With Chicago’s lakefront closed to recreation, wildlife has emerged in new ways. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-wildlife
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a daunting economic situation in the Niagara Falls region, one of the biggest and most important hubs for tourism in Canada. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-niagara
The development of the Burns Harbor steel plant in Indiana brought not only economic gain, but also spurred local conservation efforts leading to the creation of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-steel
A coalition of government entities and advocates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is launching an ambitious project to remove contaminated sediment and then restore habitat, improve public access, and spur commercial and residential development. Read the full story by Milwaukee Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-swimmable
Scientists predict the harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer will be worse than in 2018, but not as severe as last year. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-bloom
Tourism officials don’t know what kind of summer awaits Pennsylvania’s Erie region tourism industry, which typically generates about $1.2 billion in visitor spending annually. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-tourism
Hopes for the future of renewable energy in Ohio have taken yet another hit, thanks to a decision by the Ohio Power Siting Board, which granted approval for a demonstration wind project in Lake Erie but imposed a condition that renders the project all but impossible. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-energy
In Minnesota, the Duluth City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to approve a $10.1 million contract to fortify and rebuild the Canal Park portion of the Lakewalk, which was damaged by storms in 2017 and 2018. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200528-lakewalk
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4D4CFDB0.HydrologicOutlook.125F4D4E3694WI.GRBESFGRB.e28df1b53a8ca548f16867deb5fb1850
Many of the business practices we have at the Fox River Navigational System Authority already take into account social distancing simply due to the nature of our work at the locks. However, to comply with CDC guidelines and state recommendations, we are following these procedures to increase personal safety and limit exposure to the coronavirus.
In our offices:
At the Locks: This summer we will employ 29 lock tenders at the nine locks on the system that are open for boaters.
Our goal is to provide a safe and memorable experience to all boaters traveling through the locks and to pedestrians who want to experience living history in action. For a complete listing of our operating hours and fees to travel the lock system, please visit this link.
Blog – Fox Locks
http://foxlocks.org/2020/05/28/fox-locks-ensuring-your-safety/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4D4BDE94.HydrologicOutlook.125F4D4D196CWI.GRBESFGRB.955893a5ea3961825a01c8478c7ac2c4
Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is one of the more popular, well-known aquariums around the country with 2 million visitors every year.
But the COVID-19 pandemic has closed it to the public, which is a big change for the penguins, whales, fish and other creatures that live in the Shedd’s various habitats.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/covid-19-shedd-aquarium-visitors/
There are cockroaches roaming the aquarium at the Belle Isle Conservancy.
But don’t worry, they’re supposed to be there.
Unlike the smaller, more common roaches you might find in a dirty or old building, these cockroaches are Madagascar hissing cockroaches, who have their own exhibit at the conservancy and were given a chance to say hello to some fish while the aquarium is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/covid-19-belle-isle-fish-and-insects-visitors/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI125F4D3F4148.SpecialWeatherStatement.125F4D3F5DCCWI.GRBSPSGRB.940d7b3678472919033e33d5c588d613
New program targets youths and educators in Milwaukee to develop Great Lakes literacy skills
May 27, 2020
By Marie Zhuikov
A report released last year showed that Wisconsin has the largest academic achievement gap between African-American and white students in the nation. The National Assessment of Education Progress tested fourth- and eighth-graders in 2019. African-American students in Wisconsin posted the lowest reading and math scores, as well as in science.
A new two-year Water Resources Institute project will work to help close this gap. Set in Milwaukee, home to the largest number of African-American students in the state, the project is a collaboration among the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Natural Resources Institute staff and three partner schools. Approximately 100 students, ages 10 to 15, and at least two educators will take part in the project.
Extension staff will train teachers in ways to foster student inquiry and science observations skills. They will also travel to the schools — Escuela Verde, La Escuela Fratney and Maryland Avenue Montessori — to facilitate sessions with students to develop water-related research projects.
Justin Hougham, project principal investigator, is director of the university’s Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center and an associate professor at UW-Madison. Hougham said, in addition to meeting needs identified by the National Assessment survey, the project’s framework comes from a biannual survey Extension conducts on the status and needs of environmental education groups in Wisconsin.
