Restoring an ancient Great Lakes fish- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/24/2013 - 04:33 ] # Sturgeon have lived in the Great Lakes longer than humans have walked
the earth. But the ancient fish now need our help to stay here. A joint
project by the federal and state officials with a Native American tribe
is trying to do that by rebuilding habitat for lake sturgeon in the
Kalamazoo River. WMUK’s Brian Petersen went along to find out how it’s
done. more...
Environment Other
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“Sunken Treasure”: Documentary explores Great Lakes shipwrecks, promotes respectful diving- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/24/2013 - 04:31 ] #  With hundreds of shipwrecks scattered across the bottom of the Great
Lakes, divers have access to an unrivaled underwater playground. The
freshwater environment lends itself to preserving shipwrecks so well,
some ships look ready to board.
Divers tempted to swipe an artifact for their mantle or crank a wheel
and pretend to sail away could be fined or even imprisoned. A recent
documentary aims to educate those with misguided intentions before it
gets that far.
“Sunken Treasure: Preserving Michigan’s Shipwrecks” was recently released by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council to foster respect of Great Lakes shipwrecks and preserve the fragile ecosystems that surround them. more...
Other Watersports
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Lake levels won’t fix themselves- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/24/2013 - 04:30 ] # An international group recently looked at the issue of low water levels and what could be done to try and amend the situation.
The Joint International Commission called for a study to explore the
impact of placing inflatable gates or other devices in the St. Clair
River at the southern end of Lake Huron as a way to stop outflow from
the lake.
Officials say dredging, mining and other human activities eroded the
river bottom in the last century, accelerating the outflow from Lake
Huron toward Lake Erie. Lake Michigan is also drained via its connection
to the other Great Lakes. more...
Environment Other
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Sugar Island beach on Detroit River opens Saturday- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/24/2013 - 04:28 ] # A beach on the Detroit River’s Sugar Island is opening to the public Saturday.The
island’s west beach will be accessible for activities including
picnicking, sunbathing, wildlife observation, photography and
volleyball. Upland areas will be off-limits to protect wildlife.
Officials say the area designated for public use will be clearly marked.
Some activities will be prohibited, such as setting fires, drinking
alcohol and setting off fireworks. more...
Other
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Climb a Michigan dune and see it all- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/24/2013 - 04:27 ] # When you dig your hands and feet into the sand of one of Michigan’s
towering dunes, you’re participating in thousands of years of history.These
enormous sand formations along the state’s Lake Michigan coast were
formed, like the Great Lakes themselves, by glaciers dominating the land
of 16,000 years ago. When those glaciers retreated and melted, they
left behind the rocks and clay that eventually, through erosion, became
the dunes. more...
Environment
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Making waves- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/23/2013 - 06:23 ] # A couple of scientists looking to learn all they can about Lake
Ontario visited the beach near the Oak Orchard Creek Lighthouse on
Saturday morning. Before they left, they had gathered data using an AUV —
autonomous underwater vehicle.Russ Miler of the Great Lakes
Observing System (GLOS) operated the AUV. He said he helped plan the
route the torpedo-like unit took Friday night and early Saturday based
off previous data collected at other spots along the lake near Oswego
and Sodus Bay. more...
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Heavy rains carry more phosphorous into Lake Erie- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/22/2013 - 05:26 ] # Another one of those uh-oh moments related to Lake Erie, its fish and its fishermen was
reported in
The Dispatch last week.
Heavy rains this spring have washed an estimated 210 tons of phosphorous from farm fields inside
the Maumee River watershed, Jeffrey Reutter, director of the Ohio Sea Grant Program, told an Ohio
Senate Finance Subcommittee last week. Depending on future rainstorms, even more phosphorous could
be heading toward Lake Erie. more...
