On:
In: Uncategorized
...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures in the lower to middle 30s will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central and northeast Wisconsin.

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=WI125F697F9380.FrostAdvisory.125F698E8160WI.GRBNPWGRB.5d471c16f077820009e59fbd86dfa55c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Daily News

State officials at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) heard its first of two public hearings Tuesday afternoon on a permit request for Enbridge allowing the Canadian oil company to discharge a significant amount of wastewater into Lake Michigan as part of its Line 5 tunnel project. Read the full story by Patch.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201001-line-5

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

For more than a decade a group in Cleveland, Ohio has been working to harness Lake Erie’s wind energy with a proposed six turbine windfarm called Icebreaker. But the project ran afoul of regulators earlier this year and a provision to save migrating birds has left the future of Icebreaker up in the air. Read and hear the full story by WKSU- Kent, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201001-erie-windfarm

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Policy, Success Stories

Communities across the Great Lakes are struggling with aging drinking and waste water infrastructure that is vital to providing safe drinking water, and nonstop wastewater treatment services that protect public health.

Thanks to federally funded programs such as the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), communities that struggle with aging water infrastructure can get low-interest or no-interest loans to upgrade these systems and protect communities and habitats over the long term.

These federal programs use an innovative financing structure that ensures a long-term supply of low-interest or no-interest loans for towns, cities and municipalities that need infrastructure improvements. Green Bay, Wisconsin is one success story of the SRF put into action. NEW Water, the brand of the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, is perched at the edge of the Great Lakes, and serves about 236,000 residents, and cleans about 38 million gallons of water each day.

More than ten years ago, NEW Water realized that its solids handling facility was nearing the end of its useful life. Leaving things be was not an option; a compromised system would have jeopardized the nonstop service Green Bay residents and businesses had come to expect.

Leveraging SRF funding, NEW Water addressed this community need by building a new solids handling facility, called Resource Recovery and Electrical Energy, or R2E2.  Now that the project is complete, NEW Water is producing electricity, recovering and reusing heat, and is also recovering phosphorus in the form of struvite to be reused as a slow-release agricultural fertilizer. This project has shifted the utility from that of a consumer of resources, to that of a producer. In 2019, NEW Water’s biogas engine generators produced enough electricity to power about 1,560 average homes for an entire year.

“NEW Water-82” – To the right is the new solids building, part of the R2E2 facility, which features a state-of-the-art air pollution control system.

R2E2 enables NEW Water to continue providing clean water services for its community. NEW Water has recently received a Platinum Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for 17 years of consecutive, 100% permit compliance for wastewater discharge at its Green Bay Facility. Additionally, R2E2’s state-of-the-art air pollution control system allows NEW Water to meet and exceed stringent standards for air, which means cleaner air for the community.

“Thanks to the State Revolving Fund, we were able to save money for our ratepayers,” said Tom Sigmund, NEW Water Executive Director. “This added help is critical for communities like ours to protect valuable water resources and keep rates cost effective for the families, industries, and businesses who rely on us.”

The contributions of the SRF are many. The SRF staff at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources were critical in helping guide the NEW Water team through the funding application process. In large-scale projects such as R2E2, which cost approximately $180 million, approximately $144 million of which was funded through SRF, technical assistance can serve as a roadmap through the complexities of funding, which can involve multiple sources.

Green Bay’s success is one example of the sorts of benefits that communities can get from the State Revolving Fund Program. But more work needs to be done. The Great Lakes communities face an infrastructure backlog of over $188 billion, and the State Revolving Funds provide communities with the means to chip away at that. That’s why The Healing Our Waters—Great Lakes Coalition is advocating for additional water infrastructure funding (link to water infrastructure factsheet). With additional funding for the State Revolving Fund more communities facing problems like Green Bay did can get the help they need.

