Optimum Timing for Dredging in Great Lakes Harbors Takes a More Scientific Turn

“Dredging Windows” Are Topic of Scoping Meeting for Pilot Project"

May 22, 2018

By Marie Zhuikov

It can’t happen just any old time. Removing sediment from or adding it to harbors to help ships pass or for construction projects is regulated by state and federal rules designed to lessen impacts to the plants and animals living in both marine and fresh water.

“We used to call them fish windows,” said Gene Clark, Wisconsin Sea Grant coastal engineer. “But we’ve learned that other species can be affected by the timing of dredging as well – things like mussels, amphibians and wild rice. It’s not just a fish window, it’s an environmental window for dredging.”

These timing windows were first created almost 50 years ago, spurred by the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969. They hardly ever change and are enforced through the permitting process by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state departments of natural resources. The designations of these windows were set by natural resource experts, however specific science-based data to help them was lacking.

According to a white paper on dredging windows in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, a number of new scientific tools are now available to “evaluate the specific impacts of dredging, to more accurately monitor the biological integrity and specific biological functions of different parts of our harbors, and to assess changes due to season variation. In addition, new engineering technologies have resulted in new dredging methods and construction options to reduce the impacts of the dredging process, as well as in-water facilities maintenance and fabrication.”

Bringing dredging windows up to date was one of the most important issues identified by harbor stakeholders when asked where they thought Sea Grant could make a difference, Clark said. At stake is money and time, not to mention the wellbeing of the environment.

“The timing of the dredging windows can be very strict, and they can make projects more costly,” said Clark. “The problem doesn’t just affect our harbor. All dredging projects on the Great Lakes have this issue, too.”

Clark believes that with more information about where critical habitats are in the harbor and when important wildlife activities are going on, such as fish spawning, money can be saved on behalf of taxpayers and the contractors.

Clark has teamed with Dale Bergeron, Minnesota Sea Grant maritime extension educator, and members of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority to work on the issue. They have been working for a year to write a white paper, develop a process for deciding what studies are needed, and provide a template for studies in other ports.

 “Our goal is to facilitate discussions between the regulatory agencies, the U.S. Army Corps and the contractors,” Clark said. They also plan to work with academic researchers to find funding for the studies.

One activity is taking place next week on May 30. A select group of people from the Duluth-Superior area have been invited to participate in a scoping meeting to conduct a “Science-based Review of Environmental Windows for Dredging and In-water Construction in the Duluth/Superior Estuary and Harbor.”

On the agenda is the history of dredging windows, and defining biological issues such as locations of high- and low-productivity areas and the impacts of seasons and climate variability, and discussion of new technologies that are available for dredging and reducing turbidity. The resulting tasks will take the form of a pilot project, for which funding will be sought.

“Perhaps in a couple of seasons, we’ll have enough information so we can actually make a difference in when dredging windows are set, and potentially save the corps some money, save the contractor money and save some angst on behalf of the permitting agencies,” Clark said.

Sea Grant Helps City Clean Up Its Zoning Code “Monster”

April 2, 2018

By Marie Zhuikov

The city of Superior, Wisconsin, is surrounded by water. The St. Louis River bounds it to the west, the Nemadji River to the east, the Pokegema River to the south, and the harbor and Lake Superior to the north.

“Protecting that water as well as our overall natural environment should be one of our highest priorities,” said Superior Mayor Jim Paine. To that end, city staff and a contractor are beginning a process this summer, led by Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Julia Noordyk, to review and update city codes and ordinances to reduce stormwater pollution.


The effort is thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and involves something called a green infrastructure audit. Green infrastructure includes creating natural water-collecting features like rain gardens, permeable pavement and green roofs to help soak up snowmelt and rainwater. This runoff water can often be laden with contaminants like salt in the snow or oil from roads. It bears a toxic load as it infiltrates surface waters or groundwater.

Interest in a green infrastructure audit grew from a workshop Noordyk, water quality and coastal communities outreach specialist, put on last year in Duluth with staff from Minnesota Sea Grant.
“We did a full-day workshop for communities around the Duluth-Superior area,” Noordyk said. “We had planners, city staff and stormwater engineers in the room. We talked about why green infrastructure is important and why codes and ordinances are important to green infrastructure implementation. Then the communities did an exercise that included community scoping and applying the audit tool to their stormwater ordinance.”

The workshop spurred the idea of cooperation between Superior’s Environmental Services Division of Public Works and Noordyk, which led to the successful grant proposal for the code audit. Activities will follow the process outlined in Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Tackling Barriers to Green Infrastructure: An Audit of Local Codes and Ordinances workbook, which involves community scoping, auditing codes and ordinances, and developing a strategy for adoption of the changes.

