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Great Lakes Regional Water Program
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I've been on the road the past few weeks. As part of one of my trips, I traveled by car from Madison, Wisconsin across Iowa and northwestern Missouri to Kansas City and back. I was excited to see the countryside as spring approached, with a more intimate perspective than I could get from the air.
As those of you that pay attention to soil and water know, we've had a lot of rain in the Upper Midwest recently. On my way back to Madison it rained most of the way. I particularly remember traveling though Iowa and watching tons of the most productive soil on earth quickly sliding and tumbling toward the Mississippi River on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, despite significant crop residue left in the fields. No farmer could have been happy watching the foundation of their livelihood, thousands of years in the making, wash away.
Only once before have I seen so many gullies forming in farm fields. It was during the spring flooding of 2008 in southwestern Wisconsin near Coon Valley, the modern era's first watershed conservation project. However, there was one exception to the devastation that was caused by 2 inches of rain in an hour on already waterlogged soils. Fields that were protected by cover crops showed very little damage. There were no gullies in cover cropped fields. Could more cover cropping have protected Iowa soils?
These are only a few stories, but with extreme weather events on the rise in the Upper Midwest, we are lucky to have a group like the Midwest Cover Crop Council. MCCC is dedicated to 1) researching the benefits and challenges of various cropping systems that employ cover crops and 2) getting the word out about what they find. They are university researchers, Extension educators, agronomists, conservationists, seed dealers, farmers, and others who understand the systemic benefits that cover crops have for agricultural production and conserving precious soil and water resources. The Great Lakes Regional Water Program provided funding that helped get the MCCC started and has continued to provide support for the group. Collectively, they are changing the face of Midwestern agriculture and keeping rich prairie soil where it belongs.
For more information about the MCCC, please visit their website or download the the Great Lakes MCCC fact sheet.
Rebecca Power, Co-Director, Great Lakes Regional Water Program
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| 2013 Featured Initiative |
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The Great Lakes Regional Water Program, through a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has funded nine new multi-state initiatives this year. Here is another example of the amazing work our funded partners are doing to enhance water quality in our region.
Coordinating Climate Outreach in the Great Lakes Region
Initiative leaders from Ohio State University, Michigan State University and University of Wisconsin have partnered with The River Network to continue addressing climate change impacts in the Great Lakes region and to increase capacity of Extension to educate on this topic. Last year, the initiative produced a set of core competencies, a needs assessment of Land and Sea Grant Extension educators in hand, and two distance courses on climate change and water resources management. This year, the initiative will promote the development of expanded education and outreach networks to address climate change adaptation and sustainable water resources management practices for communities. The team will focus on addressing gaps in existing curricula, delivering two more short courses and a webinar, as well as continuing work towards a regional climate website.
Visit the Great Lakes website for more information on all of the 2013 initiatives.
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MCCC Annual Meeting Materials Posted
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Event held February 28 - March 1 in London, ON
Midwest Cover Crops Council's annual meeting, entitled Making Sen$e with Cover Crops, was held recently in London, ON. Presentations from a variety of university, Extension, private sector and agency partners are available now online. Please visit the MCCC website for details.
MCCC Presentations
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Report on Collective Action Among Ag Irrigators
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Michigan Sate thesis sheds light on collective action results in Southwest Michigan
A recent thesis by Michigan State graduate student Rachel Ford, examines the barriers and opportunities for collective action results among agricultural irrigators in Southwest Michigan. The thesis is in response to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, which limits diversions of water outside of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin. The compact regulates water withdrawals of over 100,000 gallons per day to prevent reductions in index flow. The linked report sheds light on the conditions that influence transaction costs of negotiating and monitoring rules of water reduction plans. The findings will guide Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in their effort to reduce transaction costs and improve the effectiveness of the aforementioned compact.
Download Full Report
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Online Drainage and Bio-Reactor Resources
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Learning opportunities for CCAs and the general public
Two new training modules on bio-reactors and drainage are now available online. The modules, funded by the Great Lakes Regional Water Program and co-developed by Richard Cooke (Great Lakes initiative leader) and Duane Friend at University of Illinois, are primarily designed for CCAs, but may be of interest to anyone concerned with water quality and the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone. Both modules are eligible for CCA Soil and Water continuing education units. Estimated completion time is 30 minutes per module.
