While environmental protection can sometimes feel like a constant, uphill battle, taking part in river and shoreline clean ups not only improves the ecosystems around us but help to educate the public about the importance of environmental stewardship. It also gives volunteers a sense of connection to their community and environment that is too often lost in our busy, modern lives.

If you have any doubts about the power and impact local communities can have on their beloved rivers and lakes, just ask Friends of the Thames River President, Todd Sleeper, what he thinks about community action. Sleeper has been organizing the Thames River clean ups every year for the past decade and has seen a tremendous growth of involvement in the efforts to clean up the Thames River watershed.

The Thames River has not always had such great caretakers. Despite its historical significance in the lives of the First Nations, the formation of Canada, and the War of 1812, Sleeper remembers living through the noticeable decline in the Thames’ health in his adolescence.

“I grew up on the Thames River watershed,” said Sleeper. “A tributary, Fish Creek, ran through our family farm and was our playground. By the time I was a teenager we noticed that the health of the creek and Thames River were deteriorating. Poor water quality meant we couldn’t swim in the Thames or eat the fish we caught. There was garbage and debris in the water, along the banks throughout the watershed. People were abusing and neglecting our most precious natural resource – water.”

This river, once known to the First Nations as the Antlered River or Auskunessippi was in need of serious help. It was at this point Sleeper began talking throughout his community, contacting over 100 local groups and organizations. These conversations evolved into the first Thames River Cleanup in 2000.

With the help of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and 150 volunteers, 25 miles of the Thames River was cleaned up the first year. Word of old boats, vehicles, hundreds of tires, tons of recyclables, bikes, and furniture being pulled out of the river compelled sponsors to come forward and help.

Nova Craft Canoe, General Motors, General Dynamics, the Canadian Auto Workers, CAMI Automotive and Labatt’s Breweries have offered both supplies and cash donations to ensure the continued success of the annual clean ups. Today, the Thames River Clean Up includes over 2,000 volunteers in 15 communities that span a distance of over 200 km (140 miles).

This personal commitment in volunteers fosters an intimate relationship with a specific ecosystem that can grow into a lifelong bond. These deep connections are passed on for generations in a community, ensuring lasting protection for these waterways.

In the end, for Sleeper and the other volunteers of the Thames River Clean up, it comes down to the relationship these communities have with the river. The Thames River, now a part of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, has played an integral role in the formation of their communities, their lives, and even their country. “The Thames and other rivers are how Canada was built. There weren’t roads. You followed the river. Rivers created communities, not the other way around.”

With the help of the Thames River Clean Up, this river and its watershed will again be cherished by its communities for generations to come.

For information on how to get involved in the Thames River Clean Up check out
www.thamesrivercleanup.com.

The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network focuses on the widest and longest of the Finger Lakes, Cayuga Lake. The Lake is 38 miles (