Archived Announcements

RIP CURENT AWARENESS WEEK: JUNE 5-11, 2005
NOAA’s National Weather Service, the National Sea Grant program and the United States Lifesaving Association are sponsoring the Rip Current Awareness Week, June 5-11, 2005. The awareness week is one part of an awareness campaign aimed at increasing rip current awareness. Rip currents cause more than 100 fatalities each year. The goal of the awareness campaign and associated research is to reduce the number of fatalities through research and outreach. Be sure to check out http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/ for more information on how rip currents form, how to spot them, safety tips, photos and much more! The link also provides guidance for obtaining full color brochures about rip currents in English or Spanish as well as copies to directly download on rip current safety.

WHAT'S UP (OR DOWN) WITH THE LAKE MICHIGAN-LAKE HURON WATER LEVEL REPORT? (MARCH 2005)
A recent study and report (January 2005) completed for the Georgian Bay Association by their consultants, W.F. Baird and Associates has concluded that the differences in water levels between the two Great Lakes (Lake Michigan-Huron and Lake Erie) are becoming smaller over time and that the causes of this change may be man made. The report, entitled “Regime Change (Man Made Intervention) And Ongoing Erosion in the St. Clair River and Impacts on Lake Michigan-Huron Lake Levels” studied the differences between the two lake levels over a number of years and concluded that the differences are becoming smaller and that the drop in lake level differences would be irreversible without implementation of compensation measures. The US Army Corps of Engineers have commented on the report stating that it is reviewing the report but has some significant technical concerns. They list several other reasons why the differences in levels have been decreasing. If verified by further peer review and scientific studies, the results of the Baird report could have significant implications. The conclusions could point to one or more man made changes that have increased the hydraulic efficiency of the St. Claire River so that outflows from Lake Michigan-Huron are now greater than that would have occurred naturally. With greater outflows, the resulting lake levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron would then be lower than otherwise expected. To read more, including links to both reports read more...

ACCELERATED FRESHWATER CORROSION REPORT FOR DULUTH/SUPERIOR HARBOR COMPLETED (MARCH 2005)
A team of corrosion control experts met in Duluth in September, 2004 to see first hand the apparent acclerated freshwater corrosion problems being observed throughout the harbor. Brought together by the combined efforts of UW Sea Grant, MN Sea Grant, US Army Corps of Engineers and the Duluth/Superior Port Authority, the panel agreed something odd is going on. Their final report completed March 2005 concludes that the corrosion is occurring much faster than typical, that all Great Lakes harbors should take a closer look at their infrastructure for potential problems, narrowed down the more likely causes and recommmended further studies should start soon to identify the causes and possible corrective actions necessary. To see the entire report read more...

LIVING ON THE COAST:
Living on the Coast: Protecting Investments in Shore Property on the Great Lakes Philip Keillor and Elizabeth White, editors. Co-published by Wisconsin Sea Grant and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Detroit District, this 50 page booklet provides valuable information for anyone living and working on the edges of our Great Lakes. To order, go to http://aqua.wisc.edu/publications, cost is only $4.00 per copy, shipping included. read more...