Environment
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Federal Legislation Would Help With Great Lakes Dredging- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/22/2013 - 05:25 ] # A $200 million backlog in Great Lakes harbor and channel dredging would end with a bill that just passed the U.S. Senate. There
is a lot at stake economically when ships have to load light: carry
less cargo, or risk running aground in the Great Lakes. Senator Tammy Baldwin
(D-Wisc) says this bill will allow the Great Lakes to catch up on
digging projects over the next six to seven years, putting the Great
Lakes in better position to compete with the ocean ports. more...
Environment
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Boardwalk opens as part of Lake St. Clair Metropark restoration project- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/22/2013 - 05:25 ] #
A $1.27 million United States EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
grant has helped clean up and restore precious marshlands in Lake St.
Clair Metropark, and a brand-new boardwalk that cuts right through the
area will help the public enjoy it.
“This brings a much-needed spotlight to our site,” said Thomas
Knuth, park manager of the metropark. “It draws attention to how unique
and unusual this park is. It’s a gem of Macomb County.” more...
Other
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Rising Lake Superior temperatures affecting fish species- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/22/2013 - 05:23 ] # A new study shows that climate change could mean better conditions for some Lake Superior fish species, but worse for others.
Surface water temperatures on Lake
Superior increased by about 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit between 1979 and
2006. That's one of the fastest rates of any lake on earth. The study by
researchers at the University of Wisconsin shows that warming has
created more suitable habitat in the lake for some fish, like Chinook
salmon, walleye, and lean lake trout, but less favorable conditions for
siscowet lake trout, a fatty fish that thrives in cold water. more...
Environment
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Kites draw eyes to the sky at Great Lakes Kite Festival in Grand Haven- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/22/2013 - 05:23 ] # Kite enthusiasts and curious onlookers
stopped by Grand Haven State Park on Saturday for the second day of the 25th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival.
All eyes were on the sky, where kites of various shapes and
sizes flew over the festival grounds.
Some zigged, zagged and zipped as flyers from around the
country held demonstrations at the beach. The larger kites, some as long as
school buses, impressed attendees with their size, while the ones at the open
flying field swayed serenely in the breeze. more...
Other
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Work done at ex-brownfield site on Detroit River- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/22/2013 - 05:22 ] # Major environmental restoration work has been completed on a former
industrial site along the Detroit River, officials announced Saturday.
Wayne County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others have been
working for nearly a decade on the restoration of the Detroit River
International Wildlife Refuge Gateway in Trenton. more...
Environment
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Great Lakes water levels: How did April's rain raise Lake Michigan and Huron, and what is the forecast?- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/9/2013 - 06:24 ] # The heavy rainfall in April did have a dramatic effect on the water level of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that the average level of Lake Michigan-Huron rose 5.16 inches from March to April.
That five inch rise is greater than the entire seasonal rise last
year. Last year Lake Michigan-Huron only rose four inches from March to
July. more...
Environment
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U.S. Senate could free up money for Great Lakes dredging- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/9/2013 - 06:20 ] # The U.S. Senate may be closing in on legislation that could increase
funding for dredging at harbors across the Great Lakes and the nation
by freeing up more money from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.As
the Free Press reported in March, the fund, which is paid for by taxes
on the value of imported cargo, has built up a surplus of about $6
billion, even though the Army Corps of Engineers has a growing backlog
of dredging projects. That’s especially true along the Great
Lakes, where there’s a backlog of about $200 million in dredging
projects spread across 60 federally maintained harbors and channels,
almost half of which are in Michigan. more...
Environment
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Muskegon's Andrie Inc. barge crew in Cleveland helping development of Great Lakes' first wind farm (video)- Editor H2ONotes [ 5/9/2013 - 06:19 ] # Through work with the Grand Valley State University’s Michigan
Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, Muskegon-based Andrie Inc. has
made inroads into the wind energy industry.
Those connections to Great Lakes wind farm developers have landed
Andrie’s Specialized Division a unique opportunity in Lake Erie off the
coast of Cleveland, Ohio. The Andrie tugboat Meredith Ashton and the
company’s 90-by-50-foot jack-up barge made their way to Cleveland, Ohio,
to assist in lake bottom sediment testing last week. more...
Wind
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