A pair of endangered piping plovers whose Montrose Beach nest sparked fierce debate last year between conservationists and music fans, leading to the cancelation of a popular lakefront festival, have returned to nest once again. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-plover
The Great Lakes Commission is calling upon Congress to remember the Great Lakes region “in any economic stimulus response to the devastating coronavirus pandemic.” Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-commission
Three property owners in Porter, Indiana, who claim their holdings include a private beach on Lake Michigan are challenging a new state law that explicitly asserts state ownership of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-shoreline
Heavy rain undermined a Kenosha, Wisconsin, construction site, causing a rupture to a sewer pipe and the bypass of nearly 2 million gallons of sanitary sewage into the storm water system and ultimately into Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Kenosha News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-sewer
As the energy utility company Northern Indiana Public Service Company prepares to close its Michigan City Generating Station, a coalition of residents and environmental groups are calling on the company to do more to protect their health and the environment. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-nipsco
As April ends, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake St. Clair will all average out at new April record high water levels. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-record
With Great Lakes and river water levels projected to be higher than last year, the city of Detroit is underway on a $2 million dam project to protect the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood ravaged by flooding last year. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-dam
The area proposed for a wind energy project in Lake Erie offshore of Cleveland, Ohio, would be located in the middle of a major migratory pathway for wildlife, prompting concerns from environmentalists about the impacts of approval. Read the full story by Belt Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-wind
There is only a 5% chance that the water level of Lake Ontario will rise high enough this year to cause significant flooding in Niagara County, New York. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-flood
Marina officials in Indiana along the Lake Michigan shoreline said that while some aspects of their operations have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus, boaters have been respectful of social distancing mandates as the season gets under way. Read the full story by The Post-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-marina
Waves from Lake Michigan have washed away a section of pavement in a Northwest Indiana town, threatening utility lines and nearby homes. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200504-waves
So many fantastic plants and animals call the Great Lakes their HOMES. Their habitats are in or near the Great Lakes because that’s where they find the food, water, and shelter they need.
In this lesson, your child will choose a Great Lakes creature to learn more about – including what it eats and what animal eats it. Then, they’ll diagram a food chain. Students will see how the plants and animals that live in and around the Great Lakes are connected.
This activity will take between 30 minutes and an hour.
You’ll need:
Watch the video below to learn about food webs.
Ask your kids: What foods do you or your pet eat? Is it mostly plants or animals? What about the animals you see out your window or when visiting a Great Lakes habitat. Can you make a simple food chain for those creatures?
Parents: Take a photo of your Great Lakes food chain or food web, and share it on social media. Tag us in your creations, and we may share it with others!
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 5: Food Chains & Food Webs appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/05/homeschool-food-webs/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Most people know river otters from zoos or YouTube videos as endearing playful creatures that can put a smile on anyone’s face.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/river-otters-western-lake-erie/
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=181:27
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=181:27
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=181:27
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=181:27
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
Wisconsin Beach Health - Brown County
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=181:27
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/04/life-skills-skateboarding-art-appreciation-relationship-mending/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BD0C110.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BDD7E00WI.GRBSPSGRB.747e49cf925d473ecac83faa26316a44
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BCFACE4.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BD0D3D0WI.GRBSPSGRB.747e49cf925d473ecac83faa26316a44
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BCE4D54.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BCFC260WI.GRBSPSGRB.5cf3797acd1a901ac77b8d3d54bd6a7c
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BC21A48.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BCE3BC0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4BC05E24.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4BC22DD0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Duluth, Minnesota, tourism leaders are ready for Minnesotans that may be looking for summer vacations close to home. Visit Duluth, the city’s tourism nonprofit, plans to use taglines like “Lake Superior: Big enough for everyone.” Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-duluth
Despite a delay, Emmet County, Michigan, is slated to open the Crooked River Lock later this month. The lock regulates water levels between the Crooked River and Crooked Lake, and is one passageway in the extended Inland Waterway connecting to Lake Huron. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-crooked-lock
As Ohio begins to open some businesses again, Lake Erie fishing guides will be back in operation. The guide operations will be taking customers fishing starting Friday, but only if the guides and their customers diligently follow the COVID-19 protocols mandated by Gov. Mike DeWine. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-charter
This month, waves and high water levels unearthed two historic shipwrecks on the shores of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Smithsonianmag.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-shipwrecks
Beverly Shores, Indiana, looks to secure five million dollars in funding to mitigate erosion at Indiana Dunes National Park due to high water levels amid severe spring weather. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-indiana-shoreline
The municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, is looking for public feedback when it comes to a highly-anticipated Lake Erie shoreline study. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-shoreline
