Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/category/test/page/87/)
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The number of Great Lakes drowning deaths are down from last year, possibly because of the colder spring. Twelve people have drowned in the Great Lakes since Jan. 1, eight less than this time last year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, an educational water safety group based in East Lansing, Mich. and Matteson, Ill. The record drownings in 2012 may have been due to unusually warm weather.
Some Michigan lawmakers are considering options for the use of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
The fund, supported by growing oil and gas revenues from state-owned land, has a long and controversial history.
Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM.
This week Kart discusses the growing Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and an online forecast tool for Great Lakes boaters. Text at Mr Great Lakes
Some lakes in Minnesota are taking their time to thaw this spring, setting new “ice-out” records. Attributed to unusually cool spring temperatures, this satellite image shows lingering ice and white lake landscapes. The first photo was captured on May 12, 2013, when NASA’s Terra satellite passed over northern Minn. “Ice-out” is defined in this context as a lake being free of ice, but the definition often varies. Some define it based on ease of navigation, while others believe a lake has “iced-out” when it’s 90 percent free of ice, according to a report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
One of the strongest arguments for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is that everyone knew what needed be done, we just needed the money to do it.
My advice? Keep it simple, take on the big projects and prioritize values over metrics.
Two recent University of Michigan graduates will take a road trip this summer to see how towns and cities throughout the country are adapting to climate change.
Indiana has the highest percentage of facilities with hazardous waste violations in 2012 among the Great Lakes states, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. New York has the lowest. The figures come from an EPA map that reports state compliance with regulations. The map’s dashboard allows users to choose different measures and different years. Here are the percentages of large facilities with new hazardous waste violations for each state:
Indiana: 15 percent of 567 large facilities.
Michigan wine grape growers hope for another strong season and that this year’s crop will reflect innovation. Some expect to see the first production of wines from at least two varieties of red grapes.
Michigan farmers who purchased drought-resistant corn last year don’t feel they’ve wasted their money on the more expensive hybrid. Many farmers agree that recent wet weather doesn’t mean there won’t be a drought later this summer.
Chicago filmmaker George Desort spent 80 days on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale, making a documentary about the island’s 50 inland lakes, its wildlife and his experiences connecting to the wilderness.