Water

Got art? We need it.

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You might be aware of Great Lakes Echo’s end-of-the-week series, “Photo Friday.” We want your help to make it better! Each week, we post a picture of an environmental scene or event. It can be anything from the sky to the dirt and anything in between. Sometimes these photos come from us, sometimes they come from organizations, and sometimes they come from our readers. The one you see on this story was taken by Tim Trombley up in Lake Superior.

Water

Short’s Brewing ties seasonal beers to Clean Water Campaign

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Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire, Mich. released its American Double IPA “Superfluid” this spring. (Photo: Short’s Brewing Company)Short’s Brewing Co. in Bellaire, Mich. is using the creation of one of its popular summer beers to draw attention to an oil pipeline that the company fears could taint the waters of the Great Lakes.

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Photo Friday: Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse

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This picture of a perfectly clear sunrise over Lake Michigan was taken by Catherine Egger in Manitowoc, Wisc. during the summer of 2013. The city of Manitowoc is about 40 miles southeast of Green Bay, and the lighthouse in the distance is the Manitowac Breakwater Lighthouse, which has been a part of the shoreline for over 100 years. Have a photo to submit for our Photo Friday series? Send it to us on Facebook or Twitter, or in an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.

Land

Photo Friday: Historic observation tower in Michigan City, Ind.

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These photos of a 77-year-old observation tower in Michigan City, Ind. were taken by Echo reader and Montana resident Kathleen Stachowski last year during warmer times. Growing up in Indiana, she said one of her favorite childhood memories was making the 220-step trek to the top with her mother. The tower was designed by Fred Ahlgrim in the 1930s, according to Michigan City’s website. The 70-foot-tall Art Deco-inspired building is built of limestone and is located right next to the Washington Park Zoo on the Lake Michigan lakefront.

Water

Sales from specialty Ohio license plates help clean Lake Erie

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Sales from specialized license plates in Ohio are resulting in $60,000 in grants to help clean up the state’s only Great Lake. A pair of Ohio’s plates raised money for the Lake Erie Protection Fund, which was established to finance research and implementation projects to protect and restore Lake Erie and its watershed. One plate featured the  Lake Erie “life ring,” while the other showcased Marblehead Lighthouse, a state landmark north of Sandusky across the Sandusky Bay. The plates are sold for an additional $25, with $15 of that going to protecting Lake Erie. According to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, the $60,000 raised will be spent on four separate projects totaling $15,000 each.

Land

Photo Friday: Michigan ice skirts

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These photos taken by Ken Scott on April 14 show ice skirts formed near the bottom of trees and shrubs in northern Michigan. The images are posted on the Earth Science Picture of the Day feature produced by NASA’s Earth Sciences Division. This phenomenon was caused by heavy springtime rain falling on top of several inches of snow. As the water receded, temperatures in the area plunged — causing top layer of water (also the coldest layer) to freeze while the layers below the surface were more insulated and melted away. Have you ever seen an ice skirt before?