The post Waste Into Fuel: A Water Infrastructure Success in Green Bay appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/waste-into-fuel-a-water-infrastructure-success-in-green-bay/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: canada, data, Drinking Water, government, Latest News, News, One Detroit, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Quebec, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, The Provinces, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, water, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Canada Water Agency: Government hopes to consolidate water data and management

Canada is home to the third largest renewable supply of fresh water in the world, spread across a vast swath of lakes, rivers, aquifers and glaciers. Fresh water is critical to the country’s economy and health, and a key part of the nation’s identity – paddling a canoe through northern waterways is a rite of passage, and more than 30% of Canadians live surrounded by water in the Great Lakes region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/canada-water-agency-government-consolidate-water-data-management/

Sharon Oosthoek

On:
In: Feature Milwaukee, Latest News, Milwaukee, News, Wisconsin
On Wisconsin: Great Lakes Now television series begins airing on PBS Wisconsin

Television audiences in Wisconsin can now tune in to the award-winning Great Lakes Now program on six more PBS stations.

Beginning Oct. 1, PBS Wisconsin will carry the series on The Wisconsin Channel broadcast on six signals: WHA-TV in Madison, WHLA-TV in La Crosse, WPNE-TV in Green Bay, WHRM-TV in Wausau, WHWC-TV in Menomonie-Eau Claire and WLEF-TV in Park Falls.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/great-lakes-now-airing-pbs-wisconsin/

GLN Editor

On:
In: AP, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation, Recreation, Tourism and Culture
Lake Michigan drownings surge to new high in 2020

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Drownings in Lake Michigan have reached record levels with at least 53 people dead so far this year, according to a water safety advocacy group.

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a nonprofit that tracks Great Lakes drownings, said that compares with 48 drownings in 2019 and 42 in 2018.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-lake-michigan-drownings-new-high-2020/

The Associated Press

On:
In: Uncategorized
...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures in the lower to middle 30s will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central and northeast Wisconsin.

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=WI125F697E61A4.FrostAdvisory.125F698E8160WI.GRBNPWGRB.5d471c16f077820009e59fbd86dfa55c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

On:
In: Brandon Krumwiede, Hannah Burgstaler, River Talks

Quick, what do these things have in common: water level fluctuations, Canada goose populations and wild rice growth on the St. Louis River? Answer: they are all connected. Discover how they are linked during the first presentations of the season for the River Talks series.

Two speakers will offer virtual talks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, via Zoom. Brandon Krumwiede, Great Lakes geospatial coordinator with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, will present, “Water Level Change Impacts in the St. Louis River Estuary.” Over the past several years, water level changes from near-record lows to near-record highs have altered the shorelines along Lake Superior and the estuary. Krumwiede’s presentation will provide an overview of the interplay between water levels and physical changes seen along the shorelines.

Hannah Burgstaler, freshwater fellow at the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, will present, “St. Louis River Estuary Water Level and Canada Geese Population Effect on Manoomin Survival Rate.” Burgstaler monitored four bays using trail cameras, looking for the presence of geese and water levels that exceed a threshold for healthy wild rice growth.

Here is the Zoom link and info:
https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/94136537051?pwd=OVk4QWpBODdIWUJaWkduQnYzREw0QT09
Meeting ID: 941 3653 7051
Passcode: 638298

Each talk will last one hour and include time for Q&A. The talks will be recorded and posted afterward on the Reserve’s Facebook page. A summary will also be posted on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s blog.

Other River Talks will be held Nov. 11, 2020, and Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 3, April 14 and May 12, 2021. The March talk will be held in conjunction with the St. Louis River Summit and the date may change. For more information, visit the River Talks page: go.wisc.edu/4uz720.

River Talks are sponsored by The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Wisconsin Sea Grant Program.

Original Article

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/water-levels-erosion-wild-rice-and-geese/

Marie Zhuikov

On:
In: Daily News

Mike Smith spent most of his career as a diver with the Detroit Police Department recovering cars, guns, and sometimes bodies from the city’s murky rivers. Now, Smith works to clear invasive plants out of inland lakes using a 21-foot boat outfitted with a long vacuum tube. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200930-diving

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will soon begin a new project to create a series of treatment train wetlands and repair a stream along the Maumee River in Paulding County. Wetlands play a huge role in helping to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the water to keep the river as clean as possible. Read the full story by WNWO-TV- Toledo, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200930-wetland

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

Governor Mike DeWine said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he plans to sign a bill into law that would temporarily ban local governments from setting local bans on plastic bags and other single-use containers. Researchers recently estimated that Lake Erie includes 381 metric tons of plastic, much of which originates in city streets and makes its way into the lake via storm drains.   Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200930-bag-bans

