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Great Lakes Regional Water Program
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Conservation is not one decision, but a complex suite of interrelated decisions that rely on place-based sharing and learning among people over time. Conservation is, by nature, a conversation. It is a conversation between people and the land. When we take the people out of conservation, there is nothing left. While I was not able to locate studies that effectively document a decline in "boots on the ground" in recent years (please e-mail me any that you know of), I have heard many stories from across the country of declines in conservation staffing at all levels of government, in universities, Extension and across a variety of conservation-related fields. I would argue that in conservation, there is a human resource deficit.
So what does all this have to do with the Great Lakes Regional Water Program, you ask? To have a functional conservation system, we need people who can help farmers stay apprised of current practices, research and technologies so they make informed management decisions on their land. Many of our initiatives and many of our partners' initiatives help maintain a qualified pool of advisors to fill this role. However, without consistent funding, our efforts are not sustainable.
Great Lakes and Extension initiatives are currently helping demonstrate our collective value and reinforcing the need for additional funding to help reduce our human resource deficit. Some current efforts include 1) conducting social science research on the role of opinion leaders, trusted information sources, and social networks in conservation decisions and sharing the results of that research with policy makers, and 2) providing training for conservation professionals and land managers that draws upon the social and natural sciences to produce more effective conservation strategies and outcomes. Our Social Indicators and Conservation Professional Training Program initiatives are great examples. For more information about capacity building efforts, you can contact our initiative leaders or your state's Extension water quality coordinator.
Rebecca Power, Co-Director, Great Lakes Regional Water Program
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| 2013 Featured Initiative |
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Road Salt Awareness Initiative targets Michigan winter maintenance decision makers and support staff
The Road Salt Awareness Initiative, coordinated by Great Lakes leadership team members Rebecca Power and Lois Wolfson, with additional support from MSU's Carlos Garcia-Salazar, is designed to educate key stakeholders about the tools, best practices and limitations for snow and ice control in urbanizing and rural areas of Michigan.
Two upcoming workshops in July outline action plans that city, county and state winter road maintenance operators, supervisors and managers can implement into their current programs. The workshops are also open to business and industry representatives from across the state.
Presenters for these training workshops include Connie Fortin of Fortin Consulting in St. Paul, MN; and Mark Crouch, Matt Pratt, and Tim Croze from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Lansing, Michigan. Registration is free of charge, but is required for attendance. Deadline is July 2nd.
Locations:
Grand Haven, MI
July 9, 2013
Grand Rapids, MI
July 10, 2013
East Lansing, MI
July 11, 2013
Registration Information
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Stream Monitoring Progress
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Recent efforts measure phosphorus in WI streams
Great Lakes leadership team member Kris Stepenuck has been busy coordinating monitoring efforts to gauge total phosphorus levels in streams across the state of Wisconsin. Dovetailed with the efforts of Wisconsin state DNR biologists, Kris' team of citizen volunteers currently monitors around 100 sites statewide. Another partner group, the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, monitors an additional 50 sites. Data gathered by the volunteers will be used to determine which streams should be listed as impaired according to new state standards.
Site reports from the stream monitoring efforts in 2012 can be viewed here. A map of current Water Action Volunteer monitoring sites is available for download.
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Manure Irrigation Workgroup
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Ag stakeholders come together to develop best practices
Great Lakes leadership team member Ken Genskow is facilitating a new workgroup comprised of university, Extension and state agency colleagues to develop guidance on the practice of applying livestock manure or process wastewater through irrigation equipment - referred to as "manure irrigation". The relatively new practice requires additional testing to ensure environmental and water concerns are being adequately addressed.
Two recent community symposia in Stevens Point and Menasha, WI drew almost 100 participants representing state and local ag agencies, local government, independent producers and concerned citizens. Feedback from the discussions will help define the working group's areas of concern and guide future research efforts. Videos from the symposia are available on the workgroup's website. Look for more updates in future newsletters.
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Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
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10th Annual Meeting and Conference scheduled for June 19-21
The City of Marquette, in cooperation with the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP), is proud to host the 10th Anniversary meeting of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) in downtown Marquette, Michigan June 19-21, 2013.
The conference brings together almost 200 Great Lakes leaders including many U.S. and Canadian mayors who work cooperatively to advance the long term economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the Great Lakes region. The theme for the 2013 conference is "Great Watersheds-Superior Experiences"
and will feature sustainable development, Great Lakes tourism, economic opportunity and other related issues.
Founding Chairman of GLSLCI and former Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley is scheduled as the keynote speaker on June 20th.
