November 3, 2008
Save Canada's Lakes
Lakes in Canada might be saved do to the lack of need for commodities as the economy crumbles. Since 2002 some lakes in the country have been reclassified as "tailings impoundment areas" for mining operations. As many as 11 lakes may be saved from some mining activities.
Link to this article | Comments (0)
October 14, 2008
Water Softeners a Problem for Lake Michigan
As more communities gain access to Lake Michigan water over the next few years, the amount of salt that reaches the lake will decrease. The salt concentrations within the basin at times reach levels that can kill off populations of organisms and fish eggs from water softeners that return well water to the watershed.
Link to this article | Comments (0)
September 10, 2008
Russia's Lakes
Russia's lakes have been in the news over the last week. Lake Baikal may be threatened by mining activities, and a new ancient lake has been discovered that may have been nearly as large as Lake Agassiz....
Continue reading "Russia's Lakes"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
February 29, 2008
Crater Lake Contaminated
A new study completed by the EPA and Oregon State University shows Crater Lake is among wilderness areas in the U.S. in which scientists have found evidence of contamination, including mercury, agricultural pesticides and banned substances such as DDT. The... Continue reading "Crater Lake Contaminated"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 30, 2008
3M's PFOS in Lakes
A chemical manufactured by 3M has been found in nine more lakes in Minnesota. PFOS or perfluorooctane sulfonate entered the lakes through stormwater runoff. 381 fish from 20 lakes were analyzed for PFOS. 3M manufactured the chemical used in Scotchgard,... Continue reading "3M's PFOS in Lakes"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
November 26, 2007
Dioxin Levels
Dioxin at the bottom of the Saginaw River in Michigan could be the highest level of such contamination ever discovered in the nation’s rivers and lakes. The sample measured 1.6 million parts of dioxin per trillion of water. That level... Continue reading "Dioxin Levels"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
October 4, 2007
Debate on Fish and Mercury
Pregnant and breast-feeding women now should eat at least 12 ounces of fish and seafood per week to ensure their babies' optimal brain development, a coalition of top scientists declared in a public advisory that marks a break with current... Continue reading "Debate on Fish and Mercury"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
September 17, 2007
Refinery on Lake Superior
Murphy Oil is meeting with Wisconsin environmental regulators and federal officials as it considers a six billion dollar refinery expansion. The El Dorado, Arkansas-based company is looking into what permits would be needed and what regulations it would face for... Continue reading "Refinery on Lake Superior"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
July 23, 2007
Lakes and Mercury
Wisconsin is ready to cut mercury emissions at power plants. At issue is the link between smokestack emissions and mercury found in fish. If approved when legislation comes before the Natural Resources Board in the fall, the regulations would restrict... Continue reading "Lakes and Mercury"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
May 1, 2007
Phosphorus and Lakes
A professor at the University of Wisconsin questions the 2004 bans on phosphorus-based fertilizers in Madison and Dane County and wonders whether they'll actually do much to reduce algae blooms in lakes. John Stier, an associate professor in UW-Madison's horticulture... Continue reading "Phosphorus and Lakes"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 24, 2007
Mercury in Fish
Every fish sampled across the western United States contained mercury, suggesting that industrial pollution generated around the world is likely responsible. The survey of 2,707 fish randomly collected from 626 rivers in 12 states represents the biggest regional sampling yet... Continue reading "Mercury in Fish"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 23, 2007
Midwest and Mercury
Wisconsin has fallen behind other states in the effort to clean the air of mercury, and it's putting the health of the state's tourism industry and residents at risk. More than two dozen organizations presented a petition to the state... Continue reading "Midwest and Mercury"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 17, 2007
Point-Source Pollution
Sewage plant effluents not only affect individual aquatic organisms, but also entire aquatic populations, reducing long-term viability. Sewage treatment plants release estrogens that can cause changes in the gender of an individual fish or invertebrate, but the long-term consequences to... Continue reading "Point-Source Pollution"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 12, 2007
