Every year billions of winged creatures emerge from the water to spend a few hours mating, laying eggs, and then dying, not even pausing to eat. A mayfly hatch might be one of the Great Lakes’ more impressive natural events. Read the full story by Mlive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240417-mayfly-hatch
A new report from the Alliance for the Great Lakes adds new data showing that America’s plastic addiction and waste-disposal habits are polluting our land and water. The Chicago-based group analyzed 20 years of data from volunteer beach cleanups across the region, finding that the majority of litter is plastic-based. Read the full story by the Manchester Mirror.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240417-plastic-litter
Several improvements will be made to Peninsula Park’s trails in northeastern Wisconsin, increasing sustainability and enhancing the visitor experience. The implementation of the Northern Lake Michigan Coastal Master Plan includes improvements to wildlife areas, state parks, natural areas, state forests, and fishery areas. Read the full story by the WBGA-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240417-trail-improvements
What do you do when an employee comes forward, exposing their company for wrongdoing?
Environmental journalists discussed how to handle that situation at a recent Society of Environmental Journalist Conference in Philadelphia.
The post How to be a responsible watchdog first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/17/how-to-be-a-responsible-watchdog/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8f8fb9f101583670a5f79ac9d004cc6cf7275e1f.003.1.cap
Foraging connects us with the natural world, offering a pathway to understand the land, its cycles, and the bountiful edible plants that grow wild around us. Whether you’re a novice eager to explore the greens outside your doorstep or an experienced forager looking to deepen your practice, this guide provides essential insights into starting your foraging journey, identifying plants, harvesting sustainably, and ensuring safety.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/your-foraging-journey-a-framework-to-sustainable-and-safe-practices/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.6f405d2e89eb392f120fd2d5b0a30a8918290269.003.1.cap
One would be forgiven if you thought that by creating a $125 million in funding to help affected communities deal with PFAS in the budget that the legislature was actually concerned about the issue and ready to act.
Unfortunately, everything they have done since they approved the state budget undercuts that conclusion. Today is the latest example in which the Joint Finance Committee refused to answer the Governor’s call for a special session to allocate this money. This ignores the urgent need to send these funds to affected communities, and the calls from dozens of citizens asking the Committee to act.
This follows more than nine months of the negotiations around SB 312, a critically flawed bill the state legislature authored to direct the DNR on how to deal with PFAS. The bill, SB 312, didn’t specifically include funding. Worse, it gave polluters too many loopholes to avoid accountability. The Governor vetoed the bill and we supported that action.
While legislators debated SB 312, state budget funds were already approved and waiting to be released to the DNR to help affected communities with water testing, research, and provide safe drinking water to Wisconsin families. The Joint Finance Committee has had the power to release these funds, but partisan political power plays are getting in the way of meaningful action.
The funds would have been released pursuant to the Department of Natural Resources’ February request to allow the following:
The DNR’s formal request for state budget funds has clear direction for the agency to take action to reduce or prevent exposure to PFAS chemicals in water. The funding requested is aligned with the programs in SB 312 that everyone agrees with, and which passed both houses of the legislature.
This is an urgent matter that has been waiting for action for more than 280 days. Wisconsinites deserve action, not meaningless arguments about “legislative intent,” and should not have to wait any longer for access to safe water.
Read more about this issue in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Public Radio, and via the Associated Press.
– Stacy Harbaugh, Communications Director
This message is made possible by generous donors who believe people have the power to protect and restore water. Support our work with your contribution today.
The post State legislature’s inaction on PFAS continues appeared first on River Alliance of WI.
Blog - River Alliance of WI
https://wisconsinrivers.org/pfas-inaction-continues/
Moira Harrington studies a young fish temporarily collected from Green Bay on Lake Michigan. Image Credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Moira Harrington, Wisconsin Sea Grant assistant director for communications, recently announced plans to retire, effective June 14. Rather than tiptoe into the waters of retirement gradually, Harrington will dive right in, making the decision only three months beforehand.