Event Registration
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Climate Change Webinar Available Now
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EPA advisor shares ideas for Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Dr. Joel Scheraga recently spoke on "Anticipating and Preparing for Climate Change" at University of Minnesota's St. Paul Campus. Dr. Scheraga is the Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation in EPA's Office of Policy in the Office of the Administrator. He is leading EPA's efforts to develop and implement a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to ensure it can continue to protect human health and the environment even as the climate changes. The archived webinar can be accessed below.
Webinar Link
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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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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.
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| In the News #1 | |
Soil Moisture Levels Slightly above Normal in the Middle of May
Source: Jennie Atkins, Illinois State Water Survey, May 15
Champaign, Ill. - Soil moisture levels are slightly above normal in Illinois for the middle of May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.
Soil moisture levels at 2 inches averaged 0.33 water fraction by volume (wfv) across the state on May 13, or 13 percent above normal. Moisture levels were highest in the south with an average of 0.41 wfv or 22 percent above normal.
Higher moisture levels were also measured at deeper depths, averaging 0.40 to 0.44 wfv at depths from 19 to 59 inches.
Soil temperatures for May 13 were slightly below normal at depths of 4 inches below bare soil, averaging 60.0° F or 4° F below normal. The highest temperatures were measured in southern Illinois where temperatures averaged 60.7° F. Temperatures averaged 60.3° F and 58.3° F in central and southern Illinois, respectively.
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| In the News #2 | | |
Low impact Development: Putting the LID on flooding
by Jane Herbert, Michigan State University Extension, May 15
It's been said that "we all live upstream" meaning we all can do our part in reducing flooding and protecting water quality. Community efforts within a watershed to creatively manage stormwater in large and small ways can reduce flooding locally while having a positive effect on downstream neighbors. Low Impact Development (LID) is an approach to individual, community and municipal stormwater management that seeks to capture, slow or infiltrate stormwater - reducing the volume of overland runoff into rivers and streams.
The effects of recent flooding were felt by large and small municipalities located on major rivers and on smaller tributary streams. Urban development often results in impervious surfaces, compacted soils and changes in natural vegetation that can reduce infiltration. Depending on the infiltration capacity of a river or stream's floodplain, precipitation events can have cumulative effects as rain water is captured on impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots and rooftops and delivered via storm drains to local waterways.
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| In the News #3 | | |
National Assessment Shows Geographic Distributions and Trends of Pesticide Use, 1992-2009
For the first time, national maps and trend graphs show the distribution of the agricultural use of 459 pesticides for each year during 1992-2009 for the entire conterminous U.S. The maps and supporting national database of county-level use estimates for each pesticide were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for use in national and regional water-quality assessments.
The national use analysis is based on methods developed by USGS to estimate annual county-level pesticide use for agricultural crops grown throughout the conterminous United States. Pesticide-use data compiled from proprietary surveys of farm operations were used in conjunction with annual harvested-crop acreage reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to calculate use rates for each crop and year. For California, use estimates were obtained directly from annual California Department of Pesticide Regulation Pesticide Use Reports.
"These nationally complete and consistent, county-level use estimates are vital for USGS water-quality models that estimate pesticide concentrations in streams and rivers. In addition, long-term annual data is essential for interpreting water-quality trends," said Wes Stone, an author of the reports.
Full article.
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| In the News #4 | | |
Deficit in Nation's Aquifers Accelerating
A new U.S. Geological Survey study documents that the Nation's aquifers are being drawn down at an accelerating rate.
Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900-2008) comprehensively evaluates long-term cumulative depletion volumes in 40 separate aquifers (distinct underground water storage areas) in the United States, bringing together reliable information from previous references and from new analyses.
"Groundwater is one of the Nation's most important natural resources. It provides drinking water in both rural and urban communities. It supports irrigation and industry, sustains the flow of streams and rivers, and maintains ecosystems," said Suzette Kimball, acting USGS Director. "Because groundwater systems typically respond slowly to human actions, a long-term perspective is vital to manage this valuable resource in sustainable ways."
Full article.
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| In the News #5 | | |
Scotts drops phosphorus from lawn fertilizer
Marysville company acts to reduce risk of runoff feeding toxic-algae blooms in lakes; competitors likely to follow its lead
By Mary Vanac, The Columbus Dispatch, May 10
Scotts Miracle-Gro has removed phosphorus from its popular Turf Builder line of lawn fertilizer to help reduce the type of harmful algae blooms that have plagued waterways such as Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Erie.
The Marysville maker of lawn-and-garden products sees the move as a milestone for its industry, which it says is partly responsible for the phosphorus runoff that feeds one of the nation's most costly and challenging environmental problems - nutrient pollution.
"As consumers feed their lawns this spring, they should know they can get great results from our products while also protecting and preserving our water resources," said Jim Lyski, Scotts' chief marketing officer, in a written statement.
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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