Another future U.S. Navy warship has completed acceptance trials on Lake Michigan. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 23, the future USS Cooperstown, passed several trials in advance of its commissioning to the US Navy in 2021. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201215-navy-ship
By Oliver Morrison, PublicSource, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network
A single PFAS chemical featured in the movie “Dark Waters” last year about contamination from a Teflon plant in Parkersburg, W.Va. resulted in a $670 million court settlement. A community study showed the chemical was linked to six diseases: kidney cancer, increased cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, preeclampsia and testicular cancer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/pfas-chemicals-pittsburgh-scientist/
To raise awareness about the importance of the Great Lakes to the region’s culture and economy, Wisconsin Sea Grant will confer the first-ever Great Lakes Champion Award. The deadline for nominations is fast approaching—midnight on Jan. 16, 2021.
“I am an East-Coast transplant, first arriving in Wisconsin more than 35 years ago,” said Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley. “I could not be more enamored of the Great Lakes bordering my adopted state. They are the focus of my research on mercury cycling and the object of my appreciation for the beauty, recreation and resources they offer. I know there are potential winners of this award in Wisconsin, and in the wider Great Lakes Basin, who share my passion. We hope to see their names added for consideration for the Wisconsin Sea Grant Great Lakes Champion Award.”
Full details are available online.
The post Deadline approaching: nominate a Great Lakes champion first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/deadline-approaching-nominate-a-great-lakes-champion/
Fish and Wildlife Service News
Fish and Wildlife Service News
http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=%0Au.s.-fish-and-wildlife-service-finds-endangered-species-act-listing-for-&_ID=36817
Wilder Harrier, a Canadian pet food company, is using another unlikely alternative protein source to have a low environmental impact, yet a nutritious meal for dogs.
The post Asian carp goes from water to dog dishes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/15/asian-carp-goes-from-water-to-dog-dishes/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202011
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news//news/global-climate-202011
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Eric Freedman, Great Lakes Echo
The U.S. Coast Guard wants to retire its oldest cutter on the Great Lakes, the 57-year-old cutter Buckthorn.
But don’t hold your breath waiting for the replacement of the Sault Ste.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/oldest-coast-guard-cutter-great-lakes/
Thank you to all who joined us for our 2020 Great Lakes Seminar Series on December 7-10. If you were not able to attend any of the sessions, please see below for links to recordings of the presentations and discussion.
Monday, December 7
Keynote Speaker: Mandela Barnes, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Moderated by Brenda Coley, Milwaukee Water Commons
Time: 11:00-11:45am eastern
VIEW Mandela Barnes here
Tuesday, December 8
Panel Discussion: Cultivating Authentic Partnerships with Tribes and Tribal Leaders
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern
This webinar will walk through the Ottaway River Dam Removal Project, a River Reborn, in the eyes of the seven grandfather teachings and discuss ways to cultivate relationships through shared vision.
Speakers: Brett Fessell, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Tina Frankenberger, Tribal Councilor, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Kira Davis, Conservation Resource Alliance
VIEW Cultivating Authentic Partnerships here
VIEW video played during presentation: “History of The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians – Anishinaabek” here
Panel Discussion: Engagement and Organizing in Great Lakes Communities
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 Eastern
Join us for information and examples on how communities around the region can have a voice – whether it is through organizing around an issue, engagement around a project, or finding new ways to build power in a community.
Speakers: Paco Ollervides, Green Leadership Trust
Nicole Brown, Detroit Future City
Anna-Lisa Castle, Alliance for the Great Lakes
VIEW Engagement and Organizing here
Wednesday, December 9
Presentation: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 101: Policy and Funding
Want to know more about the GLRI? How decisions get made? Join this session for a review the basics of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative works.
Time: 1:00-2:30pm eastern
Speaker: Chad Lord, Policy Director, Healing Our Waters—Great Lakes Coalition
VIEW GLRI 101: Policy and Funding here
Presentation: Equity and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Time: 3:00-4:00pm eastern
The HOW Coalition is just wrapping up a study of the GLRI through an equity lens and will share the methodology and the recommended initial next steps to advance and further equitable and just outcomes.