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set mercury standards on the taconite industry, something the federal agency has avoided for 30 years. The agency cited a study that found 10% of tested Minnesota newborns in the Lake Superior Basin region had elevated mercury concentrations at birth. Read the full story by the Duluth News-Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200930-taconite

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: Daily News

The Michigan Legislature on Tuesday finalized a bill that would lengthen the financing period of lake projects in the wake of flooding that damaged dams and drained lakes in the Midland area. The change would allow project costs to be spread out over more time and made more manageable for property owners. Read the full story by the Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200930-dam-bonds

Ken Gibbons

On:
In: AP, dams, infrastructure, Michigan, Midland, News
Bill sent to Whitmer would lengthen bonds for dam repairs

By David Eggert, Associated Press Writer

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Legislature on Tuesday finalized a bill that would lengthen the financing period of lake projects in the wake of flooding that damaged dams and drained lakes in the Midland area.

The legislation would extend, from 10 years to 40 years, the maximum maturity date of bonds issued to pay for inland lake-level control projects across the state.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/ap-bill-lengthen-bonds-dam-repairs/

The Associated Press

On:
In: Uncategorized

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Association of American State Geologists are pleased to announce $160,000 in funding for critical minerals projects in Indiana. These funds are for FY2020 under the USGS Mineral Resources Program’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, or Earth MRI.

These funds include grants to the Indiana Geological Survey for geochemical analyses for areas of central and southern Indiana that have the potential for lithium, rare earth elements and other critical minerals and to preserve and make publicly available information on critical mineral resources

“These new projects in Indiana represent the next step in our ambitious effort to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain undiscovered critical mineral resources,” said Jim Reilly, director of the USGS. “The identification and prioritization of prospective areas was done in through our strong partnership with the State Geological Surveys in a series of workshops in Fall 2019.”

“This program will revitalize and update the science and geologic research and data compilation that is needed in many states for the United States to identify new geologic associations,” said John Yellich, director of the Michigan Geological Survey and president of AASG.

 “The Earth MRI effort is an outgrowth of the strong partnership between the AASG members and the USGS,” said Warren Day, Earth MRI lead scientist for the USGS. “The USGS is grateful for the scientific input and support from the State Geological Surveys, resulting in a robust body of information useful for many applications beyond mineral resources.”

The Indiana Geological Survey will participate in two geochemistry reconnaissance surveys. The first survey will focus on underclay deposits in the Illinois Basin that have the potential for lithium and rare earth elements. The second survey will look at the rare earth element potential of phosphate rocks in the Appalachian Mountains. The two surveys will be done in cooperation with the Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia Geological Surveys.

The geochemistry reconnaissance surveys will provide information on mineral commodities in several formations that span multiple states. These projects will help geologists better define the poorly understood distribution of critical minerals in unconventional geologic settings across the eastern and central parts of the United States.

Earth MRI is a partnership between the USGS, State Geological Surveys and industry to acquire new geologic maps, geophysical surveys and LiDAR data to better understand the fundamental geologic framework of areas across the Nation with potential for hosting critical mineral resources. More information can be found here. To learn more about USGS mineral resource and commodity information, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

 

USGS map of Earth MRI projects in West Virginia announced in September 2020.

(Public domain.)

Original Article

USGS News: Region 3: Great Lakes Region

USGS News: Region 3: Great Lakes Region

https://www.usgs.gov/news/earth-mri-funds-critical-minerals-projects-indiana

hkoontz@usgs.gov

On:
In: 2020 election, Chicago, Climate change, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature-Chicago, flint, Gary Wilson, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, outdoor recreation, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Policy Expert Q&A: Keep advocating with elected officials for safe drinking water

The Flint water crisis that made national and international headlines was a failure on many levels, according to University of Chicago Professor Sabina Shaikh.