“I’ve never taken an exercise class scheduled in the middle of a workday, but I feel like I need to plunge right in and try it. I retire on a Friday and the next Tuesday, I’m doing a strength-training class,” Harrington said.
As the head of communications, Harrington supervises a staff of five including writers, podcasters, editors, a videographer and graphic designer. She directs the creation of materials that promote science literacy and coordinated media relations. Harrington also assists with external relations. She was a former reporter for newspapers, magazines and a statehouse news service. She also worked for Wisconsin’s statewide public television broadcasting system, public health tobacco education campaigns, and as the state director and press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Her departure after almost 15 years will leave ripples felt throughout the program, both locally and nationally.
“We’ve been so fortunate to have a comprehensive science communications team,” said David Hart, Wisconsin Sea Grant assistant director for extension. “Moira crafted and guided that team. She contributed to the success of our Sea Grant and Water Resources missions in so many ways that it is hard to keep track. Besides writing and reviewing hundreds of stories, she did all our reporting, organized legislative visits and prepared us for rigorous program reviews. Then there are the smaller, but priceless ways she helped us stay connected like preparing a monthly newsletter sharing the personal side of our staff and co-organizing a bi-weekly travelogue series. I think we are going to reflect on all those little things she did long into the future.”
A common theme in Harrington’s career was working for organizations that contribute to society in a positive way. In terms of Sea Grant, she said, “It touches so many sectors of a community, it touches our culture and sparks research that has applications in people’s lives. It’s our role as communicators to share that information and it’s so rewarding.”
Not long after she began her job with Sea Grant, Harrington took on a leadership role, chairing the Great Lakes Sea Grant Communications Network (2011-2012). Later, she chaired the Networks Advisory Council, which is a committee within the Sea Grant Association, and the National Sea Grant Communications Network (2016-2018). One of her legacies is reinstating a national communications award program. “I think it’s important to recognize our work through a formal process and I hope it continues after I retire,” she said.
Moira Harrington (in the back) and members of her communications team meet with microplastics researchers who were conducting a Sea Grant experiment atop the Limnology Building on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus. Pictured in front: Ph.D. Student Ziyan Wu, Professor Mohan Qin, Science Communicator Marie Zhuikov; Second row: Writer Jenna Mertz, Professor Haoran Wei, Video and Podcast Producer Bonnie Willison, Creative Manager Sarah Congdon; Back row: Moira. Image Credit: Mohan Qin, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Moira has done so much for Sea Grant,” said Jill Jentes Banicki, current National Sea Grant Communications Network chair. “With every initiative she oversaw and every communicator, educator and director she worked with, she showed how important telling the Sea Grant story is to a successful and impactful Sea Grant network. We are so grateful to Moira for everything she has done for Sea Grant Communications over the last fourteen years and will miss her beyond words.”
Another legacy attributable to Harrington’s behind-the-scenes work is the creation of the university’s recent Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science. In 2023, she wrote a story based on research by UW-Madison’s Christy Remucal on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and how they were moving via groundwater into Lake Michigan.
“I pushed the story a bit more than I sometimes do, and it got picked up in the media in various places,” Harrington said. “The findings have implications for PFAS contamination everywhere because it can be applied to other situations where people are trying to understand a contamination site.”
A few weeks later, Harrington was contacted by the Federal Relations Office on the Madison campus. “They said they’d like to work with a member of the house of representatives or maybe one of the U.S. senators from Wisconsin. They wanted to figure out some way to put additional money specifically into PFAS research. So, I just connected people. I was like, okay, here’s Christy and you guys work together,” Harrington said.
Remucal, who is now the interim director of Wisconsin Sea Grant, wrote a proposal for the center. “Then we both kind of forgot about it,” Harrington said. But about a year later, after a grueling federal budgeting process, the funding came through for the center.
“I didn’t do the research and I didn’t get the funds from the federal government, but my ability to tell the story of that sparked a bigger thing that’s now resulting in almost a million dollars coming to support even more PFAS research. That feels good,” Harrington said.
