This report serves as a scoping exercise to document a qualitative analysis of community members’ views on sediment remediation in an Area of Concern (AOC). Currently, few studies of qualitative analyses on remediation projects in AOCs exist. A qualitative analysis highlights and provides an in-depth, detailed picture of how a cleanup is perceived by those who are most affected by it. This qualitative study was conducted in the Sheboygan River AOC in Wisconsin. Data were collected in interview sessions with eleven community members representing different stakeholder groups and analyzed using a coding scheme derived from interview transcriptions. The analysis revealed five key findings: 1) The Sheboygan River was viewed as an asset but has a negative stigma, 2) Depth was the primary concern of the interviewees regarding Sheboygan River, 3) Interviewees believed remediation will result in economic revitalization, 4) The interviewees were mixed in their regard to fish advisories and as to how the remediation will impact fish populations, and 5) Quality of life and aesthetic value were also viewed as potential improvements resulting from the remediation, but the connections were weakly or indirectly made. The findings provided recommendations for gaining support for a cleanup from local stakeholders. Furthermore, the findings encouraged better education to the public on the relationship between the cleanup and fish health. Lastly, suggestions were made for future study design and implementation.

Handout overview of the impact of Sea Grant programs

Water level variability in Lake Michigan, such as the rapid 6 ft rise between record lows in 2013 to near highs in 2020, had substantial impacts along the southern Lake Michigan coast, forcing communities to quickly respond and plan for future changes. To help address this challenge, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) hosted a series of four virtual workshops in October 2020, focused on improving communication about water level variability along the Lake Michigan coast of Illinois and Indiana. This factsheet summarizes the need, goals, and outcomes of the workshop series, and highlights key resources developed by IISG to address prioritized datasets and outreach products identified in the workshops.

References:

1. V.M. Fall and C.J. Foley. 2020. Virtual Workshop Series: Improving Communication About Changing Lake Michigan Water Levels in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, Workshop Summary. 25 pp. URL: https://iiseagrant.org/publications/virtual-lake-levels-workshop-report/
2. V.M. Fall and A. Milicia. 2021. Ready for Lake Michigan Highs and Lows: Strategies and Case Studies, Storymap. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Publication Number IISG21-RCE-WEB-049. URL: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/356d9776b3db4dabb23d624d9e2b6837
3. Fall, Veronica and Allison Milicia. Increasing Illinois and Indiana Shoreline Resilience: Information A to Z. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Report Number IISG21-RCE-RSM-058. https://iiseagrant.org/publications/increasing-illinois-and-indiana-shoreline-resilience-information-a-to-z.
4. US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District Website. Great Lakes Water Level Data. URL: https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Great-Lakes-Information/Great-Lakes-Information-2/Water-Level-Data/

A series of classroom-tested, electronically available activities designed to be used by teachers and informal educators in grades 6-12.

This publication discusses the benefits of several agricultural best management practices for protecting or improving water quality. These BMPs are used in the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment model in the Tipping Point Planner decision support system.

It is available through the Purdue Extension Education Store at https://edustore.purdue.edu/FNR-581-W.html.

This is the sixth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. (See Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, and Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fish Fact Sheet). The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Zesty Grilled Paddlefish.

References:

1. National Audubon Society. 2002. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes. Chanticleer Press, Inc.
2. Stickney, R.R. 1996. Aquaculture in the United States, A Historical Survey. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 372.
3. Zhang, H., Jarić, I., Roberts, D.L., He, Y., Du, H., Wu, J., Wang, C., and Wei, Q. 2020. Extinction of one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes: Lessons for conserving the endangered Yangtze fauna. Science of The Total Environment, 710, 136242. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136242.
4. Herring, J. L., & Mims, S. D. (2015). Paddlefish Food Products. In Paddlefish Aquaculture (pp. 179-208). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
5. Dasgupta, S., Onders, R.J., Gunderson, D.T. and Mims, S.D. (2004), Methylmercury Concentrations Found in Wild and Farm-raised Paddlefish. Journal of Food Science, 69: fct122-fct125.