Noordyk expects to have her work cut out for her, playfully stating, “I’ve already heard that Superior’s zoning code is a monster.” The mayor echoes this viewpoint. “I think everybody agrees that our zoning codes need revision. The most important thing, though, is that we have a vision for what kind of city we want as we’re revising them.”

Noordyk stresses that this is a community-driven process. “The main strategy is to bring everyone on board at the beginning. We’re not trying to do code changes that the community is against. The code audit is about going through the process and figuring out what changes make sense and will help the community reach its goals.”

The process will take several months and several community meetings. The first will be on May 17 when Noordyk makes a presentation to the Superior City Council, which is the organization that needs to approve any code and ordinance changes.

Mayor Paine is excited about the green infrastructure audit. “It’s one more step toward making a better city. Green infrastructure is generally cheaper, it’s permanent and it does the job better than anything else we can create,” he said.

U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Important Conservation Bills

February 16, 2018 (Washington, DC) - The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing yesterday on the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (H.R. 4647), among other important bills for fish, wildlife, and land conservation. Recovering America's Wildlife Act was introduced on December 14, 2017 in bipartisan fashion by Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Members (CSC) Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI) to provide adequate funding for the nearly 12,000 species identified as at-risk by state fish and wildlife agencies in their State Wildlife Action Plans. Specifically, this legislation would dedicate $1.3 billion annually in existing funding from the royalties and fees collected from offshore and onshore energy and mineral development on federal lands and waters towards state-based fish and wildlife conservation efforts.  "Our nation's fish and wildlife are some of our most valuable resources, supporting jobs, our economy and providing countless hours of outdoor enjoyment," said Congresswoman Dingell. "I am proud to work with Congressman Fortenberry on the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, which compliments landmark conservation programs already in place to help protect at-risk species before it is too late. The approaches in this bill are proven and some of the best ways to restore and create new habitat, and ensure future generations can enjoy our rich outdoor heritage. I am pleased to see the Natural Resources Committee move this important legislation forward today and will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get it across the finish line." In addition to H.R. 4647, the Committee discussed the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs of 2017 (H.R. 2591), introduced by CSC Vice-Chair Congressman Austin Scott (GA). This bipartisan bill, supported by CSC leadership, would clarify that one of the purposes of the Pittman-Robertson Fund is to extend and provide technical and financial assistance to the states for hunter recruitment and retention efforts. Bob Ziehmer, the Senior Director of Conservation for Bass Pro Shops, testified in support of H.R. 4647 and H.R. 2591. Ziehmer, who previously served as the Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation, is a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources, along with Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane. The panel recommended the funding approach that is addressed in Recovering America's Wildlife Act. CSF applauds House Chairman Rob Bishop, Chairman Tom McClintock, and the House Natural Resources Committee Members for their leadership in advancing pro-sportsmen legislation in the 115th Congress.

Making Waves: Battle for the Great Lakes Film Screening and Talk

February 15, 2018

By Tim Campbell and Marie Zhuikov

Join Tim Campbell, aquatic invasive species outreach specialist for UW-Extension and Wisconsin Sea Grant, for a free screening of the two-hour documentary, “Making Waves: Battle for the Great Lakes,” followed by a short question-and-answer session. The screening will take place at 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 9, at the Lake Superior Estuarium on Barker’s Island in Superior (3 Marina Drive).

The film takes viewers below the surface of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, and into the middle of a complex web of interactions and changes. For over a century, non-native plants, fish and invertebrates have been silently invading the Great Lakes and are transforming the ecosystem from top to bottom, threatening ecological diversity and local economies.
Making Waves chronicles the path of this invasion to the present day. The filmmakers join researchers on the front lines as they work to understand invasive species and to restore native species in an effort to prevent a biological takeover of the Great Lakes.

The screening is sponsored by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Marine and Freshwater Librarians to Visit Madison Next Week

May 9, 2017

By Marie Zhuikov

A unique group of librarians is holding its first conference in the Great Lakes region next week. They are librarians who specialize in marine and freshwater science topics and who belong to a regional branch of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers. Their conference, “Great Lakes, Great Libraries,” is being held in Madison, May 16-19.

“This is the first time in 27 years that we’ve had our regional annual conference in a freshwater state,” said Anne Moser, senior special librarian with the Wisconsin Water Library. She is organizing the conference along with Alisun DeKock, another Great Lakes librarian from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

The regional group, called SAIL, is comprised of libraries on the East Coast and in Great Lakes communities of the U.S. and Canada, along with several foreign countries like Bermuda and Panama. Approximately 25 librarians will be at the Pyle Center to hear presentations by their membership on innovative library practices as well as to learn about the science of local watersheds. SAIL members will present recent projects related to digital asset management, managing big data, and ways to communicate and translate scientific information. 