Module participants may also be interested in learning more about drainage topics at Illinois Extension's bio-reactor website. The site provides a history of drainage tiling, offers advice and guidance on bio-reactor design and management and outlines the benefits of bio-reactor installation. English and Spanish versions of the website are available to the general public.
Training Modules:
Tiling, Bioreactors, and Water Quality
CCA module - 1/2 CEU in Soil and Water Management
Tiling, Water Table Management, and Water Quality
CCA module - 1/2 CEU in Soil and Water Management
Bio-Reactor Website:
English Version
Spanish Version
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Webinar: Climate Tools Café 2
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Tuesday, May 7, 2013 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST
This two-hour climate tools webinar, funded by the Great Lakes Regional Water Program, will introduce four models and tools that can help planners and others address climate adaptations in their communities.
On the agenda are the Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Planning Guide, a NOAA tool that provides hazard and climate change data, tools, and resources; Climate Wizard, a Nature Conservancy resource providing historic or projected spatial data on temperature and precipitation for Great Lakes region areas; Climate Collaboratory, a Nature Conservancy web-based platform for collaborative research, education, and strategy development; and EPA's BASIN Climate Assessment and Water Erosion Prediction Tools for creating climate change scenarios and assessing potential effects of climate and land use change on water quality.
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Webinar: What Drives Successful Nutrient Reduction?
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Wednesday, May 1, 2013 10:00 am CST, 11:00 am EST
Faye Sleeper and Ann Lewandowski from University of Minnesota worked with the Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, Great Lakes Regional Water Leadership Team, key university faculty, and federal and state agency partners to assess the success of nutrient reduction efforts across the Great Lakes states. An upcoming webinar will highlight some of their findings including observations on commonly used measurement tools and the drivers that lead to collaborative reduction efforts. This public webinar is available free of charge through EPA's website. The Great Lakes Regional Water Program provided funding for the initiative.
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Webcast: Using Social Indicators in Watershed Management Projects
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Wednesday, May 1, 2013 12:00-2:00 pm CST
Working with landowners and managers to find effective and practical solutions to water quality problems is crucial to achieving environmental goals. Social indicators provide information about the social context, awareness, attitudes, capacities, constraints, and behaviors in a watershed or project area. Using social indicators can help resource managers and conservation professionals understand target audiences, select effective interventions, and evaluate their impacts.
Upon viewing this EPA Watershed Academy webcast, participants will understand some basic concepts of behavior change and have the tools to use a framework for using social indicators in nonpoint source management work. The Social Indicators project is funded by the Great Lakes Regional Water Program.
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Soil Health Courses Available Now
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Courses designed for conservation advisors
Three online soil health courses are available now through the Great Lakes funded Conservation Professional Training Program. The courses, including Understanding the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS), Understanding the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE2) and Conservation Planning Web Tools, are designed for conservation advisors. Click on the links below for full descriptions and registration instructions. Participants should set
aside roughly 4 hours per course. CEUs are available.
Understanding the Revised Universal Soil Loss EquationConservation Planning Web Tools
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| In the News #1 | |
EPA Survey Finds More Than Half of the Nation's River and Stream Miles in Poor Condition
From EPA.gov, March 26
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the results of the first comprehensive survey looking at the health of thousands of stream and river miles across the country, finding that more than half - 55 percent - are in poor condition for aquatic life.
"The health of our Nation's rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters depends on the vast network of streams where they begin, and this new science shows that America's streams and rivers are under significant pressure," said Office of Water Acting Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner. "We must continue to invest in protecting and restoring our nation's streams and rivers as they are vital sources of our drinking water, provide many recreational opportunities, and play a critical role in the economy."
The 2008-2009 National Rivers and Stream Assessment reflects the most recent data available, and is part of EPA's expanded effort to monitor waterways in the U.S. and gather scientific data on the condition of the Nation's water resources.
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| In the News #2 | | |
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Release Six-Point Strategy on Areas of Focus for White House on Climate Change
From Whitehouse.gov, March 22
The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has released a six-point strategy it believes the White House should focus on as it addresses climate change. The report offers recommendations on both mitigation and adaptation aspects of addressing climate change.