A University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student (left) describes restoration efforts undertaken in the Wequiock Creek Natural Area in Wisconsin to Moira and Sea Grant Editor Elizabeth White (right). Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Some of her favorite projects involved creating biennial reports for the public and other communications products. Harrington credited her staff, one of the largest Sea Grant communications teams in the country, for their contributions. “It’s been a true honor working with the communications staff here. Everybody brings such a talent set. I love how we come together as a team to create meaningful and useful products. It’s been incredibly stimulating to have an idea and know that I can turn to a colleague in communications and they’ll make it happen. That’s just really fun.”
Harrington expects her retirement will involve four Bs: Brian, Baby, Bees and Books. Brian Koenig is her husband, who has plans for his own retirement and will no doubt enjoy having Harrington around more. One of their daughters had a child in April, so the Baby part is regarding their first grandbaby. Bees is about beekeeping. Harrington learned how to keep honeybees a few years ago. She’s maintained one hive and is getting a second (or more) in retirement. The fourth B is for Books. Harrington has been in the same book club for 24 years and plans to spend more time reading.
Beyond that, she will immerse herself more fully into her current volunteer work, which includes chairing the city of Madison Board of Park Commissioners and serving on the board for Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.
Harrington leaves behind a solid team and significant list of accomplishments. At least one team member was heard musing, “We’ll do our best to stay afloat without her.”
The post Sea Grant communications director plunges into retirement first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-communications-director-plunges-into-retirement/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.fd171218d923101f904302f225f8947f885836f7.003.1.cap
Rob Riley windsurfs on Lake Winnebago.
Rob Riley knows how to have fun on the water. From paddle boarding to sailing, white water canoeing to windsurfing, he’s no stranger to lake recreation. But when he first moved to the Fox Valley, he was a stranger to water quality concerns on Lake Winnebago.
“You can’t really miss the problem,” Rob said. “It limits your ability to participate in activities. There are days I think: I’m not going in there; it’s looking pretty green.”
It hit him in a new way when he was at a concert at Waterfest. The emcee on stage made a joke about Lake Winnebago and the green water, and everyone laughed. “I couldn’t believe it,” Rob said. “That’s not a punch line; that’s our drinking water! Are we really going to just accept that this is the way it is?”
For Rob, the answer is a resounding no. “It became a personal mission,” he said. “This is what I want to be about.”
Because Rob is an entrepreneur who owns his own business, he was able to expand his capacity for change through his company. Motto, Inc., located in Appleton, got its start selling skateboard grip tape. He experimented with having specific items that supported specific causes. “If we printed a wolf image on the tape, some proceeds would go toward wolf protection,” Rob explained. Given that a core market for him was young skateboarders, his customers weren’t really into the same causes Rob was trying to promote.
A few more experiments later, and the idea has grown. “Now it’s more about the mission of the whole company,” Rob said. “We do different things, we branch out into new products, because it funds what we want to do. It’s what drives us.”
Because Motto, Inc. is a small business, having a focus on environmental mission has a big impact on the staff. One of the newest hires has a background in environmental science and will be working to connect staff to local opportunities.
“Mainly we do this through Fox-Wolf,” Rob said. In 2023, the staff participated together on volunteer projects, including native seed planting and the annual Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup.
Thanks to Rob, Motto, Inc. is the first business to become a Lifetime Member of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. And while he invested in Fox-Wolf as a way to create a sense of mission for his team, his business has benefited as well.
“Environmental sustainability registers in the marketplace,” he explained. “We speak to it all the time, and people value that.” Beyond sales and promotion, “it has also helped me hire more conscientious employees,” Rob added.
Ultimately, Rob really wants to see our waters stop getting worse and start getting better. “I hope that people will start to have gratitude for our water,” he said, “and will live accordingly.”
