Water

New mercury fish consumption warnings now include benefits of eating uncontaminated fish

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For years, pregnant women have been advised to stay away from eating fish because of their mercury content. But last week’s announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tweaked that advice, making it clear that it is healthy to eat fish without troublesome mercury levels. Fish that are packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids make an extremely healthy meal for the mother and child, as long as it is low in mercury, EPA, FDA and Michigan Department of Community Health officials now officially advise. State and federal health authorities have long advised that eating too many fish meals containing mercury can damage the brain, nervous system and kidneys, and even harm the development of a pregnant woman’s fetus. This is the first time that eating a minimum amount of low mercury fish has been promoted as a guideline when announcing new draft mercury standards.

Water

Fish derby sees dramatic DDT drop after cleanup

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Anglers in a recent fishing derby on Michigan’s Pine River got news far better than pulling in the largest fish. The Environmental Protection Agency recently reported that the fish they sought are much cleaner of DDT than when the competition began 15 years ago. The concentration of the now banned pesticide in fish near the site of the Velsicol chemical manufacturing plant dropped by as much as 98 percent after a multi-million dollar cleanup of polluted river sediment from 2000 to 2006, the EPA said. Tempering the good news is that the fish were so contaminated then that even after the dramatic drop the Michigan Department of Community Health still advises not to eat fish downriver of the site. The contest is strictly catch and release.

Water

Addressing challenges of urban watersheds

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Drain Commissioner On Clean Water Challenges, Opportunities WKAR by Great Lakes Echo

Pat Lindemann has served as the Drain Commissioner of Ingham County for 21 years. He’s a Lansing native who’s spent his entire life in the area. As Drain Commissioner, Lindemann’s responsible for the operation of Ingham County storm drains and related issues including lake levels and soil erosion. Lindemann has earned a reputation as an environmental advocate. That’s put him at odds with developers, entrepreneurs and municipal officials eagerly pursuing business development.

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

Month in review: Carp and Waukesha

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At the end of each month, we check in with Echo commentator Gary Wilson for updates on environmental stories from around the Basin. Click on the audio clip above for today’s Great Lakes Month in Review which discusses efforts to keep Asian carp and Waukesha, Wis.,  out of Lake Michigan. This segment is produced as part of a partnership with  WKAR’s Current State public affairs program. More radio news about the Great Lakes environment can be found on Current State every Tuesday as part of our partnership.

Water

Photo Friday: Kitch-iti-kipi spring

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Lake, brown and brook trout are found in the 45 degree Kitch-iti-kipi spring at Palms Book State Park in Manistique, Mich. The water moves through porous sandstone and is discharged into a pond at 10,000 gallons a minute. Visitors can watch the roiling of the clean sands some 40 feet below from a viewing raft. “It’s a fascinating ever-changing floor,” said Peggy Riemer, who captured these images last October. She recently posted similar images and information on NASA’s Earth Science Picture of the Day.

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Photo Friday: Educational cruise

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The Leelanau School – an experiential boarding high school for kids with learning differences in Glen Arbor, Mich. – braved the spring chill on a field trip with the Inland Seas Education Center. Inland Seas is a Suttons Bay, Mich.,  non-profit organization that helps people of all ages experience the science and spirit of the Great Lakes through hands-on learning aboard a traditionally rigged tall ship schooner.  Image: Inland Seas Education Center. 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.