Scientific speakers include Jake Walsh from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology, who will discuss Lake Mendota and his research into the invasive spiny waterflea. Wisconsin Sea Grant’s David Hart will speak about an integrated approach to addressing bluff erosion along Lake Michigan. From the Shedd Aquarium, Garrett Johnson, will describe the Shedd’s environmental and education efforts in the Great Lakes. With a nod to the intersection of art and science, the program also includes a presentation by UW Art Professor Sarah FitzSimons on how water has infused her work.

This is the first time Moser has had a hand in organizing a conference, and the first SAIL conference for DeKock. They have been doing “pretty much everything from A to Z” in terms of details. Even after the conference is over, Moser intends to continue highlighting the importance of an association like SAIL to the professional work of librarians and information managers.
“One of my goals is to continue to work to get more librarians from around the Great Lakes involved and to keep freshwater scholarship visible within the group,” Moser said.

Wisconsin Lends Expertise to Certify a Clean Marina in a Neighboring State

Oct. 13, 2015

The Wisconsin Marine Association (WMA) announced it has bestowed clean marina status to the Port of Dubuque Marina, which met the required number of green-management practices.

The designation comes at the hands of a rigorous training and certification process carried out by the WMA, Wisconsin Sea Grant and other partners. The business becomes the 21st clean marina designated by the WMA, and the first to be designated outside the state of Wisconsin.          

“Obtaining a Clean Marina certification has been a goal of ours since opening the Port of Dubuque Marina in June of 2013,” said Ben Alden, facility supervisor. “After learning the state of Iowa had not developed a Clean Marina certification process, we joined the Wisconsin Marine Association, which offered us the opportunity to become Iowa's first certified clean marina.”

According to Alden, “The city of Dubuque, Iowa, strives to improve and maintain current green initiatives in an effort to become a more sustainable community. The city of Dubuque, Iowa, sits along the banks of the Mississippi River, a river which is enjoyed by many members of the community through boating, fishing, swimming and paddling. Obtaining the Clean Marina certification emphasizes our commitment to ensuring the water and habitat along the river are pristine, and the people and wildlife are safe.”

“As the newest certified clean marina member of the Wisconsin Marine Association our journey has just begun,” said Alden. “I hope to use the information learned to educate local and visiting boaters on the best management practices of a clean marina, and to make the Mississippi River a cleaner and more enjoyable place for all.”

Marinas and related industries and services contribute more than $2.7 billion to Wisconsin's economy. The voluntary, industry-led Clean Marina Program ensures clean boating practices that benefit the environment, and marinas alike. Best-management practices include preventing the release of water pollutants from boat fueling, petroleum storage and vessel maintenance.

“Participating marinas and boatyards benefit in many ways, including cost savings from reduced hazardous waste disposal, fewer pollutant cleanups and lower insurance rates,” said the WMA’s Clean Marina Program Coordinator Vicky Harris. “Designated marinas are safer and healthier facilities for employees and boaters while also protecting valuable public benefits like swimming, fishing and drinking water.”

The Wisconsin Clean Marina Program is administered by the WMA with assistance from Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Additional partners include the University of Wisconsin-Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Office of the Great Lakes and the U.S. Coast Guard.

New National Marine Sanctuary Much Closer to a Berth in Wisconsin

Oct. 5, 2015

By Moira Harrington

Wisconsin Sea Grant welcomed President Obama’s announcement today that the nation’s newest NOAA national marine sanctuary is moving closer to a designation along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Manitowoc, Sheboygan or Ozaukee counties and in the waters in a location to be determined, having met preliminary national significance criteria and management considerations. As proposed, it encompasses 875 square miles.

The Wisconsin sanctuary is currently on a so-called inventory list and now heads into a more intensive public comment period and scoping, preparation of an environmental impact statement and a management plan. Once those processes are complete, the clock would start ticking toward official designation. The timeframe for those actions is not fully known but could range from months to a year. If successful, Wisconsin would host only one of 14 National Marine Sanctuaries and only the second one in fresh water.

The Wisconsin site has been selected, in large measure, based on the success of shipwreck explorations in state waters of Lake Michigan. There are 59 Wisconsin shipwrecks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, far more than any other state. Of that number, a proposed 15 would be within the designated sanctuary boundaries. Another 24 known wrecks are in the proposed sanctuary but are not, at this point, on the register.

Since the 1990s, Sea Grant has supported maritime explorations through grant funding in collaboration with the Wisconsin Historical Society’s (WHS) maritime archeology program.

In addition to shipwreck exploration, mapping and registration for protection, the Sea Grant-WHS partnership extends public understanding of the nautical past by creating and sharing land-based signage that explains the shipwrecks’ significance; preparing geocaches, which are an innovative, accessible and active way to extend the learning; and co-hosting an entertaining and informative website, wisconsinshipwrecks.org.           