Particularly, it was a public policy failure, Shaikh told Great Lakes Now in an interview, and the failure in Flint put a spotlight on environmental injustices.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/policy-expert-advocating-elected-officials-safe-drinking-water/

Gary Wilson

On:
In: Daily News

A lot in the water and shoreline of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie is much more environmentally sound than a generation or two ago, but new threats to the ecosystem are approaching tipping points, according to a study by an array of concerned officials and private citizens from the United States and Canada. Read the full story by The Detroit News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-shoreline-ecosystem-threats

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Enbridge’s plans for drilling an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes do not meet industry standards and pose significant hazards to workers and the environment, experts who reviewed project documents on behalf of opposition groups said Monday. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-line-5

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The blockbuster deal includes several steel mills: ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor in East Chicago; ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor in Porter County; ArcelorMittal Riverdale in Illinois; and the Gary Plate finishing facility located inside U.S. Steel’s Gary Works steel mill. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-merger-steel

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Lake Erie is Buffalo’s most important natural resource, and together with Lake Ontario, the two bodies of water are overwhelmingly influential in the lives of all Western New Yorkers, regardless of how they vote. The issues involving them go far beyond the still-nagging problem of pollution and politics suffuses them all. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-duluth-pfas

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

The Minnesota DNR precautions follow warnings issued for contaminated deer near industrial sites known to have PFAS contamination, including a warning near the Duluth air base where PFAS has been detected in downstream Miller Creek and in Rice Lake. Read the full story by Duluth News Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-duluth-pfas

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

Researchers funded through the Minnesota Sea Grant, have been testing water samples every weekend since July at eight Duluth beaches, with the goal to further understanding of how the virus acts in the water and whether it can spread there. Read the full story by Star Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-duluth-covid

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Daily News

A Memorandum of Understanding between Michigan Technological University and Northwestern Michigan College will have the two colleges working together on marine technology, freshwater science, and professional development to support Great Lakes research. Read the full story by Record-Eagle.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200929-research-universities

Patrick Canniff

On:
In: Art, Books, Authors, Art and Music, COVID-19, Detroit, detroit river, Feature Detroit, Green Bay, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, Michigan, microplastics, Natasha Blakely, News, plastic, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, south haven, Wisconsin
Trash Fish: Marine debris becomes sculptures at Great Lakes aquariums and museums

An array of more than 80 marine-debris-turned-art works will be making another Great Lakes stop, adding a lake sturgeon sculpture when it’s installed at a Wisconsin site next year.

Made entirely of plastic trash, these larger-than-life figures have realistic designs. They come as part of the traveling exhibit, Washed Ashore, which aims to educate people about plastic pollution.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/trash-fish-marine-debris-sculptures-great-lakes-aquariums-museums/

Natasha Blakely

On:
In: Policy

Clean water is the lifeblood of communities across the globe – it is a basic need that all humans share, and it is one we cannot do without. Unfortunately, many communities across the Great Lakes region do not have access to safe drinking water due to pollution, including toxic chemicals such as lead and PFAS, farm runoff, and industry-related contamination.

Over the past 10 years, federal investments to restore and protect the Great Lakes have focused on cleaning up pollution and past environmental harm. These investments are producing results, but there is more work to do.

It’s also important to prevent pollution in the first place. Federal funding must go hand in hand with strong clean water protections. This means strengthening policies to ensure that polluters are not allowed to foul the water we all rely upon.

It is up to all candidates running for president in 2020 to explain how they will uphold clean water protections, oppose the weakening of environmental laws, and ensure that Great Lakes communities have access to clean water.

Water pollution continues to plague rural and urban communities alike. From cancer-causing PFAS contamination in Oscoda, Michigan to toxic metals in Wisconsin being released into Lake Michigan, these pollutants affect all of our communities, as all of our waters are connected.

It’s vital to prevent pollution at its source, whether a stream or the Great Lakes themselves, because all of our waters are connected. All streams and rivers flow into bodies of water that we rely on for our health and recreation. There are no streams and rivers where it is safe to pollute. When polluters are able to pollute waters in one area, that pollution contaminates water throughout the system.

With towns and cities still struggling with unsafe drinking water, we need more – not less – protections for clean water.

These protections must take local voices into account. States and tribes must have the power to protect local rivers, wetlands, streams, lakes and the Great Lakes themselves, from pollution. We must honor our communities and the stake they have in ensuring that that children and families do not have to go without the basic need of clean water.

Clean water protections save money for the nation and for local communities by preventing costly cleanups. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – and by preventing dangerous and costly pollution, clean water protections more than pay for themselves in terms of lives saved and damage avoided.