The six key components for consideration are: (1) focus on national preparedness for climate change; (2) continue efforts to decarbonize the economy, with emphasis on the electricity sector; (3) level the playing field for clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies by removing regulatory obstacles, addressing market failures, adjusting tax policies, and providing time-limited subsidies for clean energy when appropriate; (4) sustain research on next-generation clean-energy technologies and remove obstacles for their eventual deployment; (5) take additional steps to establish U.S. leadership on climate change internationally; and, (6) conduct an initial Quadrennial Energy Review (QER).
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| In the News #3 | | |
Sewers spilled 594 million gallons of wastewater
by Don Behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 16
As last week's torrential rains overwhelmed regional sewers and the deep tunnel, combined sanitary and storm sewers spilled an estimated 594 million gallons of untreated wastewater to local waterways, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials said Tuesday.
Overflows to rivers and Lake Michigan began April 10 to reduce the risk of sewage backups into basements. Overflows ended Saturday morning as rains eased.
With more rain and thunderstorms in the forecast Wednesday and Thursday, the threat of tunnel-filling storms and overflows will return, said Peter Topczewski, the district's director of water quality protection.
Last week's combined sewer overflows in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood were the first in nearly two years.
Total capacity of the main tunnel and northwest side tunnel is 521 million gallons. The April 10-13 overflows would have filled a second set of equally large tunnels.
Click here for full article.
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| In the News #4 | | |
Soil Moisture Levels Near Normal for the Start of the Growing Season
Source: Jennie Atkins, Ph.D, Illinois State Water Survey
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Soil moisture levels are normal in Illinois for the start of the growing season, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.
Soil moisture at 2 inches for Illinois in the second week of April was slightly above normal, averaging 0.35 water fraction by volume (wfv). This is significantly higher than last year when moisture levels averaged just 0.23 wfv during the same time period.
Soil moisture levels at deeper depths (4 to 59 inches) were within 3 percent of normal level.
Soil temperatures averaged 52.6 degrees F at 4 inches under sod during the second week of April, 1.5 degrees above normal. Temperatures were highest in the southern portion of the state where soil temperatures averaged 56.5 degrees. Temperatures in central and northern Illinois averaged 52.7 degrees and 45.6 degrees, respectively.
Click here for full article.
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| In the News #5 | | |
New Concerns About Plastic Pollution in Great Lakes 'Garbage Patch'
by Lisa Borre, National Geographic Water Currents, April 12
Until recently, my concept of a 'garbage patch' was of an area of ocean with large pieces of floating debris, the kind of stray fishing gear and trash from ships and shorelines that collect where currents form eddies far from view of most people.
Having seen my share of sea trash in 20,000+ miles of lake and ocean sailing and even untangled sheets of plastic and thick ropes from the propeller and rudder of my 37-foot sailboat, I was shocked to learn that the kind of garbage scientists are most concerned about is invisible to the naked eye. They're finding tiny bits of plastic known as "micro-plastics" floating near the surface of the water in high concentrations. The particles are so small that a microscope is needed to even see them.
The scary news this week was about a garbage patch discovered in the Great Lakes last year. Although scientists have studied plastic pollution in the oceans since NOAA researchers discovered the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" in 1988, a team of scientists is conducting the first-of-its-kind research on the open water of the Great Lakes. One of the team members presented preliminary results of a study on the topic at meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Click here for full article.
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| Future Newsletters | | |
Tell Us About Your Projects
Your contributions have placed the Great Lakes Region at the forefront of national and international water research, outreach and conservation. We would love to know about any new projects, grants or multi-state efforts you are leading or participating in. If you have ideas for e-newsletter content, please share with the GLRWP marketing specialist, John Kriva. You can contact him at john.kriva@uwex.edu.
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About Us
The Great Lakes Regional Water Program (GLRWP) is a partnership among the Land Grant universities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and the NIFA National Water Program. The overarching goal of the GLRWP is to maintain and protect natural environmental systems for agriculture, human health, recreation, and economic benefit through regional leadership and coordination of research, education, and extension/outreach efforts within Great Lakes and North Central Region states.
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