Lake Huron Fish Research, Beach Cleanups and Phragmites Maps

May 31, 2013 — jeffkart

As heard in Bay City, Michigan, at 9 a.m Eastern,  part of Friday Edition on Delta College Q-90.1 FM. The Environment Report, with Mr. Great Lakes, Jeff Kart …

1 - State research vessels are back on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron to study fish populations. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources uses four research vessels to conduct annual surveys of Great Lakes fish populations.

The vessels went back on the water earlier this month in locations throughout the lakes.

The surveys are designed to estimate relative abundance, biomass, age and growth of fish populations, along with their health, diet, survival rates, natural reproduction and movements.

On Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, surveys are being conducted from a Research Vessel called the Chinook. The work involves assessments of lake trout, walleye, and broader populations.

The Research Vessel Channel Cat will likely join in for surveys on Saginaw Bay, the DNR says.

The Channel Cat also is used for surveys of Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie fish populations, focusing on walleye, yellow perch and lake sturgeon.

2 -Memorial Day signaled the beginning of summer … and the end of the spring kickoff of the Adopt-a-Beach program.

The program, organized by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, dispatches volunteers to clean beaches throughout Michigan and other states in the region.

Preliminary results from this year’s Adopt-a-Beach kickoff, held April 1 through Memorial Day, show that 68 teams participated in 96 locations on all five of the lakes.

The spring teams amounted to more than 1,800 volunteers who removed and catalogued close to 6,000 pounds of debris. A total of 140 health assessment forms also were completed, to help pinpoint pollution sources, according to the Alliance.

The cleanups this spring included one earlier this month at the public beach at the Bay City State Recreation Area. Data from previous beach cleanups at the state park in Bay County’s Bangor Township show food- and smoking-related items make up almost 70 percent of litter at the beach.

More beach cleanups are planned for the summer.

 3 -Satellite data has been used to map the invasive plant known as phragmites. 

phragmites map great lakes red

From the Study.

The reeds, which already ring parts of Saginaw Bay and can grow to more than 10 feet tall, pose a threat to native coastal wetlands.

Since early treatment is a key to controlling the spread of phragmites, scientists from Michigan Technological University and other partners spent three years mapping the U.S. coastline of all five Great Lakes, using satellite data and field studies.

The map shows the locations of large stands of phragmites located within six miles of the water’s edge.

The greatest amount of phragmites were found in Lakes Huron and Erie.

The study results were published in a special issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Read the study: “Mapping invasive Phragmites Australis in the coastal Great Lakes with ALOS PALSAR satellite imagery for decision support.”

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Posted in beaches, fish, invasive species, Lake Huron. Tags: , . 1 Comment »

A Larger Shiawassee Refuge and new Great Lakes Boating Forecasts

May 24, 2013 — jeffkart

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

1 – The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge just grew in size.

shiawassee refuge 180 acres

Wetlands and grasslands at the refuge’s 180-acre addition. Credit: Steven F. Kahl/USFWS.

The refuge, located in Saginaw County, is now 180 acres larger, due to funding from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The new tract is located on the east side of Miller Road, from Hart Road to Swan Creek.

The area is made up of large, open grassland mixed with small wetlands and river-edge marsh.

Refuge managers will work to restore the habitat to a historic mix of emergent marsh and wet prairie.

The new land makes for a good location for observing wildlife, including grasshopper sparrows, short-eared owls, rough-legged hawks, sandhill cranes and white-tailed deer.

A parking lot is located at the south end of Miller Road on the Shiawassee River State Game Area.

See also: Dragons in Saginaw

2 -Boaters looking for lake-specific forecasts are in luck. 

The Great Lakes Observing System has launched an expanded, online Boaters’ Forecast Tool that covers the entire Great Lakes.

The tool provides information on water currents and depth, along with marina and boat launch locations.

The tool was developed by partners including the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab and Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research, both located in Ann Arbor.

lake huron boating glosFor Lake Huron, the forecast also show data on waves, surface temperature and winds.

The Great Lakes Observing System, also known as GLOS, is one of 11 regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System.

See also: Saginaw Bay Walleye Migrating Further, Earlier, & a Great Lakes Beach App

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Posted in birds, GLRI, Lake Huron, weather, wind. Tags: , , , , . 1 Comment »

Great Lakes Restoration Funding for 2014, Lots of Atlantic salmon, and new Michigan Green Schools

April 12, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart). The Environment Report for April 12, 2013. As heard in Bay City, Michigan, on Fridays at 9 a.m. Eastern, Delta College Q-90.1 FM.

1- The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would be kept alive under a 2014 budget released by President Barack Obama.