“Wisconsin has a rich maritime heritage and an equally rich legacy of preserving that heritage,” said Jim Hurley, Sea Grant’s director. “We are thrilled the national panel looking at siting the newest sanctuary has chosen the Great Lakes to move forward. It means continued historic preservation, along with tourism for an important area of the state and highlights an important ecosystem.” 

Marine sanctuaries are now found in Lake Huron, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and touch states such as Hawaii, Texas, California and Massachusetts. Sanctuaries are established to protect natural and cultural features while allowing people to use and enjoy the waters in a sustainable way. No disruption of commercial or recreational activities occurs. Sanctuary waters provide a secure habitat for species close to extinction and protect historically significant shipwrecks and artifacts. Sanctuaries also serve as natural classrooms and laboratories.

Wisconsin applied for the sanctuary designation in December 2014 and competed against four other proposed locations. After an initial screening, Wisconsin and a site on the Potomac River emerged as the strongest applicants. The review panel was impressed by the broad range of support for the Lake Michigan proposal from the governor’s office on behalf of the state of Wisconsin; the cities of Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Port Washington; Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties; NGOs and area businesses. The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, along with the WHS, were also highly instrumental in the application process.

The sanctuary’s application reads, in part, “The proposed Wisconsin sanctuary encompasses a key portion of an early transportation corridor that was critical to the expansion of the United States and the development of the agricultural and the industrial core of the nation.” 

Details on how to participate in the public comment period on the proposal are at sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin/

Safer Lake Michigan Surf Thanks to New Academic and Governmental Partnership

By Moira Harrington

Lake Michigan swimmers will be much safer from the risk of rip currents and other dangerous waves thanks to a new real-time effort that will match the academic know-how of a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher with the outreach capability of Wisconsin Sea Grant, expertise on coastal issues by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and resources of the Milwaukee County Parks Department.

Chin Wu, UW-Madison professor of civil and environmental engineering, and those organizations have teamed up to plan on installing a camera at Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach and an underwater wave sensor off of the harbor breakwall.

"In 2012 and 2013, dangerous Great Lakes currents and waves caused 88 drowning deaths and rescue incidents. In fact, rip currents claim more lives annually than tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning and floods," Wu said. "Our project will address these tragic statistics."

Rip currents occur when a strong offshore narrow current forms along sandy beaches as well as around

obstructions such as a sandbar, pier or jetty. The currents appear as a break in incoming wave patterns or as a channel of dark, churning, choppy water flowing offshore with no breaking waves. They do not pull swimmers down into the water, as an undertow would, but rather along the surface. Yet, the currents are strong and swimmers panic trying to escape them. That’s when drownings may occur.

“Our joint project will arm beachgoers with awareness so they can make better decisions while enjoying Lake Michigan. We want to provide information about rip currents or dangerous waves,” said Gene Clark, a coastal engineer with Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Todd Brieby of the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program said, “It’s gratifying to partner on this effort that will prevent further loss of life from these swimming hazards. This project is a successful example of a collaborative effort to address a coastal community need.”

Installed equipment will identify and more accurately pinpoint the movement and behavior of hazardous wave conditions. Additionally, computer models are being developed to better predict conditions. The information gathered from those tools will be shared with local officials, and in turn, the public through two sites: Integrated Nowcast/Forecast Operation Systems (INFOS) and soon at milwcountybeaches.org.

“On any given day, thousands of people visit Milwaukee’s lakefront and Bradford Beach,” said Jeff Baudry of Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture. “They are attracted by the sand, sun, volleyball courts, concession stand and, importantly, the sparkling water of Lake Michigan. With this real-time warning system, they will also be safer.”

The warning information is also available as an app for download to a mobile device or a smart phone. See the bottom of this page.

The effort is being funded by a $200,000 grant from the Great Lakes Coastal Storms Program, which is a regional effort led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make Great Lake coastal communities safer and more resilient to storm and weather hazards and climate change. Similar systems are in place for Port Washington, where a 15-year-old died in a rip current four years ago, and in Duluth, Minn.

Successful Sea Caves Watch Project Saves Lives, Changes Hands

No deaths have occurred near the sea caves since website went online in 2011

By Marie Zhuikov

A public safety project designed to prevent kayaking tragedies at the popular mainland sea caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has been turned over by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to the National Park Service and several partners.

SeaCavesWatch.org is a real-time wave observation system that provides webcam photos and wave height, water temperature and wind speed data to kayakers, who can access the website before venturing out on Lake Superior to the sea caves. The website is also available via a special kiosk at the boat launch site at Meyers Beach in the national lakeshore.

