Forecasting Great Lakes Harmful Algal Blooms

Jul 9: Predicting harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes is now a reality as NOAA's Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health (CEGLHH) launches the Lake Erie Experimental HAB Forecast System for the second summer. According to an announcement from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), "A nowcast and forecast depicting current and future (48 hour prediction) locations of blooms, as well as intensity, will alert scientists and managers to possible threats to the Great Lakes beaches and assist in mitigation efforts."

    This summer's weekly forecast is being shared with environmental health and drinking water managers, who are assisting CEGLHH in ground-truthing predicted blooms in Lake Erie. Subscribers to the Lake Erie HAB Forecast have access to an on-line HAB Observational Survey to provide information on algal blooms that are occurring in Lake Erie, which will get CEGLHH one step closer to having the first operational HAB Forecast in the Great Lakes.

    According to the GLRI announcement, harmful algal blooms occur in the waters of almost every U.S. coastal state. HABs produce toxins that may pose a significant health risk to human and animal health through water recreation and may form scum that are unsightly and odorous to beach visitors, impacting the coastal economy. Direct economic impacts of blooms in the United States have been estimated to average $75 million annually, including impacts on public health, commercial fishing closures, recreation and tourism losses, and in management and monitoring costs.

    Advance warning of blooms increases the ability to mitigate the impacts of these events. The Lake Erie harmful algal bloom experimental forecast bulletin works by integrating data from various ocean-observing systems, including imagery from commercial and government satellites; meteorological data from NOAA observing stations; and field data collected by state and university monitoring programs. This information is then synthesized and interpreted by an expert analyst, in order to determine the current and future location and intensity of Microcystis blooms works by using a combination of satellite imagery, coastal forecasting models, and field sampling. Since 2005, the Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health has been focused on developing tools to assist coastal managers. The Lake Erie HAB Forecast is one tool that seeks to make on-the-ground decision making easier for local managers.

    Access the GLRI announcement with links to more information on the Lake Erie HAB Forecast (click here).

GLOS Data Blueprint Webinar Series

Jul 6: The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) announced that it will be hosting a webinar series to further develop objectives and strategies identified during its recent workshop "Developing a Data Blueprint for Decision-Making."  This webinar series is for resource managers and decision-makers to learn more about GLOS capabilities and provide input on their information needs which can include any data gaps, integration issues, modeling or data delivery needs.

    The webinars will be held: Wednesday July 28, 2010, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST on Climate Change Adaptation and Hazards; Thursday July 29, 2010, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST, on Fisheries Management and from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM EST on LaMP/AOC Management; and Friday July 30, 2010, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST on Public Health and Water Security from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM EST on Maritime Industries.

 

    The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is an effort dedicated to providing wide internet access to real-time and historic data on the hydrology, biology, chemistry, geology and cultural resources of the Great Lakes, its interconnecting waterways and the St. Lawrence River. GLOS is a regional node of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) initiative. The IOOS is a federal, regional, and private-sector partnership working to enhance our ability to collect, deliver, and use ocean information. GLOS recently announced that it received funding through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assist efforts to monitor the Great Lakes and assess critical information needs in the region. The $1,080,815 grant was provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for supporting observing systems in the Great Lakes.

 

    Access the GLOS website for more information and background (click here). For more information on the webinars contact

Kelli Paige (click here).

Groups Warn Of Another Asian Carp Threat

Jul 1: A coalition of national and Great Lakes groups are warning of the discovery of spawning Asian carp in the Wabash River which they say shows the crisis is advancing on multiple fronts and demands aggressive and immediate action. The carp were found downstream of a floodplain that separates the Wabash from the Maumee River and Lake Erie, near the city of Fort Wayne, IN. The discovery and acknowledgment of the finding by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee comes a week after the committee announced a live Asian carp was found just six miles from Lake Michigan in Chicago's Lake Calumet [See WIMS 6/24/10].

 

    The groups said the discovery of a spawning population of Asian carp in the Wabash River is of particular concern because of the possibility the Wabash could flood into the Maumee River in Indiana. The Maumee River flows to Lake Erie and is identified by carp specialists as an ideal habitat for Asian carp. The groups and Congressional leaders are calling for Presidential intervention in the issue and asking him to appoint a Federal Coordinated Response Commander. Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes said, "We're being outmaneuvered by a fish and can't afford to play catch up. We need leadership to anticipate, align and activate on where the carp are going to be -- not where they've already been."

