The mayor of Toledo, Ohio, has frequently stated his interest in protecting Lake Erie, however when it came time to pursue an appeal of a court ruling that invalidated a Toledo city charter change that would protect the lake, the administration quietly dropped the case. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-lake-Toledo

Ken Gibbons

The federal government needs to assist the fishing industry in Ontario to transition and thrive in the post-COVID-19 marketplace by including Ontario-based fish processors in programs aimed at addressing the oversupply of commercial fisheries. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-commercial-fishery

Ken Gibbons

Pollution, Permits: Enbridge, Michigan grapple with Line 5 tunnel project

The controversial project to replace the existing 67-year-old Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac with a pipeline in a tunnel under the straits remains an issue between Enbridge Energy and the state of Michigan.

A new point of contention in the project is a new permit that would allow Enbridge to withdraw water from the Great Lakes and discharge wastewater.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/pollution-permits-enbridge-michigan-line-5-tunnel-project/

Gary Wilson

Huge Interest: Aquatarium finds its feet during COVID-19 with virtual engagement

Masks or no, the otters at the Aquatarium at Tall Ships Landing in Brockville, Ontario, know exactly who’s in their den space.

“They really recognize us more by our smell and our boots,” said Jennipher Carter, senior aquarist at the Aquatarium. For the otters at least, adjusting to their caretakers all wearing masks didn’t take long.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ontario-aquatarium-covid-19-virtual-engagement/

Natasha Blakely

The United States and Canada have invested over $22.8 billion over the last 35 years to restore Areas of Concern throughout the Great Lakes, according to a study published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. The study found that the money has been well-spent with investments in cleanups helping revitalize communities with over a 3 to 1 return on investment. Read the full story by WLNS – TV – Lansing, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-Great-Lakes-Investments

Jill Estrada

May typically marks the start of the season for cruise vacations on the Great Lakes, a burgeoning segment of the market that was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020, but the season is being threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-cruise-season

Jill Estrada

The U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation announced five U.S. ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System have been awarded the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award, including the Port of Oswego, for increasing international cargo tonnage during the 2019 navigation season. Read the full story by the Oswego County News Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-port-awards

Jill Estrada

Since 2010, The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) has tracked over 843 Great Lakes drownings. The not-for-profit group says drowning numbers will go down as more people, especially children, are educated about the many aspects of water safety. Read the full story by CKLW – Windsor, ON.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-glsrp

Jill Estrada

On Friday, lawyers for the state of Michigan and Canadian petroleum giant Enbridge faced off in oral arguments in Ingham County Circuit Court stemming from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit challenging the 1953 easement that made way for the pipeline’s construction. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-enbridge

Jill Estrada

The Farmory, an indoor growing center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, provides educational programming about sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. It’s also home to the state’s first bio-secure yellow perch hatchery. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-yellow-perch

Jill Estrada

Two decades after the environmental awakening that saw the EPA’s creation and the first earth day, after the environmental disasters of the decades previous, Michigan would take a clear-eyed look at the challenges of the coming years in the form of the Michigan’s Environment and Relative Risk report. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-environmental+risk

Jill Estrada

 

This week, students will learn how the Great Lakes and the land around them – called the Great Lakes watershed or basin – are connected. What we do on the land often ends up in our water. We can each do our part to protect the Great Lakes from pollution. For our final H.O.M.E.School video we’re focusing on plastic pollution with a visit from another Alliance staff member.

Time/Materials

This activity will take between 30 minutes and an hour.

You’ll need:

  • Computer

Ready? Head to the Classroom!

Watch the video below to learn about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. 

Share the Learning

Ask your kids: What do you like best about the Great Lakes? What are some problems that the lake and beaches, and the fish and birds that live around the Great Lakes face? Have you seen pollution on the ground, at the beach, or in the water? What ideas do you have for protecting the Great Lakes and the HOMES of so many fantastic fish and birds?

Activity

Take our Plastic Pollution Quiz to test your knowledge on just how long it takes some of the litter found on our beaches to break down!

Extra Credit

Watch Nate Drag create the Great Blue Heron he showed in his video. Then make a Great Lakes creature out of plastic litter. Take a photo or video of your creation, and share it on social media. Tag us and we may share it with others!

Deep Dive

Want to learn more? Check out these resources!

Find more Great Lakes lessons at H.O.M.E.School.

 

 

The post H.O.M.E.School Week 8: Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

News – Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2020/05/homeschool-plastic-pollution/

Kirsten Ballard

Virus upsets summer plans for Isle Royale park

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — Wolves and moose won’t notice much human company at Isle Royale National Park.