“The No. 1 skill that people wanted was for their organizations to be better at diversity, equity and inclusivity work in environmental education. The No. 1 content area (which is different than a skill), was support for STEM work. They also wanted increased information and opportunity for professional development around using technology in environmental education,” Hougham said.
Students will receive hands-on experience using science technology in the field in their local communities. This includes equipment such as thermal imagers, digital microscopes and water testing tools. They will also learn how to apply the scientific method to their projects.
Hougham explained how he and his team of Isabelle Herde and Zoe Goodrow with UW-Madison will take the project one step further. “We realized the more important or impactful thing we can do is not just have people be better at looking at data, but to be more skilled at telling stories with that information. More specifically, telling stories about environmental issues in their community that are important to them. We want to look at environmental issues through the lens of our youth and educators.”
The students can share their stories via social media, science fairs and community events.
Because the rivers flowing through Milwaukee are part of the Great Lakes watershed, the project will connect students to the Great Lakes through their research projects, and so will improve their Great Lakes literacy.
“We’re excited to be doing this work,” Hougham said. “It’s connected to a lot of previous projects that we have had in the Milwaukee area, which will allow it to be successful. It’s important to take the long view on environmental issues, but also with community engagement in them.”
The team hopes these connections will help build a generation invested in the health of one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world – and close academic gaps.
News Release – WRI
https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/telling-stories-about-science/
Once as many as nine types of ciscoes roamed the Great Lakes, playing a key role in the food web before the fish largely disappeared from the lower four Great Lakes in the mid-1900s. Reintroducing cisco to the Great Lakes could also strengthen the population of several other important fish species. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-foodweb
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-lake-Toledo
The City Council in Lakewood, Ohio, recently approved a resolution allowing a resident to undertake lakeshore protection measures in hopes of staving off coastal erosion of Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-Lakewood-residents
Memorial Day weekend in Chicago is typically the start of boating and beach season, but amid the coronavirus pandemic, this year looked quite a bit different. Read the full story by WGN-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-Chicago-drone
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-commercial-fishery
Lakes Michigan and Huron water levels have risen a little more than three inches over the past two weeks, meaning an additional 2.4 trillion gallons of water are now in the lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-lake-levels
At least three different proposed class action lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts on behalf of residents and business claiming losses that resulted from the Edenville Dam failure in Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-dam-failure
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking entries for the Detroit District’s 2020 photo contest, and are seeking amateur photos of Army Corps projects throughout the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WSJM – St. Joseph, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-Photo-Contest
If your building has been closed or only a few people have been using it, the water in the pipes should be flushed before you start up your business again to reduce the risk of bacterial and heavy metal contamination from stagnant water. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-flush-plumbing
Enbridge said Tuesday it had discovered four spots on the Line 5 oil pipeline in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac where protective coating has worn away, leaving bare metal exposed. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200527-enbridge
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/pollution-permits-enbridge-michigan-line-5-tunnel-project/
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news//news/scale-hurricane-rainfall-magnitude
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/scale-hurricane-rainfall-magnitude
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/27/fixing-the-food-web-cisco-reintroduction-to-the-great-lakes-could-have-enormous-ripple-effect/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ontario-aquatarium-covid-19-virtual-engagement/
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-Great-Lakes-Investments
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-cruise-season
The devastating flooding in Midland is causing concern about potential environmental contamination. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-midland-flood
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-port-awards
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-glsrp
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-enbridge
The city of Holland, Michigan, has installed a new camera at Holland State Park, which will be used to provide water and beach safety information. Read the full story by WZZM – TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-research-camera
High water levels on the Great Lakes mean there’s less beachfront this year. At the same time, the pandemic means there’s more need for space. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-high-water
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-yellow-perch
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200526-environmental+risk
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.
This activity will take between 30 minutes and an hour.
You’ll need:
Watch the video below to learn about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.
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?
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!
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!
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.
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
News – Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2020/05/homeschool-plastic-pollution/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-isle-royale-covid-19/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/ap-indiana-dunes-covid-19-beach-parking/
Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/05/26/looking-back-at-michigans-environmental-risk/
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.
Blog – Fox Locks
http://foxlocks.org/2020/05/24/attention-kayakers-rapide-croche-lock-remains-closed/
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/grb/TributetoWeatherObservers
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
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/05/chemicals-contaminants-untreated-sewage-midland-dam-breaks/
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.
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/
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.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200522-nirpc
