Spiel

Lake Erie water quality worsening March 13. 2010 Charles Slat / www.monroenews.com LaSALLE — Lake Erie was shrouded in fog Friday, but its future waters might be a muddier brown or an eerier bright green due to persistent pollution and climate change, experts suggest. The lake, especially its shallowest western basin bordering Monroe County and northwest Ohio, is suffering from farm-related and other runoff that threatens to return its health to that of the 1970s when it was written off as dead. "We don’t want to be responsible for writing Lake Erie’s obituary again," said Julie Letterhos of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and member of a state phosphorus task force. The group is studying ways to control phosphorus pollution that in recent years has led to bright green toxic algae blooms in the western basin during July and August. Ms. Letterhos is among about 50 environmentalists, watershed groups, government officials, scientists and others attending a public forum this weekend at the North Cape Yacht Club to discuss the challenges facing Lake Erie’s environment. The forum, coordinated for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by the Ohio Environmental Council, ends at noon today and is part of the bi-national Lake Management Plan (LAMP), a collaborative effort to address the waterway’s pressing problems. "Our priority right now deals with issues of nutrient-loading in the western basin," said Daniel O’Riordan, LaMP project manager with EPA. Phosphorus and sediment primarily from farm operations is believed to the biggest contributor to pollution that has produced the algae blooms that turn the lake’s waters into an eerie green during some summer months and can cause skin irritations and sickness for humans and animals who come into contact with it. Dr. Jeffrey Reutter, director of the Ohio Sea Grant and its Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island near Put-in-Bay, said it’s clear that algae blooms are spreading through the lake from the western basin. Toxins in the "microcystis" algae have been found in concentrations in the lake at 60 times the levels recommended by the World Health Organization, he said. "A year ago I said it was primarily a western basin problem," Dr. Reutter said. "That’s wrong. It’s now moved into the central basin." "There’s nothing that we see happening right now that’s going to prevent this from getting worse in the future," he said. The algae form during the warm months due to a combination of phosphorus and sedimentation from runoff that keeps sunlight from killing the blooms. Meanwhile, Dr. Reutter said, climate change probably will mean warmer weather and more frequent and more violent storms, increasing water temperatures, runoff and sedimentation that will cause algae to continue to flourish. Ms. Letterhos said her task force is suggesting that part of the solution should be priority practices for agriculture that will address the amounts, timing, method of application of fertilizer as well as soil testing and better management of runoff. She said it would take innovative approaches to sell the practices to the ag community. Mr. O’Riordan said about $34 million of the $475 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding is planned for educational and alternative practices for agriculture, including strategies such as conservation or buffer strips on farmland to reduce runoff. Dr. Reutter said the lake’s quality has a big economic impact, including effects on the fishing and tourism industries, the cost of water treatment and property values. He said government policies such as open-lake dumping of dredgings, make matters worse. The Army Corps of Engineers has advocated open lake dumping to dispose of dredged spoils from the Toledo harbor. "We have to make some very significant changes," he said. "There’s no doubt the trajectory Lake Erie is on is not a good one."