Watershed Moments is a publication of Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, sharing the stories of how your donations have impacted lives in our community. Read our latest project updates, make a secure online donation, or become a member at www.fwwa.org
The post Watershed Moments: Not a Punch Line appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2024/04/16/watershed-moments-not-a-punch-line/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watershed-moments-not-a-punch-line
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f9d52389676a795564ce000d8a5be6ccbf83ffc0.003.1.cap
Fields pockmarked by bombs, forests torn up by trenches and littered with landmines, cities around the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine flooded and then left with a water shortage as the reservoir dries up.
These scenes in Ukraine and Gaza are a few examples of how war leaves long lasting damage to the environment.
The post Reporting the environmental impact of war first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/16/reporting-the-environmental-impact-of-war/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/i-speak-for-the-fish-never-underestimate-a-smallmouth/
The salinity of the Michigan’s groundwater is on the rise, raising concerns about killed crops and corroded pipes. Michigan residents and lawmakers struggle to recognize the problem, which may require a shift in how the public thinks about water, with a new emphasis on conservation Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-groundwater-salinity
Support water research, outreach and education tomorrow with Day of the Badger, an annual fundraising event to support UW–Madison!
The two-day campaign, which lasts precisely 1,848 minutes to honor the year of the university’s founding, invites alumni, students and friends of the university to donate to the programs of their choice. This year, we hope you’ll choose Wisconsin Sea Grant and our sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute.
Wisconsin is a state rich with water, but those waters also face many challenges. To find solutions, Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Water Resources Institute are funding research on water quality and emerging contaminants like PFAS, helping coastal communities plan around flooding and bluff erosion, and inspiring the next generation of water professionals through paid, hands-on internship and fellowship opportunities. (You can read about many of those stories in the latest issue of the ASC Chronicle!)
If you believe in our mission, we welcome you to participate. Your gift will help us continue our ambitious and impactful research, outreach and educational efforts that—in keeping with the Wisconsin Idea—benefit the state as a whole.
If you’re eager to participate, you can give today. And don’t forget to follow us on social media as we celebrate the reasons why we love water for #DayOfTheBadger.
The post Day of the Badger returns April 16–17 first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/day-of-the-badger-returns-april-16-17/
Next week, Native American leaders from the Midwest will go before a United Nations panel with their concerns over Enbridge’s Line 5 operation in the Great Lakes region, which they say is trespassing on tribal lands. Read the full story by WSBC – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-pipeline-concerns
State officials in Michigan believe they have solved one of the mysteries of why Lake Superior smelt are showing such high levels of PFAS contamination. State, federal, and tribal researchers were able to determine that a naturally occurring bile acid in smelt was triggering false results. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-fish-contamination
According to a recent Harris Poll survey, most Great Lakes region residents feel good about their flood preparedness, with roughly three-quarters expressing faith in being able to handle flooding at the local, state, and national levels. But the question remains how grounded that confidence is given the growing effects of climate change. Read the full story by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-flood-preparedness
Midges are often found in Ontario’s lakeshore, wildlife areas and parks, appearing in early springtime and lasting throughout the summer. Midges, when highly populated above bodies of water, are an indication of healthy water with regular oxygen levels. When absent, they point to pollution in the water. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-midge-indicators
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University announced New York State watershed grants for four research projects aimed at protecting Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes. Read the full story by the Finger Lakes Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-research-grants
Repairs on the Bicentennial Bridge in St. Joseph, Michigan, will begin in the coming days, resulting in travel restrictions for cars and boats, the Michigan Department of Transportation reports. A piece on the bridge broke in late March, blocking access to Lake Michigan for some boats. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-bridge-repairs
Landowners along New York’s Great Lakes shoreline who have problems with erosion or damage caused by flooding, storm surge, water pooling, or wind-wave action can have their property evaluated without cost by New York Sea Grant Extension. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-shoreline-evaluation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has officially finalized the nation’s first-ever drinking water standards for PFAS pollution. Activists, experts, and lawmakers have expressed their support for the standards they say will provide clean drinking water for and save the lives of countless Americans. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-pfas-standards
The National Museum of the Great Lakes is gearing up to celebrate a decade of enriching the Toledo community with its immersive exhibits and educational programs. The museum was moved to Toledo in 2014, upholding the Great Lakes Historical Society’s mission to preserve and showcase the rich history of the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by The Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240415-museum-anniversary
Support water research, outreach and education tomorrow with Day of the Badger, an annual fundraising event to support UW–Madison!