The original project was co-led by Chin Wu, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Gene Clark, a coastal engineer with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. Josh Anderson was lead student researcher on the project. It was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the Friends of the Apostle Islands, with support by the City of Bayfield. The National Park Service was involved in the project from the onset and provided significant in-kind support.

“The original focus was summer wave conditions but with the addition of the webcam, the system emerged as a vitally important year-round tool,” said Bob Krumenaker, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore superintendent, “especially in winter 2014, when record visitation to the ice-covered caves made international news.”

In recognition that SeaCavesWatch.org was crucial to operations at the caves in both summer and winter, the National Park Service sought to move it from status as a “project” to a regular part of its work plan. The park will be aided by the original partners, who finalized a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their roles recently in Bayfield at the lakeshore headquarters.

“It’s changed our park protocols,” said Krumenaker. “We’ve made a commitment to the system and plan to continue it in the long-term. Before our staff go out the caves or before we open the caves to the public in the winter, our motto is, ‘check the camera first!’ ”

“Since SeaCavesWatch.org went online, it’s contributed to a reduction in mishaps in the park,” said Dick Carver with the Friends of the Apostle Islands. “We went from four kayaker deaths in a five-year-period to none in the past five years.”

The mainland sea caves can be dangerous because of the possibility for high waves, and the sheer cliffs, which make it impossible for kayakers to get out of the water if they get into trouble.

“There’s a misconception that because the caves are close to shore, they’re safe,” said Tam Hofman, ranger at Meyers Beach. “But conditions can change quickly out on the lake, especially near the rock cliffs and caves, and you can’t always see that from the launch site.”

The website is accessed about 96,000 times per year. According to Clark, with Wisconsin Sea Grant, the webcam was originally meant as an experimental way to monitor wave conditions at the caves. “But now it’s invaluable,” he said. “We didn’t have that vision at first.”

Under the new agreement, Wisconsin Sea Grant will provide coastal engineering expertise as needed and public outreach and communications for the project. The University of Wisconsin-Madison will provide technical assistance for equipment operation and website maintenance. The National Park Service will deploy and retrieve the underwater wave pressure gage and cable seasonally, provide basic equipment maintenance, and provide wireless service funding. The Friends of the Apostle Islands will provide funding for project activities and travel, and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the City of Bayfield will provide advice and public awareness support. The agreement is effective for five years.

“The goal was to make people using the caves feel safe,” said Wu of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It’s been gratifying to be part of a project that’s had an impact and has made a difference.”

Wu is using what he’s learned for webcam and wave sensor installations in three other locations to help detect and forecast rip currents. The locations are Milwaukee; Port Washington, Wis.; and Park Point in Duluth, Minn. The images and data will soon be available on http://infosportwashington.cee.wisc.edu/index.html.

Voter Elects to Become Debut WRI Fellow

Carolyn Voter will be charged with compiling the annual report the state Groundwater Coordinating Council submits to the Legislature.

By Aaron R. Conklin

Groundwater brought Carolyn Voter to Wisconsin, and groundwater is what’s kept her here. It’s also the centerpiece of her latest career step:  Voter, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is set to become the first Wisconsin Water Resources Institute Policy Fellow.

The newly created position will be shared with and housed within the structure of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Voter will be charged with analyzing statistical data, compiling information and creating the annual report the state Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC) submits to the state legislature detailing the results of groundwater research funded by WRI and DNR and other state agencies.

“Interagency cooperation is the cornerstone for groundwater protection in Wisconsin,” said Mary Ellen Vollrecht, the DNR’s Groundwater Section Chief for the Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater. “The new Water Resources Fellowship builds on that base.  Carolyn’s background and energy are sure to get the fellowship off to a strong start.  DNR appreciates this initiative of the Water Resources Institute and will strive to maximize the benefits to all agencies --and all Wisconsin water consumers.”

Jennifer Hauxwell, WRI’s assistant director for research and student engagement, agrees.

“Carolyn has a strong background in hydrology and familiarity with the Groundwater Coordinating Council’s Joint Solicitation for groundwater research,” Hauxwell said. “She also brings great enthusiasm and positivity toward tackling the difficult challenge of both understanding and protecting a hidden resource – our groundwater.”

Voter, who was born in New Jersey and received her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, was inspired by stream restoration work she became involved with there, and was drawn to Wisconsin in part because of the UW’s interdisciplinary hydroecology research programs. As a PhD student, Voter worked on multiple WRI-funded research projects with UW-Madison professor of engineering Steven Loheide, including a project that examined the ways in which urban design impacted an area’s water budget.

“I’m excited about the policy angle,’ said Voter of her new position.  “I’ve had a lot of consulting experience, but I haven’t had a chance to do much policy.”

