IJC Extends Comment On Great Lakes Water Levels Study

Aug 30: The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced that it is inviting public comment via a bilingual public hearing by teleconference on the final report of its International Upper Great Lakes Study Board, Lake Superior Regulation: Addressing Uncertainty in Upper Great Lakes Water Levels. The teleconference will be held at 7:00 PM (EDT) on September 19, 2012 and will provide an opportunity to be heard for those who were not able to attend one of the 13 public hearings that the IJC conducted in upper Great Lakes communities during July 2012. The deadline for comments has also been extended to September 30th, 2012. Comments may also be submitted by email, in writing or via an online form.

 

    The report examines whether the regulation of outflows from Lake Superior through the compensating works and power dams on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie might be improved to take into consideration the evolving needs of users on Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie. The report also examines the potential future impacts of climate change, a management strategy to better anticipate and respond to future extreme water levels, the feasibility and implications of restoring water levels in lakes Michigan-Huron and multi-lake regulation and its impacts throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system. 

 

    Access a release from IJC with additional details on commenting and the teleconference (click here). Access the report website for complete information and background (click here).

 

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EPA Announces $2.6 Million In Grants For Beaches In MI & WI

Aug 28: U.S. EPA announced seven Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grants, totaling over $2.6 million, to improve water quality at Great Lakes beaches in Michigan and Wisconsin. The grants were announced by EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman at Samuel Myers Park in Racine, Wisconsin, at one of the beaches targeted for work under the grants. Hedman said, "These Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants will improve water quality, allowing people to enjoy more days at Great Lakes beaches. The projects will make beaches safer, by eliminating harmful bacteria and other sources of contamination."

    Over the last three years, GLRI has provided more than $29 million for 78 projects to protect and restore Great Lakes beaches. This funding has paid for sanitary surveys at 400 beaches, allowing beach managers to identify contamination sources and to implement projects that reduce or eliminate pollution. The GLRI has also funded eight projects to better forecast beach conditions and to develop technologies such as Smartphone apps to issue real-time alerts about swimming bans and beach closures. The seven projects announced include:

• $1 million (two grants of $500,000 each) to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to redesign eight Wisconsin beaches to reduce bacteria levels, resulting in fewer swimming bans and beach closures. The beaches are: Red Arrow Park Beach, Marinette; Crescent Beach, Algoma; Red Arrow Park Beach, Manitowoc; Thompson West End Park, Washburn; Grant Park, South Milwaukee; Samuel Myers Park, Racine; and Simmons Island and Eichelman Parks, Kenosha.
• $179,700 to the City of Marquette, Michigan, to lower health risks and to improve water quality at two Lake Superior beaches in Marquette by using green management practices to reduce contamination.
• $500,000 to the City of Marysville, Michigan, to install rain gardens and other green infrastructure to reduce contaminated stormwater runoff and to deter geese at Chrysler Beach on the St. Clair River.
• $500,000 to the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority for green infrastructure to reduce contaminated stormwater runoff at Lake St. Clair Metropark (Metro Beach.)
• $217,015 to MDEQ to construct rain gardens, plant native grass and install a filtration system to improve water quality and reduce health risks at Sherman Park and Four Mile beaches in Sault Ste. Marie.
• $263,188 to MDEQ to build a green stormwater infiltration system at New Buffalo City Beach to reduce bacteria and nutrient levels.

    Access a release from EPA with further details on each project (click here).

 

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Asian Carp eDNA Found In Sandusky Bay Samples

Aug 28: On July 30-31, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collected 150 water samples from the Sandusky Bay and Sandusky River. Analysis of these water samples indicated 20 samples out of 150 taken from throughout Sandusky Bay and Sandusky River have tested positive for the presence of silver carp environmental DNA (eDNA). The eDNA samples were collected as part of extensive sampling effort conducted earlier this summer for Asian carp in Sandusky Bay and Maumee Bay in western Lake Erie. No Asian carp were found through intensive electrofishing and test netting. Maumee Bay eDNA results are currently being analyzed.

    In response to the positive findings, both state and Federal officials have already started collaborative discussions to implement additional investigative work in early September, including additional eDNA testing. All parties continue to work together to assess the current status of bighead and silver carp within western Lake Erie bays and select tributaries. Researchers say eDNA analysis provides a tool for the early detection of Asian carp at low densities, and these latest positive results heighten concern about the presence of Asian carp in western Lake Erie. However, the analysis cannot provide or confirm information about the number or size of possible fish.

    At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources such as bilge water, storm sewers or fish-eating birds. The Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey are leading a two-year Asian Carp Environmental DNA Calibration Study (ECALS), funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to reduce the uncertainty surrounding Asian carp environmental DNA (eDNA) results.

    Access a release with additional details and links to more information (click here).