Adirondack Lakes
212 Adirondack lakes show clear water with little algae, but higher nitrogen levels in the west, some from air pollution. The preliminary analysis suggests a new threat to the once pristine waterways of northern New York from nitrogen overwhelming the... Continue reading "Adirondack Lakes"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
November 22, 2006
Mercury Warnings
West Virginia is one of four states where grocery stores do not warn consumers of the possible dangers of mercury in fish, even though this may lead to wiser choices, a new study argues. Oceana, an environmental group, issued a... Continue reading "Mercury Warnings"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
November 7, 2006
Lake Champlain
An International Paper plant on Lake Champlain plans to begin burning tires as fuel, despite opposition from Vermont officials. IP received a permit for the temporary burn from New York environmental officials in September. IP will burn scrap tire chips... Continue reading "Lake Champlain"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
October 3, 2006
Lake Champlain
A new study shows new pollutants ranging from caffeine to insect repellent mixing in Lake Champlain or its tributaries. The pollutants are well below toxic levels, though. Researchers meeting at the Lake Champlain Research Consortium also reported that less oxygen... Continue reading "Lake Champlain"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
September 18, 2006
Dissolved Oxygen
The amount of oxygen dissolved in a lake or water is influenced by temperature; the amount of dissolved oxygen determines where in the lake various plants and animals can survive.... Continue reading "Dissolved Oxygen"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
September 12, 2006
Phosphorus
Of all the elements likely to occur in fresh water, phosphorus has received more attention than any other due to its effect on primary production. It is the macronutrient in shortest supply relative to the nutritional requirements of living creatures....Link to this article | Comments (0)
August 22, 2006
Mercury
Mercury levels in some of the Great Lakes region's fish species are so high they've prompted government consumption advisories for pregnant women and young children. Mercury, a heavy liquid metal, has proven its usefulness over the years in products as...Link to this article | Comments (1)
August 4, 2006
Aluminum Sulfate
Some lakes around the country are so clogged with decaying algae that local residents can no longer recreate on or near the lakeshore. This fall, a few lakes across the Midwest will receive a one-time treatment of aluminum sulfate, or... Continue reading "Aluminum Sulfate"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
August 2, 2006
E. Coli
The bacteria that forced the closure of many Great Lakes beaches in recent years may not be coming from people, birds or sewage. It may be from the sand. A Central Michigan University report published in the Journal of Great...Link to this article | Comments (0)
May 25, 2006
Phosphorus
Water from melting snow carrying phosphorus from northern Ohio's farms contributes to dead zones in Lake Erie where the oxygen is low. Storms flush phosphorus, a common farm nutrient, into drainpipes, creeks, then rivers and finally into Lake Erie. Once...Link to this article | Comments (0)
April 12, 2006
EPA, Water
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to allow higher levels of contaminants such as arsenic in the drinking water used by small rural communities, in response to concerns that they cannot afford to comply with the newly imposed limits. The...Link to this article | Comments (0)
March 27, 2006
Mercury
Each spring, when sunlight returns to the Arctic, it also triggers chemical reactions that release mercury from the atmosphere. A group of scientists is finding that this mercury is falling into arctic lakes but the sun also changes the...Link to this article | Comments (0)
February 15, 2006
Pollution
The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) issued a report recently, finding that the Great Lakes are facing a major threat from industrial pollution. The CELA finds that an increasing amount of industrial pollutants have been discharged into the Great Lakes....Link to this article | Comments (0)
February 8, 2006
St. Paul's Water Problems
Early in the summer, the flavor of St. Paul's tap water sometimes takes a turn for the worse. Not that there's anything wrong with the water … it's just, well, off. Slightly musty. Sometimes even fishy. St. Paul Regional Water... Continue reading "St. Paul's Water Problems"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 30, 2006
Clean Air Act
