Saginaw River Dredging, Better Birding, and a local 350 March

April 26, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart), at 9 a.m. Fridays. As heard in Bay City, Michigan, on April 26, 2013, Delta College Q-90.1 FM.

1 – A $1.7 million dredging project is due to start next month (May) on the Saginaw River and Bay.

early bird catches worm

The early bird. Credit: ellenm1

The work will be done by Luedtke Engineering of Frankfort, with funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps says the dredging will help ensure that marine commerce keeps moving in and out of the Saginaw Bay Region. The Saginaw River is used for hauling cement, coal, limestone, salt, potash and grain.

Luedtke will dredge more than 200,000 cubic yards of mud from two portions of the river, according to the Corps.

This includes more than 150,000 yards of material to be dredged along a three-mile area between the Independence Bridge in Bay City and the mouth of Saginaw River. The spoils will be taken to Channel Island, a Confined Disposal Facility located two miles out in the bay.

Luedtke will dredge another 50,000 cubic yards of material upstream in Saginaw County. Those spoils will go into a Dredged Material Disposal Facility that straddles the Bay-Saginaw county line.

The dredging is slated to start in early May and finish by late June.

(For more, see pdf of Operational Management Plan for Upper Saginaw River DMDF).

2 – The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy is pursuing a Birding Trail project.

The conservancy, with an office in Bay City, will use a $1,000 grant from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

The conservancy was the winner of an Earth Day Facebook contest put on by the Network. The conservancy’s Birding Trail project garnered more than 300 votes to win the prize.

The Saginaw Bay Birding Trail runs for more than 140 miles and features 50 sites from Port Austin to East Tawas. The grant will be used to add new signs to the Trail. More than 200 species of birds can be spotted along the stretch, including warblers, plovers and waterfowl.

The conservancy is partnering on the project with Michigan Audubon. It also will include a website, a “hub” location in Bay City, and a free field guide.

3 – A Bay City-area environmental group will hold its third clean energy event on May 18.

The Lone Tree Council is planning a “350” march and walk over the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Bay City and into Vets Park, featuring students and others. Electric and hybrid cars also will be on hand.

The Saginaw Valley Sustainability Society is participating, and area residents are invited to attend.

The 350 event, on May 18, is meant to oppose the burning of fossil fuels for electricity and transportation, which contributes to climate change. This is the fourth annual 350 event in Bay City. Similar events are being held in the United States and abroad.

The number 350 refers to the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The current level is above that number, and scientists say it needs to be reduced to below 350 to avoid serious consequences.

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Posted in birds, Climate change, energy, land conservation, Saginaw River. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Michigan Waterfowl Legacy adds Saginaw Bay, Midland wants a bioreactor, and Climate Change is already here

February 1, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart). As heard in Bay City, Michigan, at 9 a.m. Fridays on Delta College Q-90.1 FM.

michigan midwest climate change temperatures rising

From Chapter 18 of the National Climate Assessment draft.

Text and info from the Feb. 1, 2013, broadcast:

1- The Michigan Waterfowl Legacy program now includes Saginaw Bay.

Michigan Waterfowl Legacy is a recently launched statewide initiative that seeks to bring hunters and non-hunters together to restore, conserve and celebrate Michigan’s waterfowl, wetlands and waterfowl hunting community.

The Legacy is a 10-year, cooperative partnership between various government agencies and non-government conservation organizations — including the Bay City-based Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

The Saginaw Bay watershed is the largest in Michigan, draining about 15 percent of the state’s waterways.

Goals of the Legacy program here include increasing the number of citizens in the region who are using and enjoying wetlands, and building on successful partnerships that have resulted in increased wetland and waterfowl habitat.

Plans include the promotion of Saginaw Bay tourism opportunities related to waterfowl and wetlands, and the development of Saginaw Bay-specific Michigan Waterfowl Legacy events, such as waterfowl hunting, birding, and trapping workshops.

Many of the new Saginaw Bay events will occur on waterfowl areas managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and tie into a new DNR campaign called “Explore Michigan’s Wetland Wonders.”

The project has been funded by a $27,500 grant from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, supported by area foundations.

2 – A bioreactor project is planned for a Midland landfill.

The city of Midland is requesting a construction permit from the state for a research, development, and demonstration project at an existing solid waste landfill.

According to a permit application, on file with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in Bay City, the project is designed to study the effect of adding sludge from the wastewater treatment process to solid waste at the landfill.

Adding sludge to the landfill is expected to optimize conditions for the biological decomposition of solid waste.

