In the proposed work, we will explore opportunities and tradeoffs associated with the use of green infrastructure for stormwater management. In particular, we seek to quantify the extent to which increased percolation of stormwater, driven by increased use of green infrastructure, may be increasing groundwater chloride (Cl-) concentrations in communities surrounding Southern Lake Michigan. 

Nitrogen contamination in groundwater of the Southern Lake Michigan region endangers both the potability of well water in the region and contributes a source of ‘legacy nitrogen’ to the surface waters of the southern Lake Michigan region. Using a data-driven approach leveraging machine learning and GIS, this graduate student scholars project will for the first time provide an estimate of how much nitrate is stored within the aquifers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and Lake Michigan watersheds.

• Determine the importance of the trades in live bait, pets, water gardens, and biological supplies as pathways for the introduction of nonindigenous freshwater species
• Estimate the ecological and economic risks associated with given species in trade
• Reduce the numbers of high risk species in trade and to reduce the likelihood of release of organisms by customers

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are broadly recognized to pose a serious threat to environmental and public health, are now ubiquitous and persistent in the environment, and aquatic systems are particularly susceptible to contamination from multiple sources. Understanding PFAS contamination pathways into aquatic ecosystems will allow managers and public officials to better protect food webs and top fish predators that are consumed as a protein source, ultimately protecting public health. Our main objective is to determine the sources, sinks, and cycling of PFAS in stream ecosystems of coastal southern Lake Michigan watersheds as potential routes to human exposure. Our specific objectives are to quantify the PFAS spatial distribution in these biotic matrices, estimate the flows of PFAS among ecosystem compartments, and determine if any compartments act as a persistent reservoir of contamination. We are well positioned to fulfill these objectives by leveraging a recently approved grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) – Lake Michigan Coastal Program which will provide support for analysis of complementary abiotic samples (i.e., water and sediment).

• Identify the contributions of land cover change and climate change on increasing flood discharges
• Provide tools to assist in projections of future flood magnitudes that can be used with existing management practices to reduce flooding impacts
• Provide input for flood study prioritization through a comparison of published regulatory discharges with flood discharges computed for current conditions
• Investigate possible future impacts of changes in land cover and precipitation on flood peaks

Since the early 2000s, alewife populations have been on the decline and at an all-time low. This is a major concern to many recreational fishery specialists and salmonid managers. Although some species of salmonids are flexible in their diets, Coho and Chinook Salmon are not very flexible and rely heavily on alewife for the majority of their diet. In years prior, it was believed that the main basin of Lake Michigan was responsible for the majority of alewife recruitment. In recent years, evidence has begun to show that alewife may utilize other habitats like creek and river tributaries and drowned river mouth lakes (DRMLs). These environments may provide additional habitat with warmer temperatures, greater vegetation cover, and greater abundance in prey availability. The main objectives of the study include: 1) estimation of relative contribution of recruits from DRMLs, 2) comparison of growth and survival rates of larvae between the main basin and DRMLs, and 3) prey availability and diet analysis between the main basin of Lake Michigan and DRMLs. With the additional support requested with this proposal, an increased number of samples would be able to be processed with technician support. Additionally, genetic verification of larval alewife will be performed to ensure the larvae being analyzed are not the closely related species Gizzard Shad.