 

    The groups emphasized their support for the Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act, introduced on June 29 and 30 (S.3553, H.R.5625), in the House and Senate which would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct and expedite a study detailing engineering options in order to determine the best way to permanently separate the Mississippi River Basin from Lake Michigan. The organizations include: Alliance for the Great Lakes - Environment Illinois - Freshwater Future - Great Lakes United - Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition – Indiana Wildlife Federation - National Wildlife Federation - Natural Resources Defense Council – Ohio Environmental Council - Prairie Rivers Network - Sierra Club.

    The Great Lakes Commission also voiced strong support for the new legislation introduced. Todd Ambs, vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) said, "We face a crisis in the Great Lakes and we must act with urgency. It is imperative that we take the near-term actions needed to push back against the forward movement of Asian carp. We applaud Senators Stabenow and Durbin for their leadership in advancing a long-term solution that permanently protects the economic and ecological health of the Great Lakes." Tim Eder, GLC executive director said, "Now, more than ever, we need leadership from the federal government and an aggressive timetable for action that matches the urgency of this crisis. This legislation will help assure that long-term solutions move forward quickly."

 

    Access a release with further details (click here). Access a release from GLC (click here). Access legislative details for S.3553 (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.5625 (click here).

Great Lakes Protection & Funding Bill Approved By Senate Committee

Jun 30: The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) approved the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act of 2010 (S.3073), which was introduced in March by Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and George Voinovich (R-OH). The bill, approved by voice vote, would authorize more than $500 million in funding for new and existing programs to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The bill would also streamline various advisory committees and task forces to improve the efficiency of the efforts. Also, the bill reauthorizes the Great Lakes Legacy Program for five years and would increases its funding level from $54 million to $150 million per year. Levin and Voinovich co-chair the Senate Great Lakes Task Force. Seven other senators including Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) have co-sponsored the bill. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

 

    Senator Levin said, "The Great Lakes are a unique American treasure, and I applaud the committee for its action today advancing a bill to restore, manage and protect the lakes. Nearly a tenth of our population lives in the Great Lakes basin, relying on the life-sustaining drinking water the lakes provide, and reaping economic and recreational benefits from them daily. The Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act provides a host of sensible, bipartisan proposals that appropriately treat the lakes as the great treasure they are. It would also streamline the various advisory and governing bodies to more efficiently use taxpayer dollars for these important goals. The bill aims to ensure the lakes will prosper both today and in the long term so that future generations of Americans will be able to enjoy and benefit from them as we have."

 

    Senator Voinovich said, "Today's EPW passage of the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act is a continuation of my decades-long legacy of protecting the Great Lakes. This legislation will ensure the vital resources necessary to protect and preserve the Great Lakes for future generations – it will also establish the advisory capacity necessary for federal agencies, local government and others to come together to share ideas and guidance and to prioritize funding needs."

 

    Access a release from Sen. Levin (click here). Access legislative details for S.3037 (click here).

Study Explains Why Lake Erie's Health Is Still Bad

Jun 30: The Nearshore and Offshore Lake Erie Nutrient Study (NOLENS), undertaken by Buffalo State College Great Lakes Center and under the direction of principal investigator Chris Pennuto, a research scientist with the  and professor of biology, concludes this month following a year of research. The fundamental question of the study was, "Why didn't Lake Erie's health improve as expected when the amount of phosphorus discharged into the lake decreased?"

 

    During the 1960s, Lake Erie was considered dead. One of the contributing factors was, ironically, nutrients. A release indicates that, "Nutrients are like calories. You need calories to live, but if you eat too many of them, you can get very, very sick." One of the nutrients is phosphorus. Pennuto said, "When the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, one of its goals was to reduce water pollution enough to meet certain 'swimmable and fishable' criteria. A specific target goal was to limit the amount of phosphorus discharged into Lake Erie at 11,000 tons a year. Even though that goal was reached more than a decade ago, the lake continues to exhibit some symptoms of illness. Huge algal mats still cover much of the lake bottom, and they shouldn't be there. When they wash up on shore in quantity, the beach becomes unusable."

 

    During the one-year project, the NOLENS team took more than 500 water, sediment, and tissue samples, which enabled them to look at all the major pools of nutrients in plants and animal smaller than 4 cms (1.6 inches) in size. All told, about 2,500 sample tests were run. In explaining why achieving the target of 11,000 tons of phosphorus didn't yield the expected benefits, Pennuto explained that the models used by scientists in the 1970s looked at the lake as if it were "a big bathtub," in which everything would be mixed up evenly. He said, "We know now that's not an accurate description of how Lake Erie works."

 

    Another problem is that the phosphorus doesn't just disappear. Pennuto said, "The bulk of it lies in the sediment. The lake's sediment doesn't stay put, so the phosphorus that accumulates there is continuously recirculated throughout the lake. There are biological and chemical processes that distribute it back into the water. The sediment also can be disturbed by human activity, such as dumping dredged material in the lake. The environment provides all kinds of services we don't get charged for. The cheapest way to have clean water is to keep the water sources healthy, because healthy lakes clean themselves. As human beings, we're made up mostly of water, so it is in our interest to make sure it is clean."