The landfill is 340 acres, and located on East Ashman Street in Midland.

The project also could increase the life of the landfill, and the amount of electricity generated from existing landfill gas extraction equipment.

A decision from the DEQ is expected by late April.

3 – Climate change is already impacting wildlife in Michigan.

Case studies from across the country show that global warming is altering wildlife habitats, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation, covering eight regions of the U.S.

Highlights from the Great Lakes and Midwest include: More heavy rainfall events are increasing runoff of nutrients from agricultural lands, contributing to harmful algal blooms and causing oxygen-depleted dead zones in the lakes.

The report recommends action to reduce the amount of toxic pollution from coal-fired energy, and support for more wind, solar, and geothermal energy projects.

Meanwhile, a recently released draft National Climate Assessment from the federal government concludes that climate change will lead to more frequent and intense Midwest heat waves, while degrading air and water quality and threatening public health.

Intense rainstorms and floods also will become more common, and existing risks to the Great Lakes will be exacerbated.

The National Climate Assessment’s Midwest chapter (pdf) was authored by three University of Michigan researchers.

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Posted in air pollution, birds, Climate change, coal, energy, Global warming, land conservation, Saginaw Bay, waste. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Solar Shingles Expand Home Market, BaySail Nears Milestone, and New Life for Coastal Wetland

January 3, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes. As heard Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM Friday Edition, at 9 a.m. Eastern …

Photo by Eric Dobis

Photo by Eric Dobis

1 .
Dow Solar has announced a major expansion in the availability of its Powerhouse Solar Shingles.

Homeowners can now purchase the shingles through Kearns Bros., based in Dearborn, and Cobblestone Homes, based in Linwood, according to the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association.

Powerhouse shingles protect like a standard shingle, but also have embedded solar cells to help power a home. They are made in Midland by Dow Solar, a business unit of the Dow Chemical Co.

Cobblestone is featuring the shingles on new model homes in the mid-Michigan region.

According to Dow, Kearns Bros. in Dearborn will service the re-roof market.

Homeowners who need a new roof can upgrade to a Powerhouse roof. The system costs more than a standard asphalt roof, but pays for itself over time through energy savings, and adds to the value of a home.

2.

BaySail in Bay City is nearing a milestone.

The nonprofit, which offers sailing and environmental education aboard to two Appledore schooners, has hosted nearly 40,000 students in 15 years of operation.

BaySail launched its Science Under Sail program in 1998, and since then has educated 37,969 students, according to leaders.

That amounts to 1,186 classes from elementary through high school that have come aboard two tall ships operated by program staff and volunteers.

The ships are docked on the Saginaw River and journey to Saginaw Bay and other parts of the Great Lakes.

A goal of BaySail is to activate the passion of the next generation by helping young people make direct connections to the natural world.

Students who come aboard the ships for science-based programs are often experiencing the Great Lakes for the first time.

BaySail also offers a regular schedule of public sails.

You can find out more at BaySailBayCity.org.

3 .

A new pump is giving new life to a large coastal wetland in Pinconning.

The pump replaces a failed pump structure at the Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area in northern Bay County.

The new equipment can be used to manipulate water levels in a 298-acre marsh at the site.

Nayanquing Point consists of about 1,400 acres of coastal marsh and associated upland habitats along Saginaw Bay.

It provides habitat for thousands of migratory birds in the spring and fall. The 298-acre marsh area is managed to provide waterfowl hunting opportunities.

Ducks Unlimited received a nearly $200,000 federal grant for the project from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

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Posted in birds, energy, Saginaw Bay, Saginaw River, solar. Tags: , , , . 1 Comment »

Big Phragmites, Lots of Trees, and Great Lakes Gift Ideas

December 6, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Dec. 7, 2012, @ 9 a.m. Eastern, on Friday Edition, Delta College, Q-90.1 FM

photo phragmites fire

Photos by S. Reynolds and M. Venn

 

1.

Do you loathe phragmites, the invasive, towering plant that covers shorelines throughout the Great Lakes region?

Well, you might be interested in a new resource from the Great Lakes Commission and U.S. Geological Survey.

It’s a digital hub for phragmites information by the Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative (greatlakesphragmites.net).

At the website, there’s an interactive forum where people can share ideas, showcase success stories, and discuss common problems.

Phragmites has become increasingly widespread throughout the Great Lakes region, including Saginaw Bay. The plant “spreads rapidly and can negatively affect biodiversity, impair recreational use, decrease property values and increase fire risk,” officials say.

The site is part of a larger project funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is working to develop sustainable phragmites management strategies throughout the Great Lakes basin.