Voter already knows several of the issues that will be an integral part of the challenges associated with maintaining or enhancing the quality and quantity of the state’s groundwater resources: chemical and biological contaminants and dozens of factors that affect water supply and demand.

“An important part of what I’ll be doing is figuring out how to communicate science to non-scientists,” she said.

Voter begins work in her new position on July 27. In her spare time, Voter likes to run, spend time with her dog and check off activities on her “Madison bucket list.”

Matt Kornis: Former Sea Grant Student Now Works With Millions of Fish

March 2, 2015

By Marie Zhuikov

Matt Kornis’s mother likes to tell the story of how they would walk in the neighborhood when Matt was two and he would pick up a stick to “fish” for leaves in puddles. Later, in college, his love for water, fish and the outdoors won out over his interest in molecular biology, leading to his current job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Green Bay, Wis. Kornis is a fish biologist and data analyst with the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, a multi-agency study across the Great Lakes that involves implanting coded wire tags into millions of stocked fish each year to help assess the effectiveness of the stocking program for lake trout and Chinook salmon.

Kornis was working on his undergraduate degree in biology at Lawrence University in Wisconsin when he applied for several internships in molecular biology or fisheries. As fate would have it, he received a fisheries internship with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s John Janssen to look at alewife diets and habitat selection in Lake Michigan.

“I loved being outside every day during the summer, looking at different fish, analyzing at data and using it to answer questions,” Kornis said. And his fisheries career began. Kornis pursued both his master’s and Ph.D. in limnology and marine science at UW-Madison with the help of Wisconsin Sea Grant funding. He worked with Professor Jake Vander Zanden at the Center for Limnology on projects that explored the expansion of the invasive round goby into streams that enter Lake Michigan.

By identifying the environmental characteristics of the streams where round gobies were found, they were able to create a computer model to predict the gobies’ range expansion. Kornis also helped discover that round gobies may have more of an impact on native stream species when found at low densities than at high densities.

This led to a post-doctoral fellowship with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland where Kornis was able to explore the marine part of his degrees. He looked at how land use in the Chesapeake Bay watershed combined with shoreline alteration to impact fish and shellfish. A major finding of his work was that wetland loss and shoreline hardening (construction with cement, rock or other hard materials) have negative effects on the abundance of many species. Kornis also explored how phragmities, an invasive wetland plant, affects nearshore fish communities.

“Every summer, my life was dictated by the moon,” Kornis said, “because it affects the tides, and we could only sample during certain tidal phases,” which was definitely something Kornis did not have to consider when he worked in the Great Lakes.

After three years at the center, Kornis, a native of Glendale, Wis., moved back to Wisconsin to work for the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program. With the help of an automated process that can handle over 8,000 fish per hour, USFWS biologists have inserted tiny coded wire tags into the snouts of 16 million Chinook salmon and 28.5 million lake trout stocked into lakes Michigan and Huron since 2010. The tags, which look like small pieces of mechanical pencil lead, rest in the cartilage of the fish’s snout and contain numerical codes that denote what hatchery the fish are from and where they were stocked. The fish’s adipose fin (the small fleshy fin located behind the dorsal fin on the top of each fish) is clipped as a visual marker that the fish is tagged.

The tags are retrieved later by fisheries managers, sport anglers, commercial fishermen, and “head hunters” – USFWS tag recovery technicians who haunt fishing tournaments and fish cleaning stations to assess fish caught by anglers willing to participate in the program.

Each tag is painstakingly extracted from the fish’s snout by hand and read under a microscope for its code. Nearly 50,000 tags have been recovered since the program’s inception, providing information on two important Great Lakes fisheries.

“Chinook salmon and lake trout fisheries contribute to a 7-billion-dollar-per-year industry,” said Kornis. “The importance of these fisheries to the Great Lakes region can’t be understated, and we’re processing information to help enhance our understanding of that fishery.”

The boy who used to fish in puddles has come a long way.

River Talk to Focus on Wisconsin Point

By Marie Zhuikov
The next monthly River Talk is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. at the Red Mug (916 Hammond Ave., Superior, Wis.). Bob Miller, a Lake Superior Ojibway tribal member, will present, “What’s the Point? Ojibway History and the Unique Value of Wisconsin Point.”

Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) have teamed up to offer this series of science café-type evening talks about the St. Louis River Estuary. These informal “River Talks” are held monthly through May. Grab a mug of coffee or maybe a glass of beer and join us! 

Check the Lake Superior NERR website for details about upcoming talks. If you miss a talk, visit the Wisconsin Sea Grant’s “Great Lakes Takes” blog for a summary of the discussion.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Using WRI funding, Steve Loheide looks to chart the occurrence of a unique stream dynamic across Wisconsin.

