Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/catch-of-the-day/page/70/)
More than 44 billion gallons of water were extracted daily from the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin in 2011, according to a new report. Of the region’s states and provinces, Ontario withdrew the most water, at about 37 percent and Pennsylvania took the least at .07 percent. Uses for the water include irrigation, public drinking and industrial needs. That amount does not include water used for hydroelectric energy.
Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM.
This week Kart discusses a volleyball tournament raising money for beaches, a nature trail in Saginaw Bay and an interactive map highlighting Great Lakes restoration projects. Text at Mr Great Lakes
Two weeks ago, Echo reported about recent attempts to change the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. We asked where you thought the fund should be spent. Since our check-in last week, we had 24 more votes, but the proportions stayed mostly the same. Land purchasing remained the clear winner with more than half the votes. There were slight decreases for biking/walking paths and other ideas not listed and small upticks for dredging and roads/trails for motorized vehicles.
Check out the benefits that government officials say that restoring Great Lakes toxic hot spots can bring to local economies. This video was produced by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois-Indiana and Wisconsin Sea Grants. The Great Lakes Legacy Act provides federal funding for the remediation of environmental “Areas of Concern,” toxic hotspots contaminated by industrial practices.
There is yet another reason to stay glued to our phones. The myBeachCast smartphone app, released in 2011 by the Great Lakes Commission, has just added a new feature — beach hazard warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The free app is available for download here. Although drownings appear to be on track to fall from a record high in 2012, the overall trend from the past several years have seen consistent increase, according to the Great Lakes Surf Commission. The hazard warnings on the app informs users when and where there is a potential for dangerous rip currents.
Great Lakes Echo commentator Gary Wilson follows up his Monday column on last weekend’s Great Lakes governors’ summit on Mackinac Island with an interview on WMUK public radio in southwest Michigan.
Last week, Great Lakes Echo reported recent legislative attempts to change what Michigan’s Natural Resources Trust Fund supported. We asked readers where they wanted to see the majority of those funds spent. Here’s the breakdown:
Land purchasing: 51 percent
State park development: 20 percent
Biking/walking paths: 6 percent
Roads/trails for motorized vehicles: 6 percent
Dredging projects: 2 percent (1 vote)
General budget: 2 percent (1 vote)
Other (explain in comments): 14 percent
But that’s based only on 51 votes. Voting isn’t closed, so if you haven’t already, read the story and vote/comment! Some of the ideas Echo readers voiced in the comment section:
JoMic said: “Trust fund money should be spent on all of the first four selections above plus it would be great to have more programming to educate the public about Michigan’s natural beauty.
By Jamie Merideth
Nearly 14 miles outside of Duluth, fishermen gather regularly at French River to do what they love. Locals go to the river to hang out with other fishermen, talk about fishing and share together in the sport they enjoy. Gary Cross grew up in Duluth and taught himself how to fish at a very young age. He’s been fishing at French River for over 25 years, and he is one of several fishermen telling his story in the video above.
Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM.
This week Kart discusses fish research on Lake Huron, cleaning up beaches and using satellite data to map phragmites. Text at Mr Great Lakes
Echo commentator Gary Wilson weighed in at the 2013 Calumet Summit held recently at Marquette Park in Gary, Ind. He was among the experts from Indiana and Illinois who spoke on environmental issues during a broadcast of a “Regionally Speaking” segment by Indiana-based 89.1FM The Lakeshore. Gary’s remarks are about 15 minutes into the program.