USA Ice Team wins World Ice Fishing Championship March 14, 2010 By Paul A. Smith / Journal Sentinel Holding fast to its Day 1 lead, the USA Ice Team surprised a field of experienced international anglers and won the 2010 World Ice Fishing Championship in Rhinelander. "We thought we'd be happy with something in the middle of the pack," said team captain Mike McNett of Lombard, Ill. "Tell me I'm not imagining it." There it was, the crystal WIFC first place trophy, as brilliant as the ice of Boom Lakeunder a late winter sun and as solid as the congratulatory hugs of fellow competitors. Murmurs of "USA, USA" rose from the standing room-only crowd in the Hodag Park weigh-in tent as the result became apparent. The U.S. finished first, with 39 points in the International Angling Confederation scoring system. Points are determined by weight of fish caught and the order in which anglers finish in the five daily fishing sections. Competition took place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday on Boom Lake, a flowage on the Wisconsin River. Poland finished second (54 points)and Latvia took third (56). In order, the rest of the finishers were: Russia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Ukraine and Canada. The good news didn't end there for the Americans: Mike Baedeker of Lansing, Mich. took the individual gold medal. He caught 2.630 kilograms of fish and finished first in his Saturday section and third on Sunday; Folke Andersson of Sweden took the silver medal. Results were still being sorted out Sunday afternoon to determine the individual bronze medalist. The U.S. team had a distinct Midwestern accent, including several Wisconsinites. In addition to Boedeker, the American anglers were: Doug Bussian, Columbus, Wis.;Tony Boshold, Carol Stream, Ill.; Billy Whiteside, Eau Claire, Wis.; Myron Gilbert, Brooklyn, Mich; and Bob Esbenson, Palatine, Ill. The team also included coach Greg Wilcznski of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., team captain Mike McNett of Lombard, Ill., International Delegate Joel McDearmon of Tomah, Wis. and directors Chris Ward of Chaska, Minn. and Brian Gaber of Rhinelander, Wis. The home ice advantage clearly helped the U.S. team. The European ice anglers are accustomed to catching more but smaller fish such as roaches and bream. And since ground baiting (the practice of spreading bread crumbs or other food to attract fish) was disallowed by the international judges for the 2010 event, the competitors had to rely only on baited hooks. In addition,Gaber of Rhinelander, a director of the U.S. squad, had spent hundreds of hours mapping the waters of Boom Lake and scouting in advance of the event. But this was only the second time the U.S. had entered a team in the competition. Last year, at the WIFC in Poland, the American finished last. In the annals of international upsets on the ice, it's not likely to be mentioned in the same breath as the U.S. hockey team taking gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. But nobody expected this. "They did what they're good at, catching panfish in highly pressured water under very tough conditions," said WIFC official Lee Young of Green Bay. "Hats off to them." Competitors weighed mostly bluegill and crappie and some yellow perch. Game fish were disallowed. Rules also prohibited power augers and fish finders, underwater cameras or electronics of any kind. Most catches were made on tiny ice jigs tipped with wax worms or spikes. Although most European anglers fished tight to the bottom, Boedeker said he and his U.S. teammates did well by fishing for suspended fish. Young said it was the first world championship in any angling discipline for an American team. "I also think its unprecedented in international competition to go from zeros to heroes in just the span of one year," said Young, an angler with over 25 years of international experience. It was enough to make the Godfather cry. "I don't know if I could be any prouder," said a teary-eyed Dave Gens of St. Cloud, Minn., widely known as the Godfather of modern ice fishing and official ambassador at the WIFC. The fishing conditions were described as "tough," especially Sunday as high pressure and sunny skies moved in. The entire U.S. team, including Doug Bussian of Columbus, Wis. and Bill Whiteside of Eau Claire., turned in impressive performances both days. Bussian placed third in his section Saturday and second Sunday. Whiteside placed second Sunday in Sector A. The atmosphere in the weigh-in tent remained tense as the first three sections were announced. But when Bussian weighed 1.385 kilograms of fish and placed second, the U.S. team members started to believe a win was possible. And when Boedeker, the anchor, weighed 1.495 kilograms and took third in Sector E, the final result was assured. The cramped tent became a sea of hugging parkas as USA Ice Team and several other squads, including Poland, erupted in spontaneous emotion. The WIFC awards no monetary prizes, only team trophies and individual medals. That's not to mention honor, respect and a few other things anglers know well. "Bragging rights for the whole year over some of the best anglers on the planet," said Bussian, a tournament-proven angler who nevertheless carried a penny he found on the ice opening day. "That's going to feel good."

I'm fortunate enough to own one of these beauties thanks to Smitty1 and I'll tell you the largies love it!

LOL.....you is a funny guy Mike.

Meet Arnie, the Terminator Trout with the physique of a body-builder 13th March 2010 Sara Nelson / www.dailymail.co.uk/ I'll be back: The genetically-modified rainbow trout features 'six pack abs' and a prominent dorsal hump Scientists have created a genetically-modified trout with the rippling muscles of a body-builder. The mutant fish is the result of a decade-long effort by Terry Bradley, a professor of fisheries and aquaculture at the University of Rhode Island. The rainbow trout’s enhanced muscle mass is between 15 to 20 per cent higher than that of a standard fish, thanks to Professor Bradley’s research into the inhibition of myostatin, a protein that slows growth. The increased muscle mass will have commercial benefits in that larger fish can be grown without increasing the amount of food they need. While the physical differences in the fish include a prominent dorsal hump, making it look as if it has muscular shoulders, and the appearance of ‘six pack abs’, no differences in behaviour have been noted. Describing the results as ‘stunning’, Professor Bradley told Science Daily: ‘Belgian blue cattle have a natural mutation in myostatin causing a 20 to 25 percent increase in muscle mass, and mice overexpressing myostatin exhibit a two-fold increase in skeletal muscle mass. ‘But fish have a very different mechanism of muscle growth than mammals, so we weren’t certain it was going to work.’ Luckily for Professor Bradley, it did work. The team injected thousands of rainbow trout eggs with various DNA types designed to inhibit myostatin. Of the eggs that hatched, those which carried the gene began to develop ‘body-builder’ physiques. Professor Bradley added: 'The results have significant implications for commercial aquaculture and provide completely novel information on the mechanisms of fish growth. ‘The results also allow for comparisons between the mechanisms of growth of muscle in mammals versus fish, and it could shed light on muscle wasting diseases in humans.' Video

Wow, I need to hone my typing skills.