The St. Lawrence Seaway has agreed to wake restrictions in narrow sections of the Seaway to help abate the threat of high water levels to the shorelines in the region. Read the full story by the Kingston Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-seaway
The first invasive grass carp capable of reproducing in Michigan was caught this spring during an annual fish survey by the Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-carp
Proposed off the coast of Cleveland, Ohio, the Icebreaker Wind Project, a six-turbine array billed as a “demonstration wind farm,” faces opposition since the area is in the middle of a major pathway for migratory birds. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200501-wind-erie
Over the last two decades, Milwaukee's Walnut Way neighborhood has gradually transformed from lifeless parcels to green space and become a model for others.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/rust-resilience-milwaukee-climate-resilience-green/
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/01/theres-a-new-kind-of-carp-in-the-river-and-its-huge/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
In this edition: Indiana residents are worried about insufficient measures being taken to address pollution during coal ash pond closure; Yale University study could help Ohio homeowners connect water contamination to shale gas and coal industry; Ohio EPA approves Athens County mine despite protests; Supreme Court ruling adopts new standard for Clean Water Act; and states and municipalities might not have the resources to make up for the federal government backing down on enforcement.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/energy-coal-ohio-indiana-enforcement/
The combined effects of climate change and degraded water quality could make “Do Not Drink/Do Not Boil” warnings more frequent across the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-climate+change
Once a city in decline, the city of Duluth has rebounded as a tourism destination and a “climate haven”. However, changing weather patterns and higher lake levels are forcing citizens to adapt and prepare for future challenges. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-duluth
Judicial oversight is not a panacea to addressing Lake Erie pollution, but judges should exercise their authority to enforce the implementation of a Lake Erie clean-up plan required under the Clean Water Act. Read the full editorial by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-judges
The novel coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to the consequences of insufficient water access, air pollution and the role of federal oversight in protecting the basic right to clean water. Read the full story by WDET – Radio – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-water-is-a-human-right
As spring returns and birds migrate north, bird enthusiasts in Chicago are hoping a locally famous pair of piping plovers returns to Lake Michigan. As the coronavirus shuts down activity along Chicago’s beaches, bird enthusiasts hope that the new quiet help birds like the piping plover safely nest and hatch their eggs. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-plovers
Stay-out-home orders and restrictions on “non-essential” businesses have left Ohio’s fishing and tourism industry floundering. The halt in manufacturing across the region has also beached cargo shipping along the lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-fish-n-freight
Coronavirus restrictions have scuttled boating in Chicago, leaving charter boat operators and sightseeing cruises with no source of income. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-charter-boats
While less flooding is expected this year, Canadian mayors along Lake Ontario are continuing to implement coastal resiliency strategies to protect their communities from further flooding and erosion. Read the full story by the Belleville Intelligencer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-mayors
At a recent public hearing, community environmental groups urged the Northern Indiana Public Service Company to protect public health and fully remediate the areas currently used as a coal ash pond near a power generation facility in Northwest Indiana. Read the full story by the Indiana Environmental Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-nipsco
To reach the Atlantic Ocean from Lake Erie through Canada, freight vessels must traverse a series of locks, known as Neptune’s Staircase, that drop 100 meters down the Niagara Escarpment. Read the full story by the Niagara Falls Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200430-locks
Wisconsin Sea Grant’s outreach specialists are used to traversing the state, sharing information of relevance directly with impacted communities. In this year marked by a global pandemic, however, it hasn’t been so easy—yet staff are finding ways to get the job done.
In mid-March, Coastal Engineering Outreach Specialist Adam Bechle had planned, along with a variety of partners, to deliver three nights of back-to-back information on high Great Lakes water levels in three Lake Michigan coastal communities: Manitowoc, Somers and Mequon. Yet, due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, those in-person sessions were replaced by a single online one on March 18.
The Zoom session featured Bechle along with speakers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Detroit District, National Weather Service Forecast Office in Milwaukee/Sullivan and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and local governments also played a role in putting the session together. About 112 participants watched it live.
The archived, two-hour webinar may be viewed on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s YouTube channel. “People in our Lake Michigan coastal communities have been hungry for information about what’s in store for water levels and what options they may have for dealing with some of the negative impacts,” said Bechle. “If people missed the live webinar, they can still get this information online, where they can hear directly from a variety of experts all in one place.”
Topics covered include forecasts for water levels through the summer, emergency management activities being undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers, the local impacts of recent storms, how coastal processes in the water affect what’s happening on land, and the permitting process for constructing erosion control structures.
Listen and watch on YouTube.
Further questions may be directed to Bechle at bechle@aqua.wisc.edu.
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/whats-in-store-for-great-lakes-water-levels-find-out-online/
The contested case of the Icebreaker Wind Farm has implications for renewable energy in the region.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/rust-resilience-lake-erie-wind-farm/
An administrative law judge ruled this week in favor of Nestle in the long-running dispute over whether the company would be allowed to increase its withdrawals of groundwater to support its water bottling operation in Michigan.
Grassroots activists challenged the 2018 decision by Michigan’s then Department of Environmental Quality under former Gov.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/nestle-prevails-law-judge-sides-with-water-bottler-in-water-withdrawal-case/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F47759AF0.LakeshoreFloodAdvisory.125F477716A0WI.GRBCFWGRB.b8a68855e44539b61ff4566a143afb89