September 10, 2014
By Aaron R. Conklin

It was just supposed to be a routine groundwater monitoring exercise on a little stream in Barneveld, Wisconsin. Instead, it opened up an unexpected research project on an unrecognized hydrologic process.

A couple of years ago, Steven Loheide, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison,  and his then-undergraduate student Matthew Weber went out to a stream in Barneveld to collect some general data on its flow.  

They noticed something unusual almost immediately—the stream stage was unusually low compared to the remaining ice that was attached to the stream banks at a height more than double the current water level.

“It made us wonder—what’s going on?” Loheide asked.

Several weeks of observation and data collection gave them the beginnings of an answer. The stream’s dynamics were being heavily influenced by frequent ice formation and ice melt. It turned out that the formation cycle was occurring one out of every four days between December and February, and it was causing the stream depth to increase more than 100 percent as the ice cover slowed down the in-stream water velocity.

‘We weren’t out there to study this,” said Loheide. “This is a process unrecognized in the literature. It’s a big gap. We don’t know the full importance, but we know it’s definitely affecting in-stream hydraulics and potentially inducing hyporheic exchange.”

Loheide is referring to the hypoheic zone, a mixed zone in a stream bed where surface and groundwater mix, creating critical chemical exchanges that have an impact on both the stream itself and the surrounding aquifer by filtering out contaminants and providing habitat for benthic organisms.

According to Weber, who’s now a student in California, it’s possible these exchanges could be significantly altered by the frequent fluctuations in stream stage, and those changes could impact everything from sediment transport to benthic insect populations in spring.

“Because it’s happening in winter, we wouldn’t expect this to have a big impact on nutrient cycling,” said Weber. “But if it’s happening frequently—as it seems to be –the stage fluctuations will have an impact on streambed morphology and potentially affect benthic organisms like overwintering fish eggs and macroinvertebrates in the stream itself.”

The dynamic could also be creating positive impacts.  One possibility is that increased winter ice regimes could be backing water up into the landscape, creating a reservoir and making more water available for ecosystems long after the ice is gone.

On larger rivers, this type of ice-formation process creates troublesome ice dams and ice jams that can wreak havoc on docks and shoreline structures. In a small stream like the one in Barneveld, the effect isn’t nearly as easy to see.

“The question we’re pursuing is, how does it affect surface-groundwater connections?” Loheide asked.  “We [scientists] haven’t looked at how ice level affects that.”

Having discovered the phenomenon in a single small stream, Loheide and a new graduate student will use funding from the UW Water Resources Institute to see if it occurs—and if so, how often and how it varies--in other geographic areas around the state.

“The new project looks at the bigger picture,” said Weber. “What are the other conditions that allow for this to occur?”

More specifically, beginning in fall, the new student will pore over raw historical data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey using stage and ice regime changes to identify long-term trends. The second stage of the study, which won’t begin until next winter, will involve measuring the ice regimes at five different sites in Wisconsin, looking specifically at the quantity of water exchanged between the stream and the adjacent aquifer. Finally, Loheide and his student will take what they’ve gathered back into the lab and model it.   Given that the stream dynamics are tied to the length and severity of winters, which in turn is tied to the discussion on climate change, Loheide’s work takes on an added significance.

“The exciting part of this project is that it’s so new, Loheide said. “This is not like working out the third decimal point of a discovery that’s already been documented. This is an entirely new process.”

Wisconsin drinking water systems still top-notch

Wisconsin drinking water systems still top-notch
MADISON – Wisconsin public water supply systems continued their excellent record of serving water that met all health-based standards in 2013, a recently released report shows.  -  Read Full Article

Remember them this Memorial Day…

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q: Once a lake gets winterkill, how do the fish repopulate?  Will they repopulate without DNR stocking?

A:  Winterkill is a natural process that happens with some regularity in the southern part of the state due to the type of lakes in the area. From the southern Minnesota lakes perspective, winterkill would be more appropriately termed “partial winterkill.” The Windom fisheries office has rarely seen a complete winterkill, meaning that all fish are dead in a lake. Often, a partial winterkill reduces a large portion of the population, but it varies greatly on the year, lake and fish community. 

Black bullhead is a species of fish that has a tendency to survive most winterkill scenarios.  Many times the general public sees large numbers of dead common carp and would describe the lake as “dead.” But ice out netting the spring after these winterkill events often reveals many species of fish are alive and well. In spite of the reduction of some of the fish populations, those surviving fish become the brood stock for the population to rebuild. In southern Minnesota, fish can quickly repopulate a lake following a winterkill naturally due to other connected bodies of water that haven’t experienced winterkill.

If a body of water does experience winterkill, then DNR fisheries can do an ice out netting survey to identify species that are present or absent. If the lake is managed for yellow perch and ice out netting reveals an absence of yellow perch and the lake has limited connected sources, DNR fisheries can stock pre-spawn adult yellow perch to reintroduce that species. Those fish then reproduce in the lake naturally.