I'm not sure of the current conditions Chris but I'm sure someone will chime in. The thing to watch for are west winds which can muddy the river and push ice in though I believe the ice boom is still in place. You can Google that info. But you'll still have ice breaking away and drifting around from the lower river. The launch is located at the end of Dumfires Rd. in Queenston, you can Mapquest that. The popular method is to drift with the current using a bow mount mount to slow the boat and control the drift direction. Best advice......don't try to anchor!

Again all I see is walleye, maybe I need new glasses.

That's where I got mine. 2006 Lund with a 4 stroke 75 Mec tiller. Can't offer any personal opinions on the other brands as I've not used them, but thus far my Merc has been an absolute pleasure to own.

Well if you were closer to Hamilton I'd be happy to do it for you but since you're not why not try and do it yourself as Daplumma suggested. It's not difficult and there's plenty of online info and I'd be happy to offer any needed advice.

I'm waiting to see if Tybo gets it.....LMAO Must have been a good party. I wonder if his next 1000 will be "nice fish".

Hahahahaha.....I get it.

Sounds like the perfect icebungalow meal for six Doug. Just saying.

Well since I've seen that you generally wear your lifejacket at all times they'd always be handy.

I sort of recall the early set up. You either had to scale down or get a bigger boat.

Nice morning read Mike, well done. Boy when you decide to test new waters you jump in with both feet. That's a lot of new gear and those jigs look awesome! Congrats on icing a few lakers, they're sweet.

What happened, you get tired of hauling out your TV, VCR and Honda generator.

Wouldn't take much to fashion your own with a good set of pliers Rob. A length of lanyard and a large float of some sort. Hmmmmm, I think I now have a project for a rainy day.....*looks out window*

Hmmmm, all I saw was wallys and smallies.

Given the amount of snow melt in those tracks I'd be hard pressed to even venture a guess.