Speakers: Anna Brunner, National Wildlife Federation
Crystal Davis, Alliance for the Great Lakes
VIEW Equity and the GLRI here
Thursday, December 10
Panel Discussion: State Revolving Funds: A State-Level Program View
Time: 1:00-2:30pm eastern
Join experts from around the region to learn more about water infrastructure funding and the State Revolving Funds, including how the funding mechanism works in different states, where funding is being directed, what avenues are available to seek funding, and what work is being done to improve the program.
Speakers: Cyndi Roper, Natural Resources Defense Council
Anthonia Ogudipe, Alliance for the Great Lakes
Pete Bucher, Ohio Environmental Council
VIEW State Revolving Funds here
The post 2020 Great Lakes Seminar Series: Recordings appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/2020-great-lakes-seminar-series-recordings/
Crews have started emergency construction work on a portion of a central Michigan dam that collapsed last spring and contributed to flooding that destroyed homes and forced the evacuations of about 10,000 people. Read the full article by WDIV- TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-dam-construction
In anticipation of high volumes of water entering Lake Ontario in 2021, the International Joint Commission has granted pre-emptive permission to deviate from its controversial Plan 2014 and increase outflows in an attempt to avoid flooding. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-ijc-lake-ontario
A bipartisan task force that brought together environmentalists, the energy industry and others released its recommendations Wednesday for how Wisconsin might bolster its economy while addressing climate change. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-wisconsin-climate-task-force
The Great Lakes Commission has issued a grant to Ohio’s Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District to address runoff concerns into Lake Erie through the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-nutrient-trapping
A project aimed at reducing the number of invasive quagga mussels in Lake Michigan near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has proved successful, providing important takeaways for groups involved in the ongoing effort to combat Great Lakes invasive species. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-invasive-mussels
A new report outlining a common agenda for protecting the Lake Erie watershed in Pennsylvania was recently released by the conservation nonprofit organization PennFuture with the help of a dozen environmental and community groups and advisors. Read the full story by The Alleghany Front.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-pennsylvania-erie-watershed
The Southland Water Agency in South Holland, Illinois sent a letter Thursday to the mayor and City Council of Joliet, Illinois, contending that the city could reduce its water delivery costs by joining the system the agency is already developing to distribute Lake Michigan water to the south Chicago suburbs. Read the full story by The Herald-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-joliet
The city of Muskegon, Michigan, is considering spending $13,600 on a new alert system to warn beachgoers of hazards. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-muskegon-hazard-lights
Indiana’s plans to clean up coal ash sites are insufficient, leaving toxins that could further poison drinking water and the environment, according to a new report by the Hoosier Environmental Council. Read the full story by The Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-indiana-cleanup
Some University of Minnesota students, faculty, and alumni have been fighting development of the Enbridge Energy Line 3 pipeline for years, citing concerns about the environmental impacts of oil spills and the health risks and effects on Indigenous communities. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201214-line-3
A newly funded project in Ohio’s Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District aims to reduce water nutrients and sediments that flow into Lake Erie, causing excessive growth of algae.
The post New nutrient trapping program takes off first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/14/new-nutrient-trapping-program-takes-off/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F761361D0.WinterWeatherAdvisory.125F761FF940WI.GRBWSWGRB.a824b74af306cb5a9a5d0720790464a7
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F76135D20.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F76206E70WI.GRBCFWGRB.7c8cd631c9fe0687885a65a67b439033
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F761242B4.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F76206E70WI.GRBCFWGRB.7c8cd631c9fe0687885a65a67b439033
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F76124124.WinterWeatherAdvisory.125F761FF940WI.GRBWSWGRB.72d85101291f397f0669681d61404eea
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F76113FB8.WinterWeatherAdvisory.125F761FF940WI.GRBWSWGRB.72d85101291f397f0669681d61404eea
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F76111588.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F76206E70WI.GRBCFWGRB.7c8cd631c9fe0687885a65a67b439033
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F76111394.WinterWeatherAdvisory.125F761FF940WI.GRBWSWGRB.72d85101291f397f0669681d61404eea
Thank you for contributing to water science during this unprecedent year. Here is a year in review, along with heartfelt greetings for the holiday season.
The post Season's Greetings first appeared on WRI.