A crystalline Adirondack lake once held up as an example of a "dead" lake devastated by acid rain has now become a symbol of nature's ability to heal itself once pollutants are curbed. As the name implies, Brooktrout Lake teemed... Continue reading "Clean Air Act"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
January 13, 2006
Ohio Water
Bottled water provided to residents in Ohio whose tap water was tainted with a chemical used to make Teflon, has tested positive for trace amounts of the same substance. The chemical traces were discovered by a Ohio water system plant...Link to this article | Comments (0)
December 30, 2005
Foam on the Water
Foam is often seen along lake shores and on streams and rivers. Most foam is natural and does not indicate pollution. Foam forms when water is mixed with air, such as by a waterfall or waves breaking against shore. Plants... Continue reading "Foam on the Water"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
December 23, 2005
Chlorine Dioxide
A new study shows that chlorine dioxide can be safely used to remove Legionella and other water-borne pathogens from water supplies. Researchers reported these findings recently at the 45th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Before the use of... Continue reading "Chlorine Dioxide"
Link to this article | Comments (1)
December 19, 2005
Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake in Utah may contain even more toxic mercury than previously known. This statement coming from water tests done by Kennecott Utah Copper last summer and fall, two years after samples that triggered alarms about mercury throughout Utah.... Continue reading "Great Salt Lake"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
December 6, 2005
Delavan Lake
Madison, Wisconsin restricted the sale and use of lawn fertilizers containing phosphorous to improve the water quality in its lakes. Phosphorous is believed to be at the root of excessive algae growth in lakes. Likewise, the town of Delavan banned... Continue reading "Delavan Lake"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
December 4, 2005
Benzene
Five Chinese cities prepared to stop providing water from the benzene-laden Songhua River, as the country's top work safety official warned of long-term dangers from the toxin. In Russia, residents stocked up on bottled water and an official warned that...Link to this article | Comments (0)
November 29, 2005
Water Crisis
With national attention focused on the drinking water crisis in the city of Harbin in China, the People's Daily devoted an entire page on the issue of drinking water safety and water security, a problem for 300 million rural residents... Continue reading "Water Crisis"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
November 17, 2005
UK Lakes
Some of Britain's most sensitive upland lakes and streams are beginning to recover from the ravages of acid rain. Research showed levels of acidic sulphur in British waters had halved over the last 15 years. The reduction follows the introduction...Link to this article | Comments (0)
November 15, 2005
Lake Charles, Oil Spill
Crews tried to stabilize a damaged oil barge today after it rolled onto its side with its bow resting on the bottom in 55 feet of water, near Lake Charles. The Coast Guard said it didn't know how much oil... Continue reading "Lake Charles, Oil Spill"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
Foam, Langmuir Streaks
Check out your lake to see if you can notice Langmuir streaks. On a windy day, lines of foam or debris may form along the length of a lake, reservoir, or river. These lines are called windrows or Langmuir streaks,... Continue reading "Foam, Langmuir Streaks"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
October 10, 2005
Lake Superior
A proposal to regulate toxins dumped into Lake Superior is being pushed by the Wisconsin DNR. It will bring Lake Superior closer to the lofty goal of zero discharge. The proposal focuses on what's called the "Nasty Nine" toxic chemicals.... Continue reading "Lake Superior"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
October 8, 2005
Legionnaires' Disease
Legionnaires' disease, the respiratory illness believed to be responsible for the death of 16 Toronto nursing home residents, is caused by water-borne bacteria that can turn contaminated shower systems, hot tubs and large air-conditioning systems into instruments of infection.... Continue reading "Legionnaires' Disease"
Link to this article | Comments (0)
September 21, 2005
Katrina
Initial water samples from 24 sites show higher-than-normal bacteria after Hurricane Katrina, but nothing to match the alarming predictions that the floodwater could alter the habitat of the lake permanently and damage the fisheries that depend on it, the Louisiana...Link to this article | Comments (0)