Great Lakes News

<> New Report Outlines Climate Change Effects in Great Lakes Region - A collaborative group from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University have released a new report on the predicted effects of climate change on the Great Lakes region.

<> Creeping Up on Unsuspecting Shores: The Great Lakes, in a Welcome Turnaround - Scientists attribute the resurgence of water levels to an unusually cold winter that limited evaporation as well as heavy precipitation in the winter and spring. . .

<> Warning of 'disaster,' two Cayuga County state reps seek rejection of Lake Ontario plan - Two of Cayuga County's state representatives want Congress to reject a plan developed by the International Joint Commission that recommends allowing water levels to vary naturally in order to restore Lake Ontario's wetlands. . .

Great Lakes News

<> Levin introduces bill to assess Great Lakes marine sanctuary sites

• S.2556 - Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Assessment Act Legislative Details

<> Study: Low Great Lakes water levels will be costly - A study finds that if water levels remain low on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River they will have a negative economic impact on the region that could reach $18 billion by 2050.

• Council of the Great Lakes Region website

<> Great Lakes communities struggle against proposed nuclear waste facility - As the approval process for the Deep Geologic Repository, or DGR, nears an end, some concerned citizens have started a petition asking lawmakers in Canada, as well as the United States, to block the approval of the proposed. . .

<> Algae blooms act as bodyguards for bacteria in Great Lakes - University at Buffalo researchers have found that green algae in the Great Lakes not only protect bacteria from destruction by the sun's ultraviolet rays, but can feed these organisms, allowing bacteria populations to grow. . .

<> Great Lakes conference talks climate concerns in region - The University's Graham Sustainability Institute, in partnership with the Kresge Foundation and Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities, held a conference at the University Tuesday through Thursday on issues of climate. . .

Great Lakes News

<> Senator Stabenow Appointed Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) was appointed as a Vice Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, which is a bipartisan organization that works to protect the Great Lakes' ecosystem and develop the region's economy. Sens. Stabenow and Rob Portman (R-OH) were appointed to the newly created positions and will serve with Co-Chairs Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Mark Kirk (R-IL).

<> Farmers board schooner to learn of effects of runoff pollution - Monroe, Mich., farmers and their families braved a swarm of mayflies, rough weather and the choppy waters of Lake Erie to learn more about Great Lakes pollution that could stem from their fields.

<> PCB levels in Lake Michigan salmon continue to decline - A study by researchers from the Wis. Dept. of Natural Resources shows that concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been falling in Lake Michigan salmon since the industrial chemicals were prohibited in the 1970s

<> Toxic algae, now in East Fork Lake, will be part of Ohio's future, expert says - Lake Erie is going to continue to see huge, harmful algae blooms over the next century, experts say.

<> New USGS videos on Asian carp control tools - See how scientists from the USGS, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Southern Illinois University combined multiple Asian carp control technologies during field tests in a backwater of the Illinois River. Two video podcasts. . .

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. . .