News Release – WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/seasons-greetings/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F760491A0.WinterWeatherAdvisory.125F761FF940WI.GRBWSWGRB.3020ae71ee7fd0b110060f4c08e89113
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F760491A0.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F76206E70WI.GRBCFWGRB.7c8cd631c9fe0687885a65a67b439033
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
https://noaaglerl.blog/2020/12/11/new-science-with-historic-data-15-years-of-great-lakes-environmental-data-archived-in-noaa-data-repository/
By Hannah L. Harrison, University of Guelph, The Conversation
is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
For three generations, the Minor family — today brothers Carson and Landon and their father Paul — have been up before first light to board their fishing tug and make their way to their fishing grounds on Lake Erie.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/family-owned-fishing-businesses-displaced-waterfront-developments-great-lakes/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F76041630.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F76206E70WI.GRBCFWGRB.7c8cd631c9fe0687885a65a67b439033
The International Joint Commission’s Triennial Assessment of Progress Report calls on the U.S. and Canada to study nutrient runoff entering Lake Superior and its role in the formation of blue-green algae blooms on the Lake. The chair of the IJC called Lake Superior a “canary in the coal mine” regarding climate change in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-superior-habs
Legislation that would have helped Michigan and other states force the U.S. Department of Defense to comply with stringent state laws governing military pollution cleanup has been stripped from an annual defense bill moving through Congress. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-pfas
Enbridge Energy’s attempts to get the permits it needs to build a new section of its controversial Line 5 oil and natural gas pipeline were stymied yesterday as an administrative law judge will now reconsider the scope of the permit application. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-line5
For decades, tourism-oriented development and high-end waterfront housing have slowly been supplanting working waterfront infrastructure, threatening local family businesses that rely on easy access to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Conversation.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-coastal-gentrification
A new report by the International Joint Commission found that public concern about climate change is escalating in the Great Lakes region. Chemicals of mutual concern and runoff were also among the top concerns for residents. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-ijc-public-opinion
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewerage District agreed modify a $3 billion plan to reduce sewage in waterways following rainstorms. The plan saves costs for construction of tunnels around Cleveland that would remove polluted storm water and raw sewage and prevent untreated flows from entering Lake Erie and its tributaries. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-neorsd
Several lawmakers from New York requested the IJC immediately authorize the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board to deviate from Plan 2014 water level management procedures through October of 2021 to mitigate risks of flooding and protect shoreline communities. Read the full story by the Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-ijc-deviation
Federal, state and local officials on Wednesday celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that’s pumped $2.75 billion into cleaning up toxic hotspots and restoring habitat along the region’s most degraded waterways. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-glri-10yr
A bipartisan bill to address rising water levels and shoreline erosion in the Great Lakes has passed the Senate. The bill would provide support for local communities facing rising water levels, coastal erosion, and flooding that have put homes and property at risk, and caused millions of dollars in damages. Read the full story by WSYM – TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201212-senate-bill
Members of Congress touted the passage of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020 as a victory in preventing the introduction of invasive carp into the Great Lakes. The bill authorizes a greater federal cost-share of funding for Brandon Road lock and dam project in Joliet, Illinois. Read the full story by the Herald News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201211-wrda
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A bipartisan task force that brought together environmentalists, the energy industry and others released its recommendations Wednesday for how Wisconsin might bolster its economy while addressing climate change.
The report from the task force, which was led by Lt.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/ap-wisconsin-climate-task-force-recommendations/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F7602E4B8.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F76206E70WI.GRBCFWGRB.7c8cd631c9fe0687885a65a67b439033
The U.S. Coast Guard wants to retire its oldest cutter on the Great Lakes, the 57-year-old cutter Buckthorn.
The post Oldest Coast Guard cutter with smallest crew and largest Great Lakes responsibility needs replacing first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/11/oldest-coast-guard-cutter-with-smallest-crew-and-largest-great-lakes-responsibility-needs-replacing/
It has been a long time coming, but We the People of Detroit is pleased that Mayor Mike Duggan is taking a step in the right direction with his announcement today regarding the creation of a water affordability plan on behalf of the residents of Detroit. This is an important first step in safeguarding public health and delivering water affordability for all Detroit residents. We must thank all of the Water Warriors who have been fighting for water equity and justice in Detroit for more than a decade. We also thank Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for his leadership in working with water justice advocates and Detroit city administrators. He has been a true champion for public health and water security. Lastly, we thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her bold leadership toward water equity and for implementing an Executive Order in March to end water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New research from We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective this year showed a strong link between the number of COVID-19 cases and the areas of our city impacted by water shutoffs. The impact of COVID-19 on Detroit’s most vulnerable populations serves as a stark reminder of how essential water access is for public health. The pandemic has made it impossible to deny that water shutoffs are a public health hazard.
