“Given the post-election climate, the AWWA predicts that a proposed Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA) — patterned after the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) — will be the most likely vehicle for federal investment in water infrastructure… While the WIFIA is an important strategy to make large-scale water infrastructure investment more affordable for local communities, the AWWA continues to believe that local rates and charges are the best funding sources.
Category:
In the news: What’s on tap for water policy?
November 29th, 2012 by Irene Miles2012 Chicago Wilderness Conference brings together environmental organizations
November 20th, 2012 by Irene Miles
At the congress, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant was also able to exhibit several education and outreach projects focused on community stewardship, including aquatic invasive species, proper pharmaceutical disposal, and habitat restoration, as well as program initiatives and accomplishments.
IISG’s Kristin TePas summed up the event by saying, “The Chicago Wilderness Congress was a great opportunity to connect with conservation practitioners in the Chicago region and to learn about the various projects occurring locally.”
You can read more about the conference, including detailed presentation descriptions, at the Chicago Wilderness website.
In the news: Search resumes next week for signs of Asian carp
October 11th, 2012 by Irene MilesChicago area waters will be searched again beginning next week for indicators of Asian carp presence near Lake Michigan.
From WTAQ.com:
“Over 170 samples were taken from Chicago’s North Shore Channel from June through September – and 10-percent had the carp’s DNA. The same was true for 17 of 57 samples last month in the nearby Chicago River.
As a result, an actual search for the bloated carp will take place next Tuesday through Friday on the North Shore Channel and a six-mile stretch of the Chicago River west of the city.”
Read the complete article at the link above.
New video offers an introduction to Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
September 28th, 2012 by Irene MilesIn the news: Chicago Canal not the only potential path for Asian carp
September 6th, 2012 by Irene Miles“At the top of that list of secondary pathways is an area in northern Indiana called Eagle Marsh, which separates the Mississippi basin’s Wabash River from the Maumee River basin that feeds Lake Erie. The two watersheds have a history of merging in extreme rains, so to reduce the threat of carp making the jump into Lake Erie, the federal government has erected a fence between them.”
Green infrastructure helping cities manage more than water
August 27th, 2012 by Irene Miles“Gray infrastructure is the system of pipes and ditches that channel storm water. Green infrastructure is the harnessing of the natural processes of trees and other vegetation — so-called ecosystem services — to carry out the functions of the built systems. Green infrastructure often intercepts the water before it can run into streets and become polluted and stores the water for gradual release through percolation or evapotranspiration. Trees also clean dirty water through natural filtering functions.Advocates say green infrastructure isn’t just about being green — it makes financial sense, as well. Its cost-effectiveness depends on how benefits are assigned and valued, and over how long a time scale, but green has been shown to be cheaper than gray.”
Aquaponics and food farming take over abandoned Chicago factory
August 6th, 2012 by Irene Miles“The transformation is already underway and over the next few years, the factory will become a zero-energy, food business incubator, research facility, education space, and working urban farm. Plant Chicago is already growing greens and mushrooms and will soon start brewing beer and kombucha and raising tilapia in a sustainable system with zero waste.”
In the news: New Illinois law helps prevent spread of AIS
August 2nd, 2012 by Irene MilesAs an amendment to the Boater Registration and Safety Act signed into law by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, aquatic plants and animals would need to be removed from seaplanes and watercraft before moving between bodies of water. The requirement is an important step in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species throughout the state of Illinois, as well as between states and bodies of water where these vehicles might travel.
Keeping Lake Michigan safe for everyone this summer
June 1st, 2012 by Irene Miles“…the National Weather Service’s Chicago office in Romeoville, Ill., and the Northern Indiana office teamed up with beach operators to enhance predicting and warning of rip currents along Lake Michigan’s beaches in an effort to reduce drowning deaths.In addition to modeling to predict rip currents, forecasters now have the help of lifeguards at beaches at Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton, Washington Park in Michigan City, Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, Mich., and Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph, Mich. The lifeguards report water conditions twice daily and can see the rip currents in the water from their guard stands.”
Recent News
- Meet our Grad Student Scholars: Lena Azimi
- Spring brings a program review as well as education and outreach opportunities
- Public comments sought for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant review
- Illinois Indiana Sea Grant announces new coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist
- Meet our Grad Student Scholars: Haribansha Timalsina
IISG Instagram
Applications are open! Graduate student applicants can request up to $10,000 to support research expenses, graduate student stipends, travel, or other activities that help expand the scholarly or societal impact of their research.
One of IISG’s long-term goals is to help build a community of researchers and outreach professionals focused on critically important Lake Michigan issues. The IISG Scholars programs are designed to help build this community by introducing researchers to the issues and the individuals, organizations, and communities that are affected by them.
Applications due April 9th.
Learn more about this opportunity at the link in bio.

Join us for a seminar on the latest fish biology, ecology, and fisheries science happening in Lake Michigan.
Speaker will include:
-Anna Hill (Purdue) with an update on alewife diet and growth rates in Lake Michigan
-Charlie Roswell (INHS) with an update on Lake Michigan and Calumet River smallmouth bass movement
-Dan Makauska (IL DNR) with an update from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Learn more and register at the link in bio.

Tune into a new episode of the Everyday Environment Podcast featuring IISG Great Lakes Contaminants Specialist, Sarah Zack! Plastics, medications, and cleaning products might seem harmless at home—but once they enter our waterways, they can become contaminants of emerging concern.
In Everyday Environment’s recent blog and podcast, Sarah shares how everyday choices can help reduce pollution and protect aquatic ecosystems.
Tune into the podcast and check out the blog at the link in bio.

Calling all 6-12th grade educators! Only 5 days left to register! Join us for a FREE hands-on workshop exploring the lessons of the new Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum at the Dunes Learning Center on April 15.
Get your feet wet (literally!) with crayfish sampling on the Little Calumet River, learn from an expert aquatic ecologist, and master GIS technology to log scientific data. Participants should come prepared for outdoor learning and bring a laptop for classroom activities.
The workshop is open to formal and non-formal educators, with a registration deadline of April 1. Space is limited, so register today at the link in bio.

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