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.

Water

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.

Water

Former Great Lakes official appointed to EPA advisory board

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The former director of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes has been appointed to a board that advises the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency how to lower the cost of environmental protection. G. Tracy Mehan, now a principal with the Cadmus Group Inc., was recently appointed to EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board. The panel also provides EPA with advice on increasing investments in environmental and public health protection. Mehan was director of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes from 1993 to 2001. As EPA’s assistant administrator for water from 2001 to 2003, he directed programs that administered the Safe Drinking water Act and Clean Water Act.

Water

Photo Friday: Satellite view of ice melting on Lake Baikal

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Russia’s Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and holds more freshwater than all of the North American Great Lakes. This shot featured on NASA’s Earth Observatory was taken from the International Space Station on April 22. Much of the lake is covered with ice. The brightest point reflects the sun from where the ice has begun to melt, according to NASA.