We the People of Detroit continues to advocate for policies that make water affordability a reality for all. We are building a diverse coalition dedicated to training and mobilizing the citizens of Detroit and beyond to improve their quality of life. Ensuring that all communities have a seat at the table as our city combats water injustice is essential to safeguarding the future of all residents. We look forward to working with the City Council, the Administration, the Governor’s office, and other Water Warriors to usher in clean, safe, affordable access to water and sanitation for Detroiters and Michiganders.
Blog – Freshwater Future
https://freshwaterfuture.org/drinking-water/mayor-duggans-detroit-water-affordability-plan-announcement/
Thanks for all you did to support and protect the Great Lakes this year. We made progress together during what was for many of us our most difficult year ever.
Here are a few highlights:
You organized Adopt-a-Beach cleanups on all 5 Great Lakes despite challenging logistics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Events were held on beaches as well as in neighborhoods and parks this year, recognizing that litter anywhere in the region can end up in the lakes.
You got involved during the 2020 elections, using our nonpartisan Great Lakes Voter Toolkit to ask candidates questions about clean water issues and our Great Lakes Voter Information Center to get state-specific voting information to help safely cast your ballot.
You supported our efforts to halt drinking water shut-offs that disproportionately hit low-income communities and communities of color across urban and rural parts of the Great Lakes region. With partners in Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, and elsewhere, the Alliance focused on the essential connection between clean water and health, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
You joined hundreds of parents and teachers who used our new H.O.M.E.School curriculum. As families and students stayed home due to COVID-19, online lessons helped kids in K-8th grade learn about the Great Lakes, from food webs to watersheds.
Your strong voices helped secure critical bipartisan Congressional support for stopping invasive Asian carp. Legislation in Congress authorized the first steps toward construction of new Asian carp protections and funding to support the project.
Last but certainly not least, the Alliance for the Great Lakes celebrated our 50th anniversary this fall.
Looking back to our founding in 1970, I’m proud to report that the Great Lakes are far healthier and better protected than they were 50 years ago. Plus, more people like you support the Alliance today than ever before in our history. To me that is no coincidence.
Thank you for all you did to help the Great Lakes in 2020, a year that we can say without exaggeration is unlike any other we’ve experienced.
Together, you and the Alliance have big opportunities to advance safe and clean water for the Great Lakes in 2021. I’m looking forward to it!
The post 2020 Accomplishments – Thanks to Our Supporters appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/12/2020-accomplishments-thanks-to-our-supporters/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Environmentalists in Wisconsin sue EPA over regulation rollback favoring coal plants, bankruptcy plan for Ohio nuclear power company upheld by appeals court, Prairie Island tribe prepares for massive investment in renewable energy, and Ford Motors to invest millions for electric vehicle construction in southeast Michigan
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Michigan:
Across the United States, tribal treaties are becoming more and more influential in shaping legislative policy while also seeing greater recognition in courthouses, potentially reshaping the entire landscape of environmental justice.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/great-lakes-energy-michigan-tribal-green-mine/
As 2020 winds down, we asked staff members at Wisconsin Sea Grant what their favorite project was this year. Although work was a bit more challenging than usual due to our altered work circumstances, everyone managed to stay productive, and even find fulfillment.
Our editor, Elizabeth White’s favorite project is her work on a story hour lesson plan for Anne Moser and the Wisconsin Water Library titled, “Can Water Be Sticky?”
Elizabeth said, “It was quite a challenge explaining properties of water such as cohesion, adhesion and surface tension to a young audience. Freelance designer Kristen Rost’s illustrations did a lot of the work. I hope it’s not a bad thing that I learned a lot from curriculum for ages 3-9!”
One of Rost’s designs is below. The Wisconsin Water Library has many other lesson plans and activities available for teachers, parents and librarians at this link.
The post Sea Grant staff project faves, Elizabeth White first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/sea-grant-staff-project-faves-elizabeth-white/
