The goal of the proposed pilot research study is to investigate the feasibility of utilizing dredged material collected from a single source along southern Lake Michigan area (stockpiled next to Calumet Harbor in coordination with USACE) as a substitute of sand in a unique sustainable construction material called flowable fill. The research will use laboratory-based performance tests on a set of flowable fill mixes prepared by substituting sand with different percentages of flowable fill. Then, flowable fill mixes and cylindrical specimens will be tested for flow, setting time and compressive strength using standard molding/test methods. The potential products of the proposed study are a thorough literature review report, laboratory testing results/analysis in the form of manuscript for conference proceeding, and an external grant proposal.

Wetlands provide ecosystem services critical to the well-being of human populations, yet they have undergone massive loss and degradation. Illinois and Indiana alone have lost 85-90% of their historical wetland extent, which could impact the region’s resilience to climatic events and stressors. In response, agencies are dedicating substantial resources to restoring wetlands and their ecological functions. However, maintaining high quality, resilient habitats in human-dominated landscapes is challenging. Current literature reports a wide range of response to restoration interventions. Gathering long-term, consistent data on restored and protected wetlands is key to advancing our understanding of the root causes of this variability. This project will identify remote sensing-based indicators of vegetation composition and ecological functions to facilitate the consistent and large-scale monitoring of Lake Michigan wetlands. As a result, the project will generate three outputs aligned with the strategic goals of the IISG: (1) a literature review, to be published in a peer-review journal, summarizing current knowledge on the relationships between remote sensing-based indicators and transformations in plant communities; (2) a detailed script and tutorial, to be made available to scholars and stakeholders, showing users how to derive indicators of wetland health and recovery from free remote sensing datasets; and (3) a case study in a subsample of wetlands to serve as a proof of concept for the larger proposal.   

While there is an emerging consensus on the climate risks faced by different areas of the country, there is a profound lack of information on how local governments are responding to these risks. This proposal begins to fill the information gap by funding a faculty-student team to assist local officials in Indiana counties bordering Lake Michigan to complete the Hoosier Resilience Index Readiness Assessment (HRA). This instrument, developed by research staff at Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI), offers unique insight into the local response to climate risks, facilitating analysis of the political, social, and economic factors that shape policy decisions. 

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. 

• Determine the concentrations and speciation of PFAS in important Lake Michigan sportfish
• Evaluate dietary routes for PFAS exposure from prey to predator fish using δ15N and δ13C stable isotopes along with PFAS speciation
• Assess the relationship between total fluorine and PFAS concentrations to determine the full extent of the PFAS problem
• Compare observed PFAS concentrations in fish from Illinois-Indiana waters to other areas such as inland Michigan waterways where PFAS are known to be a problem

• Determine the effectiveness of the current electric barriers and proposed carbon dioxide barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System at deterring the passage of invertebrate species from a wide range of taxonomic groups
• Determine whether different voltages and frequencies of electricity affect the effectiveness of the electric barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System at deterring species passage
• Determine whether different concentrations of carbon dioxide affect the effectiveness of proposed carbon dioxide barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System at deterring species passage.