In 2013, Lake Michigan lake levels bottomed out after a 15-year span of lows that was the longest in recorded history. Now, the high-water is sending the roughly 4.2 million people who live within two miles of the coast scrambling. 2019 which was the wettest on record in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and precipitation was
We have all done it: a greasy pizza box, a disposable coffee cup, the odd plastic bag. Sometimes, we want things to be recyclable, so we put them in the recycling bin. Waste managers often call this wishful or aspirational recycling. But, unfortunately, putting these objects in with the rest of the recycling can do
The Azolla filiculoides fern— with leaves the size of gnats, is considered a wonder-plant that played a pivotal role in cooling our planet 50 million years ago. Among its many properties, the Azolla can capture CO2 and nitrogen from the air and has genes that provide insect resistance. Some 50 million years ago, however, the
The relationship between water quality and soil erosion cannot be overemphasized. Soil erosion and residue management, especially surface water runoff, influence water quality. A silt fence, sometimes called a filter fence, is a temporary sediment control barrier used on construction sites to protect water quality in nearby waterways from sediment in stormwater runoff. The problem
The beautiful fall colors will soon give way to barren trees and piles of fallen leaves around our yards and neighborhoods. The leaves decompose and restock the soil with nutrients and organic matter. However, those decomposing leaves may eventually make their way into lakes and rivers. They get washed down streets and into storm drains
Probably the single most helpful thing we can all do to help keep surface waters clean is the addition of a native vegetative buffer along the lakeshore. Buffers help filter out and trap pollutants like fertilizers, herbicides and pet waste before they reach the water. In addition, the deep roots from native buffer plants help
In 1909, the United States was suffering a shortage of meat. At the same time, Louisiana’s waterways were being choked by invasive water hyacinth. The solution seemed to be simple, the American Hippo Bill. Hippos could be imported to the United States to eat the water hyacinth and people can eat the hippos. The bill
Phosphorus is one of the most important components in the ongoing struggle to balance agricultural prosperity with water quality. When farmers fertilize their fields with this essential nutrient, plants use some, with precipitation carrying excess amounts into nearby bodies of water, fueling algal blooms that can kill fish and and endanger drinking water quality. But