Webinars on phragmites will be archived on the site, along with videos, presentations, management documents and the most up-to-date science and research.

2.

The Au Sable tree drop was a success.

Officials from U.S. Forest Service say an Au Sable River Large Wood Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was completed this fall on a section of the Huron-Manistee National Forest.

A total of 126 trees were placed in the Au Sable River, below the Alcona Dam, using a heavy lift S-61 helicopter.

In total, more than 1,200 trees have been placed along a 10-mile stretch of the river in the past decade. This last round marked the completion of the large-scale restoration effort.

The project was funded by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Huron Pines, a conservation organization in Gaylord, was the primary contractor.

The Au Sable River watershed drains almost 2,000 square miles, flowing into Lake Huron.

The Au Sable channel has been altered in the past by logging and dam construction, officials say.

The trees were placed by helicopter to help restore function and structure to the river’s aquatic habitat.

3.

If you’re looking for gift this holiday season, how about the gift of Great Lakes environmental knowledge?

There’s a Great Lakes Gift Giving Guide that might help.

The guide was developed by the folks at Michigan Sea Grant, a joint program by the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

Some suggestions include a cookbook for local eaters, on selecting and preparing Great Lakes whitefish.

There’s also a tome on the Great Lakes fishery, “examining the management, ecology, history, present and future of the lakes from a regional perspective.”

Another “Guide to Great Lakes Fishes” is waterproof, and describes 62 of the region’s most commonly found species.

There’s a “Lake Huron Rock Picker’s Guide,” too, “for anyone who has walked along a Great Lakes beach, picked up a rock and wondered what it was.”

You can find more ideas online at the Michigan Sea Grant website.

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Posted in birds, fish, GLRI, invasive species, Lake Huron. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Native Plants from Prison, and Drugs in our Drinking Water

November 29, 2012 — jeffkart
photo syringe drugs great lakes

Photo by Andres Rueda

As heard Nov. 30, 2012, on Delta Q-90.1 FM, NPR (audio, at 7:00) …
1. Inmates are helping growing native plants for a national wildlife refuge.

Inmates from the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland are helping conserve wildlife habitat at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County by growing native prairie grass and wildflowers from seed.

The program is modeled after one from Minnesota; that prison has since closed.

The local inmates sow seeds collected from the Saginaw County refuge and tend plants once they’ve germinated.

When the plants are mature, they are trucked to the refuge for transplanting on former cropland.

Last year, 60,000 plants were transplanted.

Freeland prison officials hope to see the program spread to other areas of Michigan, and other states.

This is the program’s third year. Among the species planted this year were swamp milkweed, spotted Joe-Pye weed, common boneset, and wild bergamot. Native plants are good because they provide habitat for birds, attract pollinating insects, and help keep out invasive species.

Funding for the program has been provided by grant from Ducks Unlimited, and the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

Recently, 35,000 plants were delivered to the refuge with a market value of $175,000.

2. There’s drugs in our drinking water. And treatment plants are having a tough time dealing with it.

According to reports from Great Lakes Echo and the Alliance for the Great Lakes (document), traces of pharmaceuticals, everyday chemicals, and personal care products in our drinking water are an emerging concern.

Treatment plants can use membrane technology to remove some pharmaceuticals from wastewater. But, they can’t catch all of what’s contributed by humans and animals.

A total of 35 treatment plants in the Great Lakes use membrane technology, including 13 plants on Lake Huron.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is aware of the issue, and officials say various federal research projects are ongoing about pharmaceuticals in water.

The DEQ says pharmaceuticals have been detected in groundwater, lakes and streams in Michigan. The drugs can harm aquatic life. And, as concentrations in our water increase, the presence of these drugs may lead to human health damages.

The federal government doesn’t currently have any requirements about pharmaceuticals in drinking water, but standards are reviewed periodically.

—

( See also – “Great Lakes Syringes” )

Posted in birds, invasive species, water. Tags: , , , , , . 3 Comments »

‘Wicked Problems’ Revealed, along with Kirtland’s Warbler Census

November 8, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Nov. 9, 2012, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College NPR …

Those three “wicked problems” have been chosen by Michigan Sea Grant.

photo aquaculture industry

Photo by Burt Lum

The University of Michigan-Michigan State University program is funding three new research projects to tackle so-called “wicked” problems. Submissions were taken just before Halloween.

The wicked problems to be researched are …

  • An expansion of Michigan’s aquaculture industry;
  • Remediation of an Area of Concern at a former mining site in the Upper Peninsula; and
  • Climate change in the Grand Traverse Bay area.

