Friday, March 8, 2013

GLRI FY2011 Report To Congress & The President

Mar 8: The newly-released Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Fiscal Year 2011 Report to Congress and the President indicates that bipartisan, multi-sector, community-based support has helped get GLRI off to a strong start. The Report covers Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011). Because the GLRI is still relatively new, this is the first report that uses available data to show clear progress under the GLRI and it compares that progress with the GLRI Action Plan Measures of Progress.

    The Federal Great Lakes Interagency Task Force (IATF) of 11 departments and agencies released the GLRI Action Plan for FY 2010-2014 at a February 2010 Council of Great Lakes Governors meeting [See WIMS 2/22/10]. The release followed extensive input from a diverse group of people throughout the Great Lakes basin. Results are organized under each of the Action Plan's five Focus Areas include including: Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern; Invasive Species; Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution; Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration; and, Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication and Partnerships.
 
    Access the 44-page GLRI FY11 Report (click here). Access the GLRI website for more information (click here). [GLakes/GLRI]
 
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Posted by JPMcJ at 3/08/2013 0 comments

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Groups Urge Sustained Funding For Great Lakes Initiative

Mar 6: More than 125 Great Lakes advocates are in the nation's capitol today (March 6)  and tomorrow to urge public officials to maintain Great Lakes restoration and protection as a national priority as the Obama Administration and Congress work to forge a Federal budget. The groups are in Washington, DC As part of the annual gathering, known as Great Lakes Days. According to a release, the recent sequestration budget cuts will reduce investments in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) from $300 million to around $275 million.

    Jeff Skelding, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes (HOW) Coalition said, "The nation cannot afford to stop protecting the Great Lakes, which are the source of drinking water for more than 30 million people. Restoration projects are producing results, but there's more work to do. If we cut the funding now, it will cost us more later, because restoring the Great Lakes will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait. We urge the Obama Administration and U.S. Congress to maintain funding at $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative."
 
    The gathering of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota citizens comes on the heels of a new report from the Coalition demonstrating how successful restoration projects are yielding positive results for the Great Lakes and communities that rely on these freshwater seas for drinking water, commerce and recreation. The groups indicated that since 2009, Congress and President Obama have invested $1 billion for GLRI, a federal effort to clean up toxic pollution, combat invasive species like the Asian carp, restore habitat and reduce runoff from cities and farms.

    So far, restoration efforts have: Restored sturgeon populations in Lake Huron and the Detroit River; Removed tons of toxic sediments from rivers in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin; Bolstered the Atlantic salmon fishery in Lake Ontario; Established the first Native American national park, on the shores of Lake Superior; and, Advanced efforts to control invasive sea lamprey, which feast on native fish species.
    Access a release from HOW (click here). Access the 36-page GLRI results report (click here). Access the HOW website for more information (click here). [#GLakes/GLRI]
 
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Monday, March 4, 2013

New Organization Presses For Action On Lakes' Water Levels

Mar 4: A newly created Canada – U.S. organization, Restore Our Water International Inc. (ROWI), is urging Federal, State and Provincial governments' to act immediately to resolve the crisis of low water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron, including Georgian Bay. ROWI is "demanding" that governments finally address what they are calling "the dire economic and ecological impacts of 14 unprecedented years of low and record breaking water levels at the heart of the Great Lakes."
 
    According to a release, "Over the last 80 years, human activity in the St. Clair and Detroit River corridor has permanently lowered Lakes Michigan and Huron by at least 20 inches. These activities include uncompensated navigation dredging as well as sand and gravel mining, which increased outflows from the middle lakes. These past actions, coupled with a warmer and dryer climate, have resulted in an inability to retain water in the middle and upper Great Lakes. While all the Great lakes are now below their long term averages, Lakes Michigan and Huron are three times lower compared to the others. This is due to the increased Lake Huron outflow at the St. Clair River.
 
    Roger Gauthier, a retired U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hydrologist and the Chair of ROWI said, "The Canadian and U.S. governments have to commit the funding and political will to fix this problem. While climate has affected levels in all the lakes, lakes Michigan and Huron have been severely low for the past 14 years. There are solutions to this problem that include underwater weirs or 'speed bumps' that can be placed in the Upper St. Clair River."
 
