Feb 21
In the Milwaukee Harbor, a 500 foot section of breakwall has been re-designed to support fish. It’s made of huge boulders that fish can hide between. Then it’s covered by a layer of smaller rocks that create habitat for prey. John Janssen of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee studies life on this breakwall. He’s found …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/green-infrastructure/breakwalls-do-more-than-protect-harbors-from-waves/
Feb 20
When excess fertilizer or manure washes off farm fields, it can contaminate water that supplies nearby cities. But farmers may hesitate to change their ways because it can affect the bottom line. Using less fertilizer can reduce crop yields. And other solutions such as buffer strips may require taking land out of production. So the …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/stormwater-management/bridging-an-urban-rural-divide-in-the-midwest/
Feb 19
An aggressive little fish is threatening to disturb ecosystems throughout the Great Lakes. The Eurasian Ruffe is recognizable by its long spiny dorsal fin and frowning mouth. It’s native to Northern Europe and Asia, and made its first appearance in Lake Superior in the 1980s, probably after catching a ride on a freighter from Europe. …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/creature-features/a-ruffe-road-ahead-for-the-great-lakes/
Feb 18
In the 1880s, Muskegon was known as the Lumber Queen of the Midwest. “Around Muskegon Lake where it enters Lake Michigan, there were 47 sawmills,” says Kathy Evans of the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission. She says other industries set up shop along the lake too, replacing natural lakefront ecosystems with a hardened shoreline dominated …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/development/from-mills-to-meadows-in-muskegon-michigan/
Feb 17
The city of Milwaukee is working to transform its industrial harbor into a bustling waterfront district that attracts anglers, boaters, and wildlife lovers. “But not a lot of people know exactly what’s going on underneath the water,” says Brennan Dow. While a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Dow was part of a project working …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/development/mapping-what-lies-beneath/