Researchers say they chose the projects for several reasons.

On aquaculture in Michigan: There’s an opportunity to provide an abundant supply of fresh, local fish products to Michiganders. The project aims to develop a strategic plan for aquaculture in the state, dealing with business and science issues, and grow a sustainable sector for Michigan.

On the U.P. Area of Concern: Researchers say there have been more than 20 years of study and meetings on Torch Lake. The project will compile a history of the site to use as a guide for remediating similar contaminated areas.

On climate change in the Grand Traverse Bay area: The research seeks to provide information on the bay’s vulnerability to climate change and begin a process of adaptive management to improve the region’s ability to respond in the future.

The Kirtland’s warbler is doing well.

photo kirtlands warbler singing

Huron Pines, a nonprofit in Gaylord, says a new census of the endangered bird’s population is cause for celebration.

A census is conducted each year by state and federal agencies, with the help of volunteers.

For 2012, 2,063 singing males were recorded in Michigan – 2,025 in the Northern Lower Peninsula and 38 in parts of the Upper Peninsula.
Another 23 were counted in Wisconsin and four more were heard as far north as Ontario, Canada.

That’s an overall total of 2,090 (up from 1,828 in 2011).

The Kirtland’s warbler was listed on the Endangered Species List since 1973.

Huron Pines is part of a Kirtland’s Warbler Initiative to delist the warbler as a species.

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Posted in birds, Climate change, fish, pollution. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Adopt-a-Beach and Comment on Warblers

June 14, 2012 — jeffkart

Photo by Ludovic Bertron

As heard Friday, June 15, 2012 …

1 -
The beach season is off to a cleaner start in the Great Lakes.

Volunteers in the Adopt-a-Beach program say the two months of work this year, in April and May, netted more than 8,000 pounds of debris.

The spring kickoff involved 81 teams at 102 locations on all five Great Lakes, including on Saginaw Bay.

A total of 2,400 volunteers helped remove and catalog 8,059 pounds of debris along the shoreline.

At the beach at the Bay City State Recreation Area, trash collected during a May event included plastic bags, plastic bottles, beverage cans and cigarette butts.

The Adopt-a-Beach program, run by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, is done in part to help pinpoint potential pollution sources.

An upcoming Adopt-a-Beach event is planned for June 22 at the Bay City State Recreation Area, with a team leader from Saginaw Valley State University. (Register here)

Another is being organized for Sept. 21 at the Recreation Area, located in Bay County’s Bangor Township.

2 -
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is taking public input on Kirtland’s warbler management.

The DNR will host a public meeting on June 27 in Roscommon. Comments also are being taken by email.

Officials are working on a Kirtland’s warbler operational plan to direct future management of the bird and its habitat on state lands.

A multi-agency conservation strategy is also being completed.

The Kirtland’s warbler is a federally endangered species.

The birds arrive in Michigan from the Bahamas in May and nest in a few counties in Michigan’s northern Lower and Upper peninsulas.

The Kirtland’s warbler nests in young stands of jack pines.

Most nesting sites are on state and federal land.

Habitat is managed mostly through logging, replanting or seeding.

Besides the DNR, other agencies that manage Kirtland’s warbler habitat include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

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Posted in beaches, birds. 1 Comment »

Great Lakes Endangered Species Doing Well, Including a Record-Breaking Snake

May 24, 2012 — jeffkart
photo fox snake eggs record

Radiograph showing eggs in line and implanted radio transmitter. – Photo Credit: Kile Kucher

As heard Friday, May 25, 2012, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College, Friday Edition, Environment Report …

Plovers a Plenty

There’s some good news when it comes to endangered species in the Great Lakes region.

According to new analysis from the Center for Biological Diversity, 90 percent of endangered species are on track to meet recovery goals set by federal scientists.

A total of 110 species were part of the research, and those in recovery include the piping plover, Kirtland’s warbler, Lake Erie water snake, and gray wolves.

The center, a nonprofit headquartered in Arizona, looked at population trends of plants and animals protected by the Endangered Species Act.

The analysis found many species on a path toward recovery, and some that are exceeding expectations.

On average, species have been protected for 32 years and have a typical expected recovery period of 46 years, according to the report.

In the Great Lakes region, the piping plover is a shorebird that was listed as endangered in 1985. At the time, only 19 nesting pairs remained in Michigan.

Most recently, MIchigan has maintained 50 percent of its 100-pair breeding goal for four years in a row.