    The release indicates that a Canada – U.S. agreement that called for compensation of navigation dredging in 1962 already exists. The agreement was never implemented and never rescinded. ROWI said it "wants the terms of that agreement met and implemented in a responsible manner, respecting both upstream and downstream conditions."
    ROWI is an alliance of Canadian and American organizations concerned about the dire economic and ecological impacts of the last 14 years of low water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron and in Georgian Bay. ROWI currently consists of 14 appointed directors representing at least 15,000 shoreline property owners and commercial interests along Lakes Michigan and Huron and Georgian Bay.
    On February 15, in a brief letter to President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mayors from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLC) expressed what they are calling a "serious crisis" regarding Great Lakes water levels [See WIMS 2/20/13]. They said in part, "There is a serious crisis on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence right now with water levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron at historic lows and well below average levels on the other lakes and the St.Lawrence. The impacts are widespread and significant. Commercial shipping and recreational boating, water intake structures, coastal wetlands, beaches, and many of the things that are so important to our economic well- being and quality of life are being adversely affected. . ."
    Access a posted release from ROWI (click here). Access the ROWI website with pictures and more information (click here). Access the GLSLC website for more information (click here). [MIGlakes/Levels]
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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Interim Rule & Comments On MARPOL Annex V Amendments

Feb 28: The U.S. Coast Guard published an interim rule [78 FR 13481-13493] with a request for comments to conform regulations to the adopted MARPOL Annex V amendments which entered into force on January 1, 2013. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex V (Garbage) amendments prohibiting the discharge of garbage from vessels unless expressly allowed were adopted by the International Maritime Organization's Marine Environmental Protection Committee in July 2011 and implemented domestically through the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Under this rule, the only allowed
discharges will be certain food wastes, cargo residues, cleaning agents and additives in wash waters, and animal carcasses. The interim rule is effective April 1, 2013, and comments and related material must be submitted on or before May 29, 2013.
 
    MARPOL applies to the oceangoing vessels of all signatory flag administrations. Domestically, APPS requires all vessels subject to MARPOL to be in compliance with its provisions while in U.S. navigable waters. APPS goes further and specifically applies the provisions of Annex V to U.S. navigable waters as well as all other waters and vessels over which the United States has jurisdiction, including U.S. vessels in U.S. internal waters. With some exceptions, the discharge of all garbage into the Great Lakes or their connecting or tributary waters is prohibited.
 
    Access the FR announcement (click here). Access the docket to submit and review comments (click here). [GLakes/MARPOL]
 
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

NWF Questions First Proposed Diversion Under Great Lakes Compact

Feb 27: A new National Wildlife Federation (NWF) report raises questions on whether a Wisconsin community needs to divert water from the Great Lakes to meet its water needs. The City of Waukesha is applying to divert Lake Michigan water. The application is the first since the passage of the Great Lakes Compact which bans diversions of Great Lakes water and promotes wise water use within the eight states and two Canadian provinces bordering the lakes. NWF said that many conservation groups view Waukesha's application as precedent-setting. Marc Smith, NWF Senior Policy Manager said, "Our analysis finds that Waukesha might not need to divert Great Lakes water to meet its water needs. The city has options on the table that may satisfy their water needs. In short, they have not justified their need for a Lake Michigan diversion."
 
    The report, An Analysis of the City of Waukesha Diversion Application, authored by Jim Nicholas, a scientist and retired director of the U.S. Geological Survey's Michigan Water Science Center, finds that Waukesha's demand for water has been decreasing since the late 1980's. However, in their diversion application, the city projects a much higher demand that is inconsistent with historical trends. Moreover, the report identifies that existing alternative sources of water are available and may be feasible to meet existing and future demands -- opening up questions over whether or not a Lake Michigan diversion is necessary. The report's scope did not include costs associated with various alternative sources of water, nor the environmental impacts of infrastructure and return flows to Lake Michigan.