The two-day campaign, which lasts precisely 1,848 minutes to honor the year of the university’s founding, invites alumni, students and friends of the university to donate to the programs of their choice. This year, we hope you’ll choose the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and our sister organization, Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Wisconsin is a state rich with water, but those waters also face many challenges. To find solutions, the Water Resources Institute and Wisconsin Sea Grant are funding research on water quality and emerging contaminants like PFAS, helping coastal communities plan around flooding and bluff erosion, and inspiring the next generation of water professionals through paid, hands-on internship and fellowship opportunities. (You can read about many of those stories in the latest issue of the ASC Chronicle!)
If you believe in our mission, we welcome you to participate. Your gift will help us continue our ambitious and impactful research, outreach and educational efforts that—in keeping with the Wisconsin Idea—benefit the state as a whole.
If you’re eager to participate, you can give today. And don’t forget to follow us on social media as we celebrate the reasons why we love water for #DayOfTheBadger.
The post Day of the Badger Returns April 16–17 first appeared on WRI.
News Release | WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/day-of-the-badger-returns-april-16-17/
All are invited to attend the first in a series of three free events designed for birders of all skills and abilities. Join “Everyone Can Bird: Spring Migration,” 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Sunday, May 5, at Chambers Grove Park, Highway 23 and 137th Avenue West, Duluth.
Birders on Wisconsin Point. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Hear the birds sing as they return to the north for breeding season. With spring migration already here, participants may see the first glimpse of a variety of forest birds such as warblers, sparrows, and swallows, and waterbirds such as grebes, mergansers and more.
Designed with accessibility in mind, the event will provide accessible parking, American Sign Language interpretation and binoculars with a wheelchair mount. A track chair – an all-terrain, electric-powered chair that can be used on hiking trails – is also available for use. Sit or walk along a packed gravel path throughout the park with expert bird guides to lead discussion and aid observation.
Free transportation is available from the Superior Public Library (1530 Tower Avenue) at 8:40 a.m. or at Menards in West Duluth (503 N 50th Avenue West) at 9 a.m.
The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Duluth Parks and Recreation, Embark Supported Employment, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Lake Superior Reserve, Minnesota Land Trust and Wisconsin Sea Grant are hosting this series.
In addition to the May 5 event, “Everyone Can Bird” opportunities will be held Aug. 14 at the Millennium Trail in Superior, and Oct. 12 at Hawk Ridge in Duluth.
Registration is encouraged but not required. Learn more or register at https://bit.ly/43ZGeu7. These activities are designed with access in mind. People who would like to request additional accommodations should email Luciana.Ranelli@wisc.edu or call Luciana at 715-399-4085 at least 10 days before the event.
The post Everyone Can Bird, First of Three Accessible Birding Events first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/everyone-can-bird-first-of-three-accessible-birding-events-2/
A worrisome environmental issue is bubbling up from deep below Michigan’s ground with little public awareness, experts say.
The salinity of the state’s groundwater is on the rise, raising concerns about killed crops and corroded pipes.
