water?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/great-lakes-boat-tow-affordable-expensive/
THIS WEEK: Still Time to Support Freshwater Future + Emergency Petition on Behalf of Benton Harbor, MI Residents + Chicago Mayor’s Lead Line Replacements Far from Goal + Boil Advisories in Ontario Disproportionately Occurring Among Native Communities + Freshwater Voices Newsletter – Summer Issue Now Available Online
It’s not too late to donate to our Walk, Paddle, and Roll Fundraising Campaign. Through September, Freshwater Future staff and board have been raising awareness and funds by walking, paddling, biking, swimming, and other activities around the Great Lakes. We need YOUR support to reach our campaign goal of $10,000 to help make sure that community groups across the Great Lakes have the tools and resources they need to help make their water sources safer and cleaner. Click here to donate today!
Benton Harbor, MI is finally receiving attention after three years of inaction on the high lead levels in the city’s drinking water. Last week, Freshwater Future was among a large contingency of organizations that filed an emergency petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) on behalf of Benton Harbor residents to provide immediate alternate safe drinking water sources, better education and outreach efforts to city residents, and ensure actions are taken to address corrosion of the pipes. While Gov. Whitmer’s recent announcement of $20 million to replace lead lines in Benton Harbor is a good solution in the long-term; the five-year timeline doesn’t address immediate concerns as the city continues to test high for lead in drinking water.
Mayor Lightfoot of Chicago, admired for her strong position on water security and safety, is sliding behind her lead line replacement goal of 650 for 2021, only replacing 3 lead lines thus far. Chicago’s estimated cost per lead line replacement far exceeds other cities at $27,000, while Denver’s totaled $10,000 and Detroit’s has been $5,000. The city has stated that it will hire outside contractors to speed up the replacement, but protecting public health, especially our youth from lead exposure, deserves action sooner rather than later.
While many Canadians consider access to safe drinking water to be a given; this is not the reality for many First Nations communities across Canada. Boil water advisories disproportionately impact First Nations communities. There are currently more than 40 boil water advisories on water systems that support First Nations communities in Ontario. Some of these advisories have been in place for over 25 years. Boil water advisories have significant, long-term impacts on the physical and mental health of multiple generations of First Nations people. While subsequent federal governments have made efforts to address this crisis, there is still much that needs to be accomplished to address decades of systemic inequity, insufficient funding and inadequate planning and implementation.
The most recent issue of our Freshwater Voices Newsletter is now available online. Click here to access a full pdf version of Voices highlighting people and projects making an impact around the Great Lakes Region. If you would like a print version of the newsletter mailed to you, just send a request to leslie@freshwaterfuture.org.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/freshwater-weekly/freshwater-future-weekly-september-17-2021/
In Illinois, a group of conservationists, officials and community members will gather this weekend to mark the groundbreaking for the eventual restoration of Powderhorn Lake, which will be connected to Wolf Lake, creating a link extending all the way to Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210917-powderhorn