The proposed budget, out this week, maintains support for the Initiative at $300 million.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, the program has spent more than $1 billion during the last three years to clean up toxic pollution, combat invasive species, restore habitat, and prevent runoff from cities and farms.

The Initiative has funded more than 20 efforts in the Saginaw Bay area, including a project to prevent E. coli bacteria from getting into the Kawkawlin River.

The 2014 federal budget also includes more than $1 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund – more than $400 million of which would help communities in Michigan and other Great Lakes states to fix old sewers to prevent sewage overflows.

The Federation is part of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, which consists of more than 100 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation, and other organizations.

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, whose district includes Bay City, is one of those urging fellow legislators to continue funding the Initiative at $300 million.

  • Read the proposed budget on Scribd
  • Search GLRI projects at glri.us

2 - About 100,000 Atlantic salmon are coming to Lake Huron. 

atlantic salmon yearlings

Via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to release the yearlings into the lake and two of its tributary streams this spring.

DNR officials say that after two years of working through disease problems and investing in equipment to control disease outbreaks, the production of Atlantic salmon yearlings in 2013 has been “exceptional.”

Yearling Atlantic salmon will be stocked in the Au Sable River, along with St. Marys River, Thunder Bay River, and in Lexington Harbor in southern Lake Huron.

Stocking locations were chosen based on variables like stream temperatures, public access, and the ability for the DNR to evaluate returning adults.

Officials also focused on locations that would optimize the chances of success and provide angling opportunities for the public.

3 - Four Bay County schools have officially gone green.

The schools are now part of the Michigan Green Schools program.

The four schools — Auburn Area Catholic, the Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center, St. James Catholic, and Bangor John Glenn — all qualified as green schools for various environmental stewardship efforts.

To earn a Michigan Green Schools Designation, schools must conduct activities in categories that include recycling, energy, and environmental protection.

The program is open to all public and private schools.

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Posted in fish, GLRI, Lake Huron. Tags: , , . 1 Comment »

Why is there Spring Snow in the Great Lakes?

March 22, 2013 — jeffkart

The Environment Report, from Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart), for March 22, 2013.

Heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College.

1 - Is climate change leading to more snow in the Great Lakes region? 

photo figure great lakes lake effect snow climate change paper

A figure from the paper, “Sensitivity of Lake-Effect Snowfall to Lake Ice Cover and Temperature in the Great Lakes Region.”

A new paper from University of Michigan researchers examines the question.

One part of the answer may be lake-effect snow, according to U of M researchers.

They examined the impact of ice cover and water temperatures on lake-effect snow.

They used a high-resolution weather forecast model to see how lake-affect snow would be impacted by: complete ice cover on the Great Lakes, no ice cover, or warmer surface water temperatures.

The results? If there’s a reduction in lake ice, or lake ice starts forming later in the winter season, that can help to increase the area along the lakeshore that experiences snow in a lake-effect snow event.

And, if the lake surface temperature begins to significantly increase above normal values during the winter season, the overall amount of snowfall increases, along with how far inland the snowfall is seen.

And so, areas that normally do not experience lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes could begin to experience more snowfall in the future, the study says.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

2 - The status of the Lake Huron fishery is the topic of three upcoming regional workshops to be held along the Saginaw Bay coastline.

The educational workshops will offer current research and information for anglers, charter captains, resource professionals, and interested members of the public.

The events are being put on by the Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division and other organizations.

The workshops will include information and status updates on: Low water levels, fish population and angler catch data, the resurgence of native species such as walleye, forage fish surveys, results from the Lake Huron predator diet study, and other topics.

Pre-registration is requested.  Evening fishery workshops are planned for April 18 in Ubly, April 24 in Oscoda, and April 25 in Cedarville.

 (To register, contact Val Golding, Michigan Sea Grant/MSU Extension Alpena County Office by email at goldingv@alpenacounty.org or by phone at (989) 354-9870.)

3 - It’s spring, and Earth Day is just around the corner.

The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, also known as Saginaw Bay WIN, is holding another Earth Day Grant Contest this year.

Saginaw Bay WIN, headquartered in downtown Bay City, is looking for nonprofit organizations that have ideas to support:

  • Conservation

  • Public Access to Natural Resources

  • Natural Resource-based Recreation or Education, or

  • Energy Efficiency.

To enter the contest, the organization must describe their project in 50 words or less and send it to Saginaw Bay WIN.

Entries will be posted to Saginaw Bay WIN’s website and Facebook page.

The project that receives the most votes online will take home a $1,000 grant to implement their idea.

The deadline for entries is April 5, and voting begins April 10.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22.