The post Salty groundwater in Michigan could hurt agriculture, business and homeowners first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/15/salty-groundwater-in-michigan-could-hurt-agriculture-business-and-homeowners/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.6fdf9d9436ff1691dbb370bbd66a3d3cfa23fd6b.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.e899b3c8fad745c4f6d3ecd0fcdda793b1318de5.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8dc592d08a492f9fb38197809523635a4197ae43.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.3adef64543b7fd5e3546a74a969d3ff88d141995.001.1.cap
The Biden administration is urging a federal appeals court to reverse a lower court order that would shut down an oil and gas pipeline crossing the Bad River tribe’s reservation within three years. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-line-5
Litter strewn across Great Lakes beaches is overwhelmingly composed of plastic, a new study from a region-wide beach cleanup group found, signaling a widespread problem for the wildlife and people who encounter them. Read the full story from The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-plastic-pollution
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for input on how to make the Great Lakes region more resilient to the effects of climate change. The Corps is holding a series of virtual meetings for its Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study in collaboration with the seven Great Lakes states. Read the full story by WKSU – Kent, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-climate-change-virtual-meeting
In Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, sturgeon have been on the list of protected species for a few years now. With help from several preservation groups, though, sturgeon are making a slow, steady comeback. Read the full story by Route Bay City.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-sturgeon
Beginning April 23, lampricides will be applied to the Conneaut Creek system in Pennsylvania’s Erie and Crawford counties to kill sea lamprey larvae before they grow into parasitic fish that migrate to Lake Erie and kill other fish. Read the full story by Erie-Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-lampricide
In Pennsylvania, repairs will be underway this month to Erie’s North Pier, a popular spot for sightseeing and fishing located near Presque Isle State Park. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District announced that construction will repair about 1,800 feet of damaged structure along the channel between Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay. Read the full story by Erie-Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-presque-isle-pier
The University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center hosted a training on Wednesday for local water experts to learn about the latest “smart buoys” that will be sent out into various locations in Lake Erie during the upcoming summer season. The buoys have solar-powered sensors inside them that are designed to track important water safety features such as pH and toxin levels. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-smart-bouy
The Lake Express Ferry embarked from its storage location in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley to its operational terminal on the Lake Michigan waterfront on Wednesday, April 10. The ferry, used for daily regional transportation, transitions annually to facilitate increased travel during the warmer months and connects Milwaukee with Muskegon, Michigan. Read the full story by WDJT-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-lake-express-ferry
The Grand Lake region remains one of the best places in Ohio to catch a glimpse of American White Pelicans. The birds can be seen on the lake from March-May and again in late August-November as the birds head towards their migration path. Read the full story by The Daily Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240412-white-pelicans
By Ellie Katz, Interlochen Public Radio
Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.
This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.
We often think of the deep parts of the Great Lakes as cold, empty spaces.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/points-north-quest-for-kiyi/
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202403
An eerie sight is blossoming throughout coastal wetlands in Georgian Bay: ghostly grey specters lining the shores behind otherwise healthy-looking wetlands.
“Do you see these dead trees?” asked Patricia Chow-Fraser. The McMaster University biologist was addressing attendees of a lecture at The Water Institute at the University of Waterloo in early March.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/ghostly-grey-specters/
Microplastics threaten human health. Exposure to them, especially when consumed, involve an array of toxic effects, including reproductive problems, delays in immune responses and oxidative stress, according to a 2023 study published in Environment and Health Journal.
The post Great Lakes beachcombers find mostly plastic first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/12/great-lakes-beachcombers-find-mostly-plastic/
In Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday, April 10, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the nation’s first ever drinking water standards for PFAS. Limits will be capped at the lowest possible limit, about 4 parts per trillion. The Biden-Harris Administration concurrently announced a $1 billion investment to update water treatment plants around the country.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/pfas-news-roundup-landmark-epa-decision-implements-first-nation-wide-pfas-limit-in-drinking-water/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
A recent lawsuit suit accusing Campbell Soup of discharging excessive amounts of phosphorus and other contaminants into Northwest Ohio waterways is highlighting challenges the state faces in targeting harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/campbell-soup-pollution-lawsuits-raise-concerns-about-additional-northeast-ohio-phosphorus-sources/
By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Grist
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This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/in-chicago-one-neighborhood-is-fighting-gentrification-and-climate-change-at-the-same-time/
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/www.weather.gov/mkx/severe_weather_awareness
In 1979, there were just four nesting pairs of bald eagles in the entire state of Ohio. Today there are more than 900 pairs spread throughout all but three of Ohio’s 88 counties, not including the immature birds that still appear mottled with brown and white because haven’t yet developed white plumage on their heads.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/bald-eagle-return-exceeds-expectations/
