Undercurrents: beneath the obvious

The evaporation factor: Warm winter weather + frozen ground = lower lake levels

nemo — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:17:38 +0000

Lake levels continue to decline. This article explains the reasons quite nicely. Notice that average lake temperatures have increased 4 degrees since 1980. Lake Huron is in a fog, part of a gloomy cycle that’s pushing water levels to record lows, scientists say. Last week, a winter storm dropped more than a foot [...]

Potential Impacts of Increased Corn Production

nemo — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:09:06 +0000

An assessment of the current status and trends of corn-based ethanol production and the potential impacts of increasing corn output in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region to meet that demand are the focus of a research paper released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes & Ohio River Division and the Great [...]

Food and Fuel Compete for Land

nemo — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:23:42 +0000

Ethanol manufacturing uses a tremendous amount of water which is why ethanol has been a topic here, here, and here for so long. If you’re new to the debate start here with 10 Things to Know. Then read this New York Times piece on the rising price of food: For years, cheap food and [...]

Zebra Muscles cost a billion bucks

nemo — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:07:28 +0000

The Columbian (Clark County, Washington) summarizes the efforts and costs associated with zebra muscle clean-up: The non-native bivalve has proliferated in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River, costing more than $1 billion to remove from clogged irrigation pipes. Scientists believe the filter-feeder has fundamentally altered the environment by devouring zooplankton that forms the bottom of the [...]

The latest for thirsty furry friends: bottled water

nemo — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 23:00:38 +0000

From the CBC News comes this article regarding new marketing avenues opening up for bottled water: Bottled water, a staple for the two-legged, is now being aimed at the four-legged market. Aquience, a Charlottetown, Ontario-based company, recently launched Pet Quench, a water it says addresses a critical need for pets, particularly cats, which are prone [...]

Lake Michigan water levels nearly scrape bottom

nemo — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:51:30 +0000

Signs are mounting that Lake Michigan’s already-low water levels are taking a turn for the worse. The big lake is a foot lower now than it was this time last year. And on Sunday, its level briefly dipped below a record low, according to federal monitoring data. Water levels are down in [...]

Brief Histories

nemo — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:29:55 +0000

I added Brief Histories to the Pages section on the left menu to gather all of the “A Brief History of …” posts onto a single page for easy reference. great lakes

Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Study – Final Report

nemo — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:35:11 +0000

The governments of Canada and the United States released the binational study report on November 26, 2007. The GLSLS Study was conducted to evaluate the infrastructure needs of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, specifically the engineering, economic and environmental implications of those needs as they pertain to commercial navigation. The study assesses the [...]

Status on legislative passage of the Great Lakes Compact – Nov 2007

nemo — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:00:40 +0000

The plan won't take effect unless it is endorsed by the region's eight states and then ratified by Congress.

Lake levels up for foreseeable future

nemo — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:05:20 +0000

Good news for Lake Superior comes from this article in the Mining Gazette: Heavy precipitation will keep Lake Superior’s monthly average water levels out of the record book for the foreseeable future. “Based on the new forecast we did (this month), it looks like we’re going to stay at least a few inches above the [...]