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Posted in Climate change, fish, Lake Huron, water. Tags: , , , . 3 Comments »

Saginaw Bay Could Benefit from Sustain Our Great Lakes: See the GLEAM Map

January 11, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes. As heard on Fridays on Q-90.1 FM, 9 a.m. Eastern. The Jan. 11, 2013, broadcast is below … (starts at 6:37)

great lakes gleam map saginaw bay

Saginaw Bay, on the GLEAM map.

1 — The Saginaw Bay area could see an influx of funding for habitat restoration and other environmental improvements.

The Sustain Our Great Lakes program, a public-private partnership, is accepting applications for funding through its 2013 grant cycle.

The submission deadline is Feb. 14.

This year, grant funding will be awarded in three categories:

  • Habitat restoration
  • Private landowner technical assistance, and
  • Delisting of habitat-related Beneficial Use Impairments.

Beneficial Use Impairments refer to Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes, which include the Saginaw River and Bay.

To apply for funding, projects must occur within the Great Lakes basin. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, educational institutions, and local governments.

Up to $9 million is expected to be available for Sustain Our Great Lakes awards, with individual awards ranging from $25,000 to $1.5 million.

- Request for proposals (pdf).

2 — Saginaw Bay is red on a new map of environmental stressors in the Great Lakes.

The map comes from the GLEAM project, which stands for Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping.

The map, three years in the making, identifies environmental stressors from Minnesota to Ontario, according to University of Michigan researchers.

The project’s lead researcher says the condition of the Great Lakes continues to be degraded by stressors including coastal development, pollutants transported by rivers from agricultural and urban land, fishing pressure, climate change, invasive species, and toxic chemicals.

“Large sub-regions of moderate to high cumulative stress were found in lakes Erie and Ontario as well as in Saginaw and Green bays, and along Lake Michigan’s shorelines.

In contrast, extensive offshore areas of lakes Superior and Huron, where the coasts are less populated and developed, experience relatively low stress,” researchers say.

The map is designed to be used by federal and regional officials to sustainably manage the Great Lakes.

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Posted in Climate change, fish, invasive species, Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay, Saginaw River. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Fighting Phragmites by Satellite, Exotic Earthworms, and State of the Great Lake Huron

December 20, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Dec. 21, 2012, 9 a.m. Eastern on Delta Q-90.1 FM, unless the world ends. 

Photo by Steve Jurvetson

Photo by Steve Jurvetson

1- A project that used satellites to map Great Lakes wetland may go a long way to help control phragmites.

Towering, invasive plants known as phragmites have sprouted up along shorelines throughout the lakes, including in Saginaw Bay.

The map, created over a three years, shows the locations of large stands of phragmites located within about six miles of the water’s edge throughout the five Great Lakes, according to officials from Michigan Technological University.

Lakes Huron and Erie had the greatest amount of phragmites.

The map is the first of its kind. The lead author, with the Michigan Tech Research Institute in Ann Arbor, says the data will allow resource managers to visualize the extent of the phragmites invasion in the Great Lakes, and strategically plan efforts to manage existing populations and minimize new ones.

What’s more, the map can be used to create models that predict future invasion areas, and target control efforts.

(For more, see the Journal of Great Lakes Research.)


2 – A new State of the Great Lakes report is out, offering a look at water quality and quantity, recovery efforts, and other issues.

The annual report comes from the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes, and covers the year 2012.

This year’s State of the Great Lakes report (pdf) focuses on Michigan efforts to improve water quality, best use water resources, fight aquatic invasive species, and restore degraded areas.

Sections detail efforts to protect and restore coastal areas. Experts are featured from estate and federal resource agencies, Michigan Sea Grant, universities, and environmental organizations.

For Lake Huron, the report notes several items:

  • The highest phosphorus concentrations in Lake Huron are in Saginaw Bay, where shoreline beach muck problems have persisted.
  • The lake’s food web has “changed dramatically” in the past decade, and the most productive zones have shifted from offshore to nearshore areas, affecting which fish species dominate the lake.
  • The Nature Conservancy is working to identify watershed-based priorities to help conserve migratory river-spawning fish in the basin.

3 - Earthworms introduced from Europe may be adversely affecting the forested ecosystems of Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County.

That’s according to a study published in the most recent Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management.

The Journal article is on a study involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The study showed that the Shiawassee Refuge had the second-largest mean biomass of exotic earthworms of six Upper Midwestern refuges surveyed.

According to an abstract, the invasion of exotic earthworms into forest of the Upper Midwest region is a concern, because the worms act as ecosystem engineers and can modify existing systems.