Like other species, the plover recovery was due to management programs and other measures undertaken as part of the Endangered Species Act.

Eggs a Plenty

In other animal news, an eastern fox snake at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County has broken a record.

Refuge manager Steven Kahl says a recent article published in a scientific journal describes a new documented record for an eastern fox snake egg clutch size.

A radiograph of one of the refuge’s female snakes showed she was carrying 34 eggs.

That’s beyond the previous known record of 29 eggs.

And the 34 eggs is more than twice the mean clutch size of about 14 eggs for an eastern fox snake.

This particular snake also was 5 feet 9 inches long, just an inch under the longest-measured eastern fox snake.

The Shiawassee Refuge is one of only three in the nation in which the fox snake is known to live.

Refuge officials are working with Central Michigan University researchers to conduct a study of the eastern fox snake.

The species is listed as threatened in Michigan. Its global range is confined to the coastal plains of Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario.

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Posted in birds, Lake Huron. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Michigan Sulfide Mining Report, Contest WINer & Air Monitoring Comments Due

May 17, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard on May 18, 2012, Friday Edition, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College public broadcasting …

Battery Acid

photo sulfide mining great lakes

via NWF

A report says the Great Lakes remain vulnerable to a new wave of sulfide mining.

That’s due to gaps, inconsistencies and loopholes in U.S. state and Canadian laws. The report, a legal analysis by the National Wildlife Federation and Ecojustice Canada,  says vulnerable areas include Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Sulfide mining has proven to be devastating to natural resources in parts of the western U.S. and Canada, the report’s authors say.

The report says that, across Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota and Ontario, laws do not offer adequate protections. Areas threatened by mining include the shores of Lake Superior.

Michigan ranked considerably lower than other states in the analysis.

The Michigan Environmental Council, representing groups in the Bay City area and elsewhere, is pushing for added protections in the state.

Spy on a Bluebird

An Earth Day Facebook Contest will fund a live-streaming webcam in the Saginaw Bay area.

The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) held a contest last month, seeking the best ideas for environmental projects in the region.

After a round of entries, a proposal by the Chippewa Nature Center emerged with the most votes. The center will receive a $1,000 grant to develop a live-streaming webcam.

The cam will be placed in a bluebird nesting box on property owned by the center, located in Midland. The cam will be viewable via the Internet, and include infrared capabilities for nighttime viewing.

WIN is an organization funded by 11 foundations in the Saginaw Bay region.

And leaders say the group still has grants available for projects that address land use, water resources, agriculture, energy efficiency, wildlife habitat and regional marketing.

See saginawbaywin.org for more information.

The Air We Breathe

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is taking public comment on plans for air monitoring in 2013.

A draft Ambient Air Monitoring document recommends changes based on history, population and modifications to Clean Air Act requirements.

The state’s ambient air monitoring network includes a device in Bay City that monitors particulate matter emitted by power plants and vehicles. There are plans to shut down a lead monitoring site in Vassar.

The document is available online (as a pdf), and comments are being taken through June 5.

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Posted in air pollution, birds, energy. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Mich Enviro Report: Ban on Hunting and Snowmobiling in Huron-Manistee & Avian Botulism

October 28, 2011 — jeffkart
As heard Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College, NPR:
1.

Comments are being taken until Dec. 21 on snowmobile and firearm use in the Huron-Manistee National Forests.
…
A proposal to ban gun hunting and snowmobiling within certain areas of the forests was prompted by a federal court decision.

The U.S. Forest Service has now developed alternatives related to snowmobile and firearm use in areas of the national forests.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs is encouraging people to attend several public meetings planned to explain the process and submit written comments.

The alternatives include no action, no snowmobiling or firearm hunting in the forest areas, and allowing firearm hunting and snowmobiling use to continue as is.

Meetings are planned for Birch Run, Oscoda, Mio and other locations.

2.

The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy is looking for help from citizen scientists.

The Bay City-based conservancy says people can help improve the Great Lakes ecosystem by reporting sightings of injured or dead birds, and algal blooms, to the federal Wildlife Health Monitoring Network.

The reports can help with research on avian botulism and protecting birds from the disease.

The reporting system was funded by a grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Injured or dead wildlife, and evidence of algal blooms, can be an indication that an area is being affected by a Botulism outbreak, which can kill waterfowl.

In recent decades, incidences of botulism in the Great Lakes have increased steadily, according to federal sources. Thousands of birds died from 1998-2001 in Lakes Huron and Erie.

— Photo by Paul Williams
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Posted in birds, GLRI, Lake Huron. Tags: . Leave a Comment »
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