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Conservation Plan & EA For Great Lakes Wildlife Refuges

Aug 24: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announced in the Federal Register [77 FR 51552-51553] the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Great Lakes Islands National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) for public review and comment. The group of five national wildlife refuges includes Gravel Island and Green Bay National Wildlife Refuges, Door County, Wisconsin; Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge, Chippewa County, Michigan; Huron National Wildlife Refuge, Marquette County, Michigan; and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Charlevoix, Arenac, and Alpena Counties, Michigan. In this draft CCP/EA, the Service describes the proposal to manage the refuges for the next 15 years. To ensure consideration, the Service said it must receive written comments by September 24, 2012. Open house-style meetings will be held during the comment period to receive comments and provide information on the draft plan.

    Access the FR announcement (click here). Access the draft CCP/EA, information about the planning process and a summary of the CCP (click here).

 

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Annual Great Lakes Areas Of Concern Meeting

Sep 4: The annual Areas of Concern (AOC) meeting will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on September 12-13, 2012, as part of Great Lakes Week 2012, and will convene federal, state and local participants from the 30 U.S. and Binational AOCs to review accomplishments to date, as well as recent developments affecting the AOC program. Discussions at the conference will include: Recent achievements from around the Great Lakes basin to remove Beneficial Use Impairment (BUIs) and delist AOC's; Best practices to achieve BUI restoration targets; How to build state and local capacity to implement on-the-ground and in-the-water restoration actions; How to plan and implement AOC restoration priorities under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; How to improve linkages and develop better integration between the AOCs, LaMPs and other Great Lakes programs; and Potential actions that could strengthen the U.S. and Canadian AOC programs.

 

    Access a posted announcement and links to registration and additional information (click here).

 

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GLMRIS Releases Latest Newsletter

Aug 23: The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) established under the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 has released its latest newsletter. The purpose of GLMRIS is to determine the range of options and technologies available to prevent aquatic nuisance species transfer via aquatic pathways between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. The newsletter reports that Project Manager Dave Wethington will be on assignment to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Headquarters in Washington, D.C. until January 2013, and Nicole Roach will be lead GLMRIS Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) Project Manager in his absence. Additionally, the newsletter provides more about the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, and an update on other ANS efforts.

 

    According to the recently revised project schedule, an "Array of Alternatives Report" will be available in December 2013 and will outline an assortment of alternatives that meet the established planning objectives. At least one of these alternatives will include a full hydrologic separation scenario. A draft Feasibility Study & Environmental Impact Statement is now anticipated by early 2015 [See WIMS 5/24/12].

 

    Access the latest newsletter (click here). Access the GLMRIS website for complete background and details (click here).

 

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Great Lakes: Climate, Energy & Economy Teleconference

Aug 17: For the past three years from their base in Traverse City, Circle of Blue has reported extensively on the critical water-food-energy "choke points" in the U.S., China and Australia. This month they are exploring the Great Lakes in transition -- climate, energy and economy. The reportage will be published this week. Circle of Blue has scheduled a special MaestroConference call for Tuesday, August 21, 10:00 - 11:00 AM (EDT). An announcement indicates that "this is a participatory event, so bring your questions."

 

    MaestroConference is the leader in Social Conferencing technology that allows people to participate in large-scale, truly interactive virtual events featuring real conversations. Using social conferencing, thousands of people can convene around a topic or cause, engage in small group conversation to learn and share, and inspire one another to action and change.

 

    According to the announcement, "The Great Lakes and Great Lakes states are in the midst of a remarkable and confounding ecological and economic transition related to climate change and the fossil energy sector that industries and scientists are busy trying to anticipate and understand. Be part of the conversation with experts in an interactive Maestro conference call about the Great Lakes and their ecological and economic transition related to climate change and fossil fuel."

 

    The announcement indicates, "Real and swift changes are occurring on waterways carrying less coal, pipelines transporting more corrosive fuels, refineries expanding and modernizing, coal plants shutting down, and natural gas wells supplying more gas-fired power plants. The shift in fuel sources has helped to reduce air emissions, but also increased water pollution events. It's also helped Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan become top generators of new jobs over the past year. Meanwhile, the effects of climate change and erratic weather appear to be eroding infrastructure at big ports and influencing waterborne transport as Great Lakes water levels drop. Sediment levels are increasing. Ships carry lighter loads. Docks and other infrastructure are decaying. A wealth of new science also is revealing disturbing trends about the effects of warming air and water on the intensity of storms, ice cover, erosion, stormwater overflows, sea lamprey reproduction, and other events."

 

    Hosts for the event include: J. Carl Ganter, Managing Director, Circle of Blue; Keith Schneider, Senior Editor; Circle of Blue; Ed Wargin, Photographer, Fresh Coast Project; Deborah Lee, Chief, Water Management Division, Great Lakes and Ohio River

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Michael Murray, Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation; Victoria Pebbles, Program Director,

Great Lakes Commission.

 

    Access the announcement with links and registration details (click here). [#Access the Circle of Blue website for more information (click here). Access more information about MaestroConference (click here). [#GLakes]

 

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