Water
Rising waters threaten wells, drinking water systems
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Four out of the five Great Lakes set water level records for February, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Wisconsin tribe recognizes Menominee River rights
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The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin in January asserted that the Menominee River has the right to exist naturally, flourish, evolve, remain unpolluted and carry out its natural ecosystem functions.
Catch of the Day
Drone businesses become more specialized
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Many drone pilots who started a business to provide photo and video services to clients of all types now are specializing.
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Growing food and hope in Chicago’s southside
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A band of nonprofit organizations are looking to change how Englewood residents interact with their local environment and expand their worldview.
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Warm weather has ice fishing industry on thin ice
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As of Feb. 16, only 14.2% of the Great Lakes had ice coverage, compared to 51.6% the same date last year, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
Urban
Scooping poop improves water quality
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Neglecting to pick up pet waste can contaminate water and threaten public health.
Land
Invasive plant program expands statewide
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The Traverse City-based Go Beyond Beauty program has received funding through two projects from the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program to tackle such plants as Japanese Barberry, baby’s breath and blue lyme grass that are spread by people putting them in gardens.
Wildlife
The mission to recover the rusty patched bumblebee
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The bee’s population has mysteriously declined, falling by nearly 90 percent since the early 2000s. In 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated it an endangered species.
Great Lakes
Invasive mussels clear the water and coat the wrecks at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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Lake Huron is now the clearest Great Lake, dethroning Superior from the top spot while shedding new light on shipwrecks in Thunder Bay.
Amphibians
There may be hope for an endangered frog in the Great Lakes region
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Since the 1970s, the Blanchard’s cricket frog has gone missing from much of the northern portion of its range. But experts say their fate may be looking up.