The remote island in Lake Superior said it’s delaying the summer opening because of coronavirus restrictions. Camping might become available by late June or July but there will be no ferry service.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-isle-royale-covid-19/

The Associated Press

Indiana Dunes starts beach parking information line

PORTER, Ind. (AP) — Indiana Dunes National Park has started an information line to help visitors find an open beach with available parking amid severe shoreline erosion along Lake Michigan and the need for social distancing.

Beginning Saturday morning, visitors can call 219-395-1003 to hear recorded information on available parking at Indiana Dunes National Park beaches and nearby Indiana Dunes State Park.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-indiana-dunes-covid-19-beach-parking/

The Associated Press

Many of the locks feature portages for kayaks or canoes and it is a great way to visit the locks and the Fox River. However, in recent years, people have been trespassing on the land and accessing the river at the closed Rapide Croche lock.

According to Wisconsin state statute, this lock must remain closed to boaters to prevent the spread of invasive species and it is not safe for pedestrians as high water has caused erosion on the banks. The property along the lock is fenced, “no trespassing” signs are posted, and the Fox River Navigational System Authority does not staff the lock.

Any person transporting a watercraft from the Fox River at the Rapide Croche lock has the potential to transport invasive species. Please understand that any person trespassing on this property is breaking state law. Also understand that the site is being monitored with cameras and periodic inspections. There are no businesses or organizations that have permission to use portage at this lock, so please pay attention to the no trespassing signs and enjoy the river at another portage site.

 

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2020/05/24/attention-kayakers-rapide-croche-lock-remains-closed/

Fox Locks

...PATCHY OF DENSE FOG ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS MORNING... Latest surface observations and webcams indicated patchy dense fog across east-central Wisconsin. The visibility was below 1/4 mile in a few places, which will result in hazardous travel conditions.

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=WI125F4D00F53C.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4D018BA0WI.GRBSPSGRB.ac3f24996c964d1ebd7a8fbc8af6defb

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

More Than Dow: Chemicals, contaminants and untreated sewage all washed out by Midland dam breaks

A lot of focus has been placed on Dow Chemical Company—which is headquartered in Midland, Michigan—after two dams breached and flooded many areas around Midland County including near a Superfund site.

Dow stated in a press release Thursday that there were “no reported product releases” and though the floodwaters entered an on-site brine pond used for groundwater remediation, “material from the brine pond does not create any risk to residents or the environment.”

But while there might not be new contamination issues to deal with, much of the progress on the cleanup of Dow’s last chemical contamination might be lost.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/chemicals-contaminants-untreated-sewage-midland-dam-breaks/

Natasha Blakely

Photo credit: Great Lakes algal blooms, August 2010, NASA Earth Observatory.

“Trimming our Sails: Land-Based Workshops about the Great Lakes and Inland Waters,” is a virtual, 6-week workshop series that explores how people influence the Great Lakes and vice versa.

Designed for any fourth- through twelfth-grade formal, non-formal or informal educator in Minnesota or Wisconsin, the series is offered by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL). Participants will learn from educators who have participated in shipboard science workshops, researchers, and CGLL staff about Great Lakes science along with classroom and field applications. 

Registration is required so a Zoom link can be sent.  Registration deadline is June 16. For more information, visit the workshop web page.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/minnesota-and-wisconsin-educators-invited-to-land-based-water-workshop/

Marie Zhuikov

As high lake levels continue to erode Indiana’s Lake Michigan shore, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission is collecting information about the damage to help convince the state to declare a public emergency in the region and allocate funding to help with repairs. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-nirpc

Ned Willig

Ohio regulators approved the siting of six wind turbines on Lake Erie with the condition that the turbines stop during the night between March and November to limit the risk to birds and bats. The company developing the wind farm says these conditions effectively kill the project. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-wind-turbines

Ned Willig

The Great Lakes shipping industry has been hit by high water levels that delayed shipping and fluctuating demands for shipments as the coronavirus shuts down the economy. While demand for shipping wheat and grain products have been strong, iron ore shipments for manufacturing have contracted, placing the industry in flux. Read the full story by WorkBoat.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-shipping

Ned Willig

Flood raises fears of pollution at Michigan toxic waste site

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — It took seven years to settle on a plan for cleansing two rivers and floodplains polluted with dioxins from a Dow Chemical Co. plant in central Michigan. The work itself has lasted nearly twice as long, with plenty still to do.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-michigan-flood-pollution-dioxins-superfund-site/

The Associated Press

A USGS hydrologic technician finishes installation of a rapid-deployment streamgage on the Tittabawassee River in Midland, Michigan. A USGS crew in the distance makes streamflow measurements using a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler.(Credit: Tom Weaver, USGS)

The USGS Tittabawassee River in Midland streamgage measured record water levels, called river stage, at about 35 feet on Wednesday. This level is the highest ever recorded during the streamgage’s 84 years of record, and exceeds the previous highest stage by about two feet. Water levels are beginning to recede as of this morning, and two two-person USGS crews are on site measuring streamflow. They also installed a rapid-deployment gage to provide backup to the permanent streamgage at the Midland site.