 

    Access a release from BSC Great Lakes Center (click here). Access the BSC Great Lakes Center website for more information (click here).

House & Senate Introduce Permanent Prevention Of Asian Carp Act

Jun 30: Today U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation in the Senate, and Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced legislation in the House, to permanently prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes. The Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act will require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct and expedite a study detailing engineering options in order to determine the best way to permanently separate the Mississippi River Basin from Lake Michigan.
 
    In the Senate, the legislation is also cosponsored by Carl Levin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Roland Burris (D-IL). In the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Michigan Representatives John Dingell (D), Vern Ehlers (R), Pete Hoekstra (R), Dale Kildee, Carolyn Kilpatrick (D), Sandy Levin (D), Thaddeus McCotter (R), Candice Miller (R), Gary Peters (D), Mike Rogers, Mark Schauer (D), Bart Stupak (D), and Fred Upton (R)
  
    Senator Debbie Stabenow said, "The only way to protect our Great Lakes from Asian carp and other invasive species is to permanently separate the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. Our legislation will require the U.S. Army Corps to promptly conduct their study of how to best separate these water systems, so we can begin this process as soon as possible. This permanent separation can allow shipping and cargo to pass through but would prevent the water from the Chicago waterway – and any invasive species living in it -- from entering Lake Michigan." 
  
    Senator Dick Durbin said, "Last week's discovery of an Asian Carp in Lake Calumet was a wake-up call that we need to do more and we need to do it quickly. We can't wait while the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies broadly examine methods of controlling invasive species; we must act now. Our bill creates an expedited study of the feasibility of separating the waterways. While this method would require a complex feat of engineering, we need to understand the costs and benefits and whether this method offers the best hope for a long-term solution for containing not only the Carp, but other invasive species." 
 
    The study must begin within 30 days of the bill's enactment, and the Army Corps must send a progress report to Congress and the President within six months and again in 12 months. The full study must be completed and given to Congress and the President 18 months after the bill is enacted. It will be monitored by the Council on Environmental Quality to ensure its thorough and timely completion. The study will also address flooding threats, Chicago wastewater, water safety operations, and barge and recreational vessel traffic alternatives. It will examine other modes of transportation for the shipping industry and influence new engineering designs to move canal traffic from one body of water to the other without transferring invasive species. 

 

    Access a release from Senator Stabenow (click here). Access a video from Senator Durbin (click here).

Great Lakes NGOs Call For Presidential Asian Carp Action

Jun 29: An array of prominent national and Great Lakes conservation NGOs are calling on President Obama to radically change the Federal response to the ongoing Asian carp crisis. In a formal letter sent this morning, the groups express their alarm at "the lack of coordinated action and urgency shown by federal agencies in advancing real solutions to the carp crisis." Saying "it is time for a new sheriff in town," the sharply worded letter includes a request for the appointment of a White House "federal incident commander" to ensure appropriate coordination and instill the transparency that has been missing in the response to date. Noting last week's capture of a live bighead carp beyond any defenses in the Chicago Waterway System, the groups also call for greater speed in the federal response. In particular, the Army Corps of Engineers' Interbasin study of permanent solutions is behind schedule and could take up to seven years to suggest a fix.

 

    The call for action mirrors a similar request to the President from 11 U.S. Senators calling for a Federal Coordinated Response Commander responsible for organizing efforts to contain the spread of Asian carp. The Senators sending the June 25 letter included: Sherrod Brown (D-OH), George V. Voinovich (R-OH), Carl Levin (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) [See WIMS 6/28/10].

 

    The NGO letter expresses strong support for the leadership and proposals of U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Debbie Stabenow and other Senators calling for the appointment of a "federal incident commander", reporting directly to the President. The letter is signed by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Environment Illinois, Freshwater Future, Great Lakes United, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Prairie Rivers Network, and Sierra Club.

 

    The NGO letter indicates, "Fixing this problem requires fixing the infrastructure of the Chicago Waterway System that is exposing the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds to risk from invasive species transfers." It also states that, "There is also a substantial need for greater transparency with regard to the federal government's Asian carp response efforts across the board. The Army Corps and other federal agencies have consistently failed to provide all relevant and useful data and information to the public about the results of environmental DNA testing indicating the presence of Asian carp in Chicago waterways, or with regard to other evidence of the carp's advance in any meaningful timeframe. . . Our nation cannot afford the loss of another great water resource."

 

    Access a release from the NGOs (click here). Access the complete letter (click here).