Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/echo/page/55/)
Last year, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative began producing a series of educational videos about invasive species in the Great Lakes with the National Park Service. New videos have been recently uploaded, and you can watch the entire “Little Things, Big Problems” series here on Echo. This video discusses how the emerald ash borer is killing Great Lakes trees and harming the lumber industry.
This is part of our “Jeopardy in July for Lake Lovers” feature, where we will post Great Lakes trivia throughout the month. Check back for the answers – and new questions. survey tools
The answer to the previous question: Monitoring of Lake Huron bird eggs revealed high concentrations of brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) in herring gulls.
Detroit resident Cheryl English knows that growing native plants in her garden can greatly benefit the environment.
Rearing sturgeon for stocking has proven to be difficult, uncertain and expensive, but it may be the only practical way to rebuild sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes.
Throughout the summer Great Lakes Echo will feature an occasional series of public service announcements produced by Michigan’s Ottawa County Health Department to promote clean beaches. The department has created rack cards on issues that affect the health of beaches to distribute in schools and visitors’ centers throughout the state. This one stresses the importance of hand washing after you swim and before you eat. Washing your hands will help prevent the spread of bacteria, such as E. coli, which can cause recreational water illness. For example, Echo reported last year that staphylococcus aureus, or staph, was an emerging beach threat likely caused by swimmers since staph usually lives on skin.
In this series, Echo samples successful and ongoing restoration projects in each Great Lakes state. Indiana projects include lamprey barriers and the restoration of a submerged stream.
This is part of our “Jeopardy in July for Lake Lovers” feature, where we will post Great Lakes trivia throughout the month. Check back for the answers – and new questions. survey tools
The answer to the previous question: The water of Lake Superior is fed by over 200 rivers.
The hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant, has an alarming growth rate clearly illustrated in the photographs above. The photos were captured by the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP), an organization that helps prevent and manage plant invasions, and show massive growth of hydrilla in a mere 18 days. Hydrilla grows up to an inch per day and forms dense mats of vegetation at the water’s surface, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Early detection can be key in controlling the plant, before it poses a threat to native plants and wildlife, recreational fishing and boating and waterfront property values. NIIPP is seeking volunteers for a Hydrilla Hunt, a program that encourages Illinois residents to learn how to identify hydrilla and keep a lookout for the plant at local lakes, ponds and rivers.
The city of Waukesha, Wisc. is seeking approval to divert Lake Michigan water. The Wisconsin DNR will have to consider public opinion and the Canadian perspective before making a recommendation.
This map shows U.S. rivers scaled to the amount of water they carry. It’s a useful way of looking at things, but incomplete. Without Canadian data, the Great Lakes system is underrepresented.