In southern Minnesota, winter aeration is sometimes used in an effort to prevent partial winterkills but results with that strategy can vary. 

-Ryan Doorenbos, Windom area fisheries supervisor

Interactive map shows locations of all Wisconsin fish species found in state

MADISON - Anglers and fish enthusiasts alike can now see where their favorite fish species have been found using an interactive Department of Natural Resources research tool that shows results from fish surveys dating as far back as 130 years.

Click on image to go to fish mapper website (exit DNR).

The online fish mapping tool lets anyone search the more than 160 fish species found in Wisconsin by either county or habitat types. Data points on the map are pinpointed by GPS coordinates and show the kinds of fish species were found during a given research outing.

"What's great about the fish map tool is you can see the big picture of where different species are found in the state," says John Lyons, fisheries research scientist. "It also lets you zoom in on specific bodies of water so you can see what kinds of fish are found in your favorite local lakes."

http://youtu.be/KnbT0tYiUeg

The tool offers a fun interactive application for anglers and there is a tutorial video on the fish map website (exit DNR) explaining how to use the map and along with terminology. The fish map tool was created in partnership with the US Geological Survey Center for Integrated Data Analytics and is used by DNR researchers to study long term trends for fish populations in Wisconsin. 

UN Climate Change-Energy Expert to Deliver Remarks in Madison

April 17, 2014

Nguyen Khac Tiep, an international leader in sustainable energy options to battle the effects of climate change, will speak at 3:30 p.m., Monday, April 28, in Room 1630, Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

He leads the United Nation’s Industrial Energy Efficiency Program and will deliver, “Climate Change and Energy: Current Status, Future Scenarios and Impact; and Related UNIDO Work.”

“Energy is a prerequisite for development of every country and economy on our planet. But energy is also the main emitter of the greenhouse gas, which is the main cause for global warming,” Tiep said. “Global transformation toward sustainable energy systems is necessary and the window of opportunity for action is now: The business-as-usual approach will not suffice.”

UNIDO stands for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The organization’s mission is offering universal access to modern energy services, doubling global energy efficiency rates and doubling the share of renewable energy in energy matrices.

Tiep currently manages about $79 million in projects that include low-carbon transport options for businesses, implementing industrial energy efficiency and using solar thermal energy. Some of the countries in which he’s working include China, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia, Ecuador and Myanmar.

Tiep’s appearance is co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Natural and Applied Sciences Program and Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.

Slow no-wake boating restriction in effect on St. Croix River

Water levels on the St. Croix River have risen to the point where any early boaters venturing onto it will be required to slow down to minimize shoreline damages.

Boaters on the St. Croix between Taylors Falls and Prescott must operate at slow no-wake speeds when the river’s level reaches 683 feet above sea level at Stillwater. The special restriction, authorized by state rules in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, is aimed at reducing shoreline erosion and resulting property damage in areas not usually susceptible to wave action at lower water levels. Officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota and the National Park Service will post signs regarding the slow no-wake requirement at all public accesses, and marina operators have been notified.

The slow no-wake rule will remain in effect until the water level again recedes below the 683-foot level. The river is predicted to remain above 683 for about a week. Boaters can consult the National Weather Service website for the latest updates on current and projected water levels.

Boat and water safety officials at the DNR also point out that high-running rivers often contain debris floating just below the surface that can present significant hazards. Boaters should slow down and exercise extra caution in such conditions. Water temperatures at this time of year also pose serious risk of hypothermia.

‘Ask the DNR’ to air on WNMU-TV Channel 13 on Thursday, April 17

“Ask the DNR” returns to WNMU-TV Channel 13 in the Upper Peninsula Thursday, April 17, at 8 p.m. (EDT). The show will focus on the trout fishing opener and fishing regulations; spring wildlife activity; and wildfire prevention.

The hour-long program features a panel of Department of Natural Resources employees taking questions from viewers who call in during the live show to 800-227-9668. Questions are answered live on the show; any questions not answered before the end of the episode will be answered by phone call to the viewer.

The episode will feature Law Enforcement Sgt. Marc Pomroy from Crystal Falls, wildlife biologist Monica Joseph from Crystal Falls, fisheries biologist Darren Kramer from Escanaba, and fire specialist Keith Murphy from Marquette.

“Ask the DNR” is produced five times a year on WNMU-TV 13, the public television station in Marquette. It is aired live on public television stations throughout the Upper Peninsula and northeastern Wisconsin and typically replays the following day at noon. Please consult local television listings to confirm replay times for the program. Episodes are also available online at wnmuvideo.nmu.edu/program/ask-dnr/.