Without strong clean water protections, we run the risk of undoing the progress we’ve made in cleaning up the Great Lakes and the streams and rivers that feed into them. The time is now. 2020 must be the year we redouble our commitment to strengthen our clean water protections and ensuring that no one must go without the basic need of clean water.

The post Strengthening Clean Water Protections: A 2020 Vision appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/strengthening-clean-water-protections-a-2020-vision/

Pavan Vangipuram

On:
In: Uncategorized

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Association of American State Geologists are pleased to announce $106,978 in funding for critical minerals projects in Illinois. These funds are for fiscal year 2020 under the USGS Mineral Resources Program’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, or Earth MRI.

These funds include grants to the Illinois State Geological Survey for geochemical analyses for regions all over the Illinois and adjoining states. In addition, the USGS will fly an airborne geophysics survey over southern Illinois.

“These new projects in Illinois represent the next step in our ambitious effort to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain undiscovered critical mineral resources,” said Jim Reilly, director of the USGS. “The identification and prioritization of prospective areas was done through our strong partnership with the state geological surveys in a series of workshops in Fall 2019.”

“This program will revitalize and update the science and geologic research and data compilation that is needed in many states for the United States to identify new geologic associations,” said John Yellich, director of the Michigan Geological Survey and president of AASG.

“The Earth MRI effort is an outgrowth of the strong partnership between the AASG members and the USGS,” said Warren Day, Earth MRI lead scientist for the USGS. “The USGS is grateful for the scientific input and support from the state geological surveys, resulting in a robust body of information useful for many applications beyond mineral resources.”

The Illinois State Geological Survey will participate in two geochemistry reconnaissance surveys. The first survey will focus on underclay deposits in the Illinois Basin that have the potential for lithium and rare earth elements. The second survey will look at the rare earth element potential of phosphate rocks also in the Illinois Basin. The two surveys will be done in cooperation with the Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia geological surveys.

The geochemistry reconnaissance surveys will provide information on mineral commodities in several formations that span multiple states. These projects will help geologists better define the poorly understood distribution of critical minerals in unconventional geologic settings across the eastern and central parts of the United States.

The USGS will conduct an airborne geophysical survey over a region that covers parts of eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky. The survey will focus on critical mineral commodities like barium, beryllium, cobalt, fluorine, germanium, niobium, rare earth elements and titanium.

Airborne geophysical surveys collect a combination of magnetic and radiometric data. Magnetic data can tell us the amount of magnetic minerals, primarily magnetite, in the exposed and deeply buried rocks; whereas the radiometric data indicates the relative amounts of potassium, uranium and thorium in the exposed rocks. This information allows scientists to help identify likely locations of particular rocks that can host minerals of interest, geothermal energy resources, groundwater and potential earthquake hazards in the region.

In 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13817, a Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals. This executive order called on agencies across the federal government to develop a strategy to reduce the nation’s susceptibility to critical mineral supply disruptions.

In May of 2018, DOI released a list of 35 minerals deemed critical to the U.S. economy and security, based on a methodology by the USGS. This list forms the foundation of the full federal strategy. More information on USGS research to address the federal strategy on critical minerals can be found here.

Earth MRI is a partnership between the USGS, state geological surveys and industry to acquire new geologic maps, geophysical surveys and lidar data to better understand the fundamental geologic framework of areas across the nation with potential for hosting critical mineral resources. More information can be found here. To learn more about USGS mineral resource and commodity information, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter.d

Original Article

USGS News: Region 3: Great Lakes Region

USGS News: Region 3: Great Lakes Region

https://www.usgs.gov/news/earth-mri-funds-critical-minerals-projects-illinois

dkdavis@usgs.gov

On:
In: Daily News

Genetically unique brook trout have been discovered at some remote streams in the Tug Hill, NY. The Tug Hill chapter of Trout Unlimited conducted a trout field study last year using citizen science protocols which led to the discovery of the “heritage trout”. Read the full story by Watertown Daily Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200928-heritage-trout

Samantha Tank

On:
In: Daily News

Birds are in peak fall migration right now, and birders are seeing huge numbers of songbirds fly through the Chicago area. The Great Lakes act as a funnel for birds that are migrating through the area. Read the full story by WLS-TV – Chicago, IL.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200928-bird-migration

Samantha Tank