Strong storms passed through parts of the Midwest starting last Thursday, causing minor-to-major flooding in some lower Michigan locations. On Tuesday, May 19, two large dams on the Tittabawssee River failed in succession, causing two lakes upstream of Midland to drain. The USGS crews will continue to monitor water levels and streamflow as flooding continues.

Elsewhere in Michigan, the USGS Rifle River streamgage near Sterling crested on Tuesday with a record streamflow of 7,460 cubic feet per second. There are currently four single-person USGS crews measuring streams throughout lower Michigan, not including the Midland-based crews, and they will continue to monitor flooding for at least another day.

Information collected by the USGS during flooding is critical for resource managers and emergency responders to help protect life and property. The USGS coordinates efforts with the National Weather Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and many local and state partners.

There are about 200 streamgages in Michigan that measure water levels, streamflow and rainfall. When flooding occurs, USGS crews make numerous streamflow measurements to verify the data USGS provides to federal, tribal, state and local agencies, as well as to the public.

For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the U.S. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and for many recreational activities.

Access current flood and high flow conditions across the country by visiting the USGS WaterWatch website. Receive instant, customized updates about water conditions in your area via text message or email by signing up for USGS WaterAlert. See where floodwaters go by following a stream trace at Streamer. View water data on your mobile device. Learn how a USGS streamgage works.

Original Article

USGS News: Upper Midwest Water Science Center

USGS News: Upper Midwest Water Science Center

https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-crews-measure-major-flooding-lower-michigan

mlubeck@usgs.gov

PFAS News Roundup: EPA says limits will take more than a year, Navy halts shipments to burn plant

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.

Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/pfas-epa-limits-new-york-burn-plant-wisconsin/

Natasha Blakely

COVID-19 has devastated communities across the Great Lakes region, and has deepened many already existing racial and social inequities in public health outcomes, access to safe and clean drinking water, and many other areas. At the same time, many HOW Coalition members and other organizations are working within the communities that the Coronavirus pandemic has hit the hardest, advocating for and providing relief to those who need it most.

To support in these efforts, the HOW Coalition is offering help to member NGOS and frontline groups, and to facilitate members helping other members in this time of crisis. Working with our network of Coalition members, the Governance Board, and the Equity Advisory and Action Committee, we are offering financial resources and human resources (technical, policy, research, communication skills) through a small grant program (details below).

We recognize that many of our member groups and frontline groups and individuals need additional financial resources along with additional skills-based resources during the pandemic.  Through the Coalition’s relationships we hope to identify and provide these needed resources.

The HOW Coalition has up to $25,000 in funds and is developing a resource bank of skills and services available from HOW member groups.  The HOW Coalition is starting this effort with $25,000 but we are seeking opportunities to increase the amount of these funds.

Please click here to see the application. 

HOW is accepting applications from member frontline groups that focus on providing needed funds or resources to organizations for services during the pandemic.  Preference will be given to HOW member groups and we will encourage membership for others.

Applications can be brief and should not exceed one page.  Applications MUST include:

  • Goals for the proposed activity, the tactics and activity that will be employed, and the outcome/s (e.g. people served).
  • An explanation of why the applicant/organization is best positioned to do this work.
  • The budget needed for the work (financial or resource)
  • A timeline for work
  • Application forms can be found here

Please do not exceed one page for the narrative of the application.  Typical awards will be between $1,000-5,000.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  You can expect a response within 2 weeks from your application. There is no deadline for application.

Examples of project or needs that would be fundable include (but are not limited to):

Research—research on public drinking water stations, policy options, or other strategy

Trainings–remote work skills and tools, outreach strategies, cultural sensitivity

Writing–grant deliverables, translation services, press releases

Communications—assistance with setting up email list serves, zoom meetings or subscriptions, media training and advice, review of communications materials

Policy—consultation on strategy and implementation

Materials or supplies—masks, gloves, food, bottled water, printing

Staff—specific and time limited staffing needs

Direct Lobbying is ineligible.

A final report on how the funds were used, the outcome, and any lessons learned is required within a month of the completion of the project.

The post COVID-19 Crisis Help to Frontline Communities appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/covid-19-crisis-help-to-frontline-communities/

Pavan Vangipuram