Apparently about a 1000. dollaramas in Canada

Great Lakes waterfront report: Progress stymied on fish consumption Mar 10 2010 Danielle Emerson / Great Lakes Echo LANSING, Mich. – Michigan officials report at least fair progress in the state’s water quality with the exception of one measure: ensure fish that are safe to eat. The state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment recently detailed five measures of success in efforts to improve water quality. The study –which has measured mercury levels of northern pike in inland waters since 1984 – gave progress in lowering the risk of eating fish a “poor” rating, stating, “There has been essentially no change over time.” But the question remains as to why, in more than 25 years, the ability to ensure safe fish hasn’t improved. Joe Bohr, of the state’s fish contaminant monitoring program, explained, “There hasn’t really been an overall reduction in the atmospheric deposition of mercury.” Maggie Fields, head of the mercury division of its Office of Pollution Prevention and Compliance, said coal-fired power plants are the biggest contributors of mercury in the air. The most direct source of mercury deposits in water, however, is dental amalgam, which dentists use for teeth restorations and dyes. Bohr said fish with the most contaminants are in the western end of the Upper Peninsula, and that although the levels are not as high in the Lower Peninsula, they remain high enough to be a health concern for consumption. Christine Aiello, the DNRE official overseeing the Great Lakes areas of concern for the Clinton, Detroit and St. Clair rivers in southeastern Michigan, said mercury isn’t the biggest problem facing the Clinton River, which discharges into Lake St. Clair. Specifically, the Clinton and St. Clair rivers have PCB contaminants, which contribute to wildlife and fish degradation, or worse, their loss, according to Aiello. “We have as much of a handle on the waste from industrial sources as we can,” said Aiello. Industries seeking to dispose of their waste in a river need state-approved permits detailing which contaminants will be disposed of and how much. Aiello said the department is more concerned with ways to contain contaminants from sources like stormwater runoff and sewage overflows. The fight for Michigan’s water quality is not over, according to Fields. She said the department has seen a reduction of mercury emissions, but not enough. For instance, a 2008 law will require dentists to discharge dental amalgam into a separator that is at least 95 percent efficient when it takes effect full effect in January 2013. Moreover, although mercury in products like thermometers, thermostats and medical instruments is now prohibited, it remains in older equipment. A 2008 law says state agencies should avoid purchasing products containing mercury or mercury compounds, but only if an alternative exists or isn’t too costly. Aiello said the Clinton River Watershed Council submitted four funding proposals to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a project overseen by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. “The projects are mostly for habitat restoration and stormwater education about the best management and practices,” said Michele Arquette-Palermo, watershed and stewardship director of the council. Arquette-Palermo also said the council would use the money to implement a remedial action to remove contaminants from the Clinton River. “A dam removal project is planned for the North Branch of the Clinton River to restore 93 miles of fish passage by reconnecting the main stream of the river to the headwaters,” said Aiello. She added that streambank restoration and soil control measures have been implemented in the watershed to help restore fish and wildlife habitat. DNRE’s Bohr said much is left to do in the regulation and containment of mercury emissions before water quality can get any better. “Even if local sources are reduced, we still have mercury falling out from other sources,” Bohr said. For example, even though fly ash from coal plants is being contained, if it gets reused in cement it will re-emit mercury into the atmosphere. And Fields said, “There’s a lot of interconnection with mercury. For example, if dental amalgam isn’t separated from water, it may settle into a sludge on land, which will continue to emit into the atmosphere and so on.” Legislation to regulate, reduce or eliminate the use of mercury-containing products passed the House, but is stalled in the Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Mature females key to beluga sturgeon survival Hatchery fish unlikely to restore caviar-producing fish populations Rachel Ehrenberg / www.sciencenews.org Pre-caviar Management of the Caspian Sea’s beluga sturgeon population relies heavily on hatchery-bred fish, such as this youngster from a facility in Kazakhstan. The dwindling population would be better boosted by protecting older females, a new analysis finds. The Institute for Ocean Conservation Science Saving grown females first — not fry — is crucial to preventing extinction of the beluga sturgeon, suggests a new conservation assessment of the fish that’s been pushed to the brink by demand for its roe, known as black caviar. Current harvest rates are four to five times higher than the population can handle and management practices must change if the species is to survive, scientists report in an upcoming Conservation Biology. “In this case, it’s a no-brainer,” says fisheries biologist Dylan Fraser of Concordia University in Montreal, who was not involved with the study. “The data are saying if you want to save the species, stop fishing — or drastically reduce it. The evidence is overwhelming.” The new study concludes that current conservation efforts, which rely mostly on introducing young fish bred in hatcheries into the wild, are unlikely to succeed. Instead, it finds the survival of the species depends on protecting the mature females that are most prized for their copious roe. Beluga sturgeon, Huso huso, used to swim the Adriatic, Azov, Black and Caspian seas. But dams, pollution and demand for eggs that sold for $8,000 per kilogram in 2009 have pummeled populations. The fish is gone entirely from parts of its range and is critically endangered in others, but commercial fishing is still allowed in the Caspian Sea. Using life history traits such as age of maturity and population data on the sturgeon that return to the Ural River to spawn, the researchers examined the implications of keeping different age classes of fish in the population. For fishing to have minimal effects, they concluded, sturgeon shouldn’t be harvested until they are at least 31 years old in order to assure the females have had a sufficient chance to produce eggs. Saving mature and nearly adult females was 10 times more effective for maintaining a healthy population than supplementing the population with hatchery fish, says Phaedra Doukakis of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University in New York, who led the study. In fact, Fraser says, introducing hatchery-raised fry may harm the fragile population further, because hatchery stocks derive from only a handful of fish; their genetic blandness could swamp out whatever diversity remains in the existing population. “There’s always the argument that if we are fishing more, we’ll just stock more,” Fraser says, but the new analysis demonstrates that hatchery supplementation “can’t be viewed as a cure-all.” The Caspian Sea sturgeon fishery “has been a bit of a black box,” says Doukakis, who hopes the new analysis will help guide management strategies. Efforts are complicated by the fact that five countries border the Caspian Sea and must work together to manage the fishery. Beluga sturgeons are protected under Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which allows regulated trade. But they are a good candidate for Appendix 1, Doukakis says, which bans all commercial trade of the creature in question. The species’ status is not on the docket for this year’s CITES meeting, which begins March 13 in Doha, Qatar. The animal committee will review the fish’s standing early next year, says David Morgan, chief of the CITES scientific support unit in Geneva.

I did a quick Google search (septic systems and paint) on it Lew and found there are many opposing opinions on this. This question and answer came from allexperts.com Plumbing in the Home - latex paint in septic system Question: what will cleaning latex paint from brushes do to a septic system? Answer: Well Greg, Considering no chemicals should go into a septic system, Any thing beside human waste causes the bacterial growth to die off, and then there is nothing left to get rid of the waste. I do not think a one time brush cleaning is going to ruin your septic system, but I would not make a habit out of it!! Hope this helps!

I think we discussed that handle, yes?