Great Lakes News

<> ACRCC Releases 2014 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework - Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee announced a coordinated strategy to protect the Great Lakes from silver and bighead carp. . .

<> Doubling nuclear waste site won't boost risk, says safety regulator - Hearings are already under way before a federal review panel on a proposal by Ontario Power Generation to excavate a disposal site for 200,000 cubic meters of low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste near Kincardine [article includes links to details].

<> Climate change to profoundly alter Great Lakes region, summary report says - Intense rainstorms, floods and heat waves will become more common in the Great Lakes region due to climate change in the coming decades, and ice-cover ...

<> 10th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference - September 9-11. Hosted by the Healing Our Waters®- Great Lakes Coalition. Early Bird Registration Ends July 31, 2014.

<> COMMENTARY: Ontario Government Premier Kathleen Wynne must act to protect the Great Lakes - When the Ontario government returns following the election, Premier Kathleen Wynne needs to address the challenges facing the Great Lakes, particularly declining water levels and invasive species.

<> Not as bad as the '70s, but alewives are piling up on the beaches again - If the water temperature changes quickly, alewives die off. Some years are worse than others. And this year -- at least anecdotally -- appears to be one of them.

<> Reminder: Great Lakes Fishery Commission RFP - The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is now soliciting full proposals for its Science Transfer Program. Deadline July 15, 2014.

<> FY2014 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RFA - In late June or early July, EPA expects to announce a Request For Applications (RFA) requesting the submission of grant applications for over $20 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding in support of the GLRI Action Plan. Full applications are expected to be due approximately 30 days after the RFA is published.

Great Lakes News

<> Watershed year? Lake Michigan charter fishery braces for uncertain future amid ecological changes, industry challenges - This summer could be a telling season for the salmon fishery in Lake Michigan and the lakeshore economy that relies on the industry for tourism.

<> Lake Huron floor study - An expert from the University of Western Ontario says studies of the floor of Lake Huron have revealed a number of surprises, including the potential for tsunamis.

<> EPA and New York State Announce Ban on Dumping Sewage from Boats into Lake Erie - (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation declared the New York side of the Lake Erie shore line a no discharge zone, which means that boats. . .

<> 45 years later: Cuyahoga River pollution much lower than 'the day the river burned' - On June 22, 1969, Ohio's Cuyahoga River caught fire (again), sparking a national debate about environmental standards. . .

<> Despite funding setback, Lake Erie wind project pushes ahead - Developers of an Ohio offshore wind energy project say it will proceed despite losing out last month on one of three $47-million 4-year grants from the Department of Energy (DOE).

Great Lakes News

<> Fishery advisors call for replacing oil pipes in the Straits of Mackinac, MI - A group of U.S. and Canadian citizens that advises the Great Lakes Fishery Commission says an aging pipeline under the Mackinac Bridge should be replaced. They say there's too much danger of a "catastrophic" oil spill in an "especially sensitive area" with fast-moving currents and frequent ice cover.

<> Exhibition looks at Detroit River, Great Lakes - A new exhibition explores the ways that people have interacted with and affected the ecosystem of the Detroit River and the Great Lakes.

<> Proposed floating Lake Michigan island exceeds funding goal - The pitch for a floating entertainment center about a half-mile off Chicago's shore is gaining the public's support -- and dollars

<> Great Lakes mayors want tougher oil shipment rules - An organization representing mayors of cities in the Great Lakes region says the U.S. and Canada should do more to protect the environment from oil spills.

<> Developers face obstacles to offshore wind farms in Great Lakes - As recently as a couple of months ago, construction of a wind farm in Lake Erie, off the Ohio shoreline near Cleveland, looked promising. But now some are sounding the death knell for any wind development in the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes News

<> Portman bill aims to overhaul fight against toxic algae - A bill aimed at targeting federal resources in the fight against toxic algae is headed to President Barack Obama's desk.

• S.1254 - Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2014

<> U-M will host Great Lakes climate-change adaptation conference - EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: June 24-26, 2014 EVENT: Following the Obama administration's recent release of the National Climate Assessment, which predicts exacerbated climate impacts throughout the century, the ..

<> Water Council's new stewardship role expected to attract talent - The decision by a global water quality standards group -- Alliance for Water Stewardship -- to name Milwaukee as its North American headquarters will advance the metro region's efforts to attract water engineers and entrepreneurs, according to the Milwaukee-based Water Council.

• Water Council website
• Alliance for Water Stewardship

<> Sealing Manitoba harbors has killed off zebra mussels - Manitoba has declared victory in its first battle with invading zebra mussels but says the unique treatment it used to kill the shellfish doesn't mean the province is free of them yet. . .

Great Lakes News

<> Great Lakes & St Lawrence Cities Initiative Conference Begins - More than 100 representatives of municipalities from around the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River Basin are in Thunder Bay this week for the 11th annual Great Lakes & St Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative) general meeting and conference.

• The Conference Website

<> Great Lakes mayors flex muscle on oil, climate change - Other Great Lakes pols could learn something from the leaders of the region's cities.

<> Shoreline residents: Lake plan ignores concerns - Plan 2014, the new report issued by the International Joint Commission, stirred up significant opposition from the lake's south shore residents and property owners [Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River], who say its allowance for higher high water levels and lower low water levels will. . . 

<> How bad will toxic algae be this year? - The way scientists forecast how bad the toxic algae on Lake Erie's Western Basin could be in a given year is changing, and scientists hope it will be more accurate and understandable.

<> The future of sustainable fishing in the U.P. - The future of commercial fishing in the Upper Peninsula depends on lake ecology and the willingness of a new generation to learn the skills and way of life of those who fish the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes News

<> Great Lakes Commons charter targets shared waters concept - On June 19, the Great Lakes Commons will meet virtually with 100 people to discuss its new charter -- the Milwaukee Water Commons is a leader of the Great Lakes Commons effort. . .

• Access the Great Lakes Commons Website

<> IJC reaffirms Plan 2014 for Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River - The International Joint Commission (IJC) today announced that Plan 2014 is the preferred option for regulating water levels and flows of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.  Plan 2014 provides more natural water level fluctuations while reducing the damage from extreme high and low water-level events to nearly the same extent as the current plan.

<> COMMENTARY: Historic Badger needs your help - A quarter century after the Lake Michigan Carferry began daily cruises between Manitowoc, Wis., and Ludington, Mich., the mayors of these cities implore citizens to help preserve this significant vessel.

Great Lakes News

<> Researchers finding plastic in water samples from Great Lakes - Researchers have been finding plastic microbeads in samples taken from all the Great Lakes since 2012 and are now investigating whether they are affecting the Great Lakes food chain. . .

<> Ohio takes first big step to slow Lake Erie algae - Ohio is taking its biggest step yet toward tackling the algae fouling Lake Erie with a law that will require most farmers to undergo training before they use commercial fertilizers. . .

<> Animated satellite data shows record-setting Great Lakes ice - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] recently released a year's worth of Great Lakes surface temperatures showing ice cover and temperature for one day each month of the year

<> Two New GLOS Funding Opportunities - The development and enhancement of data management programs across the Great Lakes region; and, the purchase and deployment of observing assets along the Great Lakes nearshore