    Smith said, "Our goal for this report is to provide the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources an objective scientific evaluation of the Waukesha diversion application. The report focuses on conservation measures, demand forecast, and environmental impacts of withdrawals." The diversion application is the first since the Great Lakes Compact passed in 2008.  Waukesha is eligible to apply for Great Lakes water because it lies within a county that straddles the Great Lakes and Mississippi River divide. That county, Waukesha County in southeastern Wisconsin, is located 18 miles west of Milwaukee and Lake Michigan.

    Smith said, "The Great Lakes Compact is clear on what is expected of any diversion application. We support the thorough review of the application by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Our report indicates that as of today, Waukesha does not show the burden of proof in this application." The precedent-setting application must not only stand up to the scrutiny of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, but must undergo regional review by the governors of the seven Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and the Canadian premiers of Ontario and Quebec. Applications for exceptions in straddling counties must also be approved by all eight of the governors.

    Access a release from NWF and link to the complete 35-page report and a blog posting (click here). [GLakes/Diversion]

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Posted by JPMcJ at 2/27/2013 0 comments

Friday, February 22, 2013

USACE Releases OH & NY Aquatic Pathway Assessment Reports

Feb 22: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) released for public comment four draft Ohio, and one draft New York, Aquatic Pathway Assessment Reports that estimate the likelihood of an aquatic pathway forming and the possibility of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) using it to reach the adjacent basin. Comments on the four draft Ohio and one draft New York reports will be accepted through March 22, 2013 and may be submitted electronically on the website below.
 
    The draft reports, which were developed in coordination with Federal, state and local partners, show that Ohio-Erie Canal at Long Lake (Summit County) has a medium probability for the inter-basin movement of silver, bighead and black Asian carp and the northern snakehead; and Little Killbuck Creek (Medina County) has a medium probability for the inter-basin movement of the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSv), threespine stickleback, ruffe and tubenose goby and parasitic copepod.

    The medium rating indicates that while ANS transfer could occur at these locations, it is estimated that none of the ANS would likely be able to reach the aquatic pathway within the next 20 years. Grand Lake-St. Mary's (Mercer County), Mosquito Creek Lake-Grand River (Trumbull County) and the one potential pathway location for New York at East Mud Lake (Chautauqua County) have a low probability for the inter-basin movement of ANS, meaning it is unlikely for ANS of Concern to reach the pathway location on their own and to establish a population in the vicinity within the next 50 years.
 
    Access a release from GLMRIS (click here). Access the Aquatic Pathway Assessment Reports by states and link to the commenting forms (click here). [#GLakes/AsianCarp, #GLakes/ANS]
 
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Posted by JPMcJ at 2/22/2013 0 comments

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Interim Report Asian Carp Environmental DNA Calibration Study

Feb 20: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), released an interim report for the Asian Carp Environmental DNA Calibration Study (ECALS), which is a three-year study funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as scoped by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework. The agencies will host a stakeholder conference call February 26 at 10 AM (Central) to answer questions regarding the report.

    USACE Environmental DNA (eDNA) Program Manager Kelly Baerwaldt said, "The purpose of ECALS is to improve the understanding and interpretation of Asian carp environmental DNA results, so we can refine and make this relatively young monitoring tool the most effective to detect live Asian carp presence." Initial ECALS efforts within the report focus on identifying alternative sources of eDNA beyond a live Asian carp, whereas marker development to aid in detecting the specific species and calibration experiments that look at factors that may influence the detection, degradation or persistence of DNA will receive greater attention in 2013.

    Among preliminary findings: Storm sewers, fisheries sampling gear, fish-eating birds, dead fish carcasses, barges, and sediments may contribute to a positive eDNA detection without a live fish being present; DNA can stay on these sources for a numbers of days; Tagged-bird studies show large variations in bird movement and consumption of Asian carp in the wild, which may lead to positive detection of Asian carp eDNA in bird feces; Shedding rates of DNA from Asian carp were not affected by different temperatures or flow rates of water; and DNA from Asian carp sperm can be detected for over two weeks after release from an Asian carp.

    Access a release from USACE with more details on the conference call and related information (click here). Access a separate release from the ACRCC with links to an Executive Summary; eDNA Fact Sheet; ECALS Fact Sheet; and the ECALS Report (click here). [#GLakes/AsianCarp]

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Posted by JPMcJ at 2/21/2013 0 comments
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