Those modifications can degrade habitat used by some migratory birds.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Posted in beaches, fish, GLRI, invasive species, Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay. Tags: , , , . Leave a 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 »

Great Lakes Futures Project, Student Opportunities and Bay County Green Initiatives

October 18, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, 9 a.m. Eastern on Delta College Q-90.1 FM, NPR …

photo swirling water

Photo by virtually_supine

1. The Great Lakes Futures Project is taking shape, and there are opportunities for students to become involved.

The University of Michigan and 20 other research institutions in the U.S. and Canada are joining forces for the project. Those include Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and Michigan Sea Grant.

The goal is to propose a set of long-term research and policy priorities to help protect and restore the Great Lakes. The project also aims to train the next generation of scientists, attorneys, planners and policy specialists.

The Great Lakes Futures Project was assembled by the Transborder Research University Network.

Researchers say this is a critical time for the project, with the recent release of an amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada.

Organizers say the collaboration of U.S. and Canadian academics, governments, nongovernment organizations, industry and private citizens for this project is unprecedented.

Project officials plans to recruit graduate students for analysis this fall.

(To learn how your institution can be involved, contact the Great Lakes Futures Project at kiglic2@uwo.ca.)

2. Bay County is showing off Green Initiatives as part of a online dashboard.

photo green dashboard car

Photo by M. Stjerna

 

The Bay County Dashboard is a compilation of information about Bay County government activities like public safety, health and education, shared services, and budget and finance.

Under Green Initiatives, the county lists extensive information on recycling.

That includes information on recycling locations for various items, from antifreeze to vinyl siding, in and around Bay County.

There also are links to curbside recycling programs in various townships.

See baycounty-mi.gov for more information.

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Posted in GLRI, Lake Huron, recycling, water. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay See Study Focus, and Restoration Funding

August 9, 2012 — jeffkart
photo rv lake guardian great lakes research vessel

Via U. of Michigan

As heard Aug. 10, 2012, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM, Friday Edition, Environment Report … (I’ve been on vacation) …

The Least-Studied Great Lake

Lake Huron is home to a new long-term research program by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Researchers from NOAA, and the agency’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor, have set up a base in Alpena, at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

According to Great Lakes Echo, scientists at the Alpena station are studying water quality, invasive species, nutrient levels and physical properties of the lake.

The program’s lead researcher says Lake Huron is the least-studied of the Great Lakes, although previous work has been done in Saginaw Bay.

The latest research is to focus mainly on significant changes in the Lake Huron ecosystem, including increases in algal blooms and shoreline muck.

The research is being done, in part, to help develop more effective methods for managing fish production and water quality in the lake.

The work also is being done with equipment including the Research Vessel Lake Guardian, which used to dock in downtown Bay City.

Watershed Management Gets Money

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has announced $4 million in grant funding for water quality improvement projects.

The money, from the state Clean Michigan Initiative and federal Clean Water Act, will go to restore and protect state wetlands, lakes and streams.

Those eligible to apply include local governments, nonprofits, and universities.

The Clean Michigan Initiative money totals about $1 million and is available for watershed management plans

The Clean Water Act funding totals about $3 million and is available to develop watershed management plans or implement key parts of previously approved watershed management plans.

Areas in the Saginaw Bay District with approved watershed management plans include the Kawkawlin River, Pigeon River, Pinnebog River and Rifle River.

Matching funds of 15-25 percent are required for the pools of grant money. For more information, see the DEQ website.

Watershed management plans considers all uses, pollutant sources, and impacts within a drainage area, according to DEQ. The plan serve as guides for communities to protect and improve their water quality.

Sustain Our Great Lakes

Meanwhile, a public-private group called Sustain Our Great Lakes has announced more than $8 million in grants to fund restoration projects throughout the Great Lakes basin.

The funding from Sustain Our Great Lakes is intended to improve “the quality and connectivity of tributary, wetland and coastal habitats.”

The money includes almost $700,000 to improve 150 acres of wetlands, and improve water quality in the northern Saginaw Bay watershed. That work will be overseen by the Huron Pines Resource Conservation & Development Area Council.

The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy also is receiving $150,000 to control invasive phragmites and restore 101 acres, 11,700 linear feet of stream bank, and 10,100 linear feet of coastal habitat along Saginaw Bay.

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Posted in fish, invasive species, Lake Huron, Rifle River, Saginaw Bay. Tags: . 1 Comment »

Great Lakes in Sunglint

July 30, 2012 — jeffkart

Great Lakes in Sunglint — ”light reflected off of a water surface towards the observer, such that it creates the appearance of a mirror-like surface.”

Worth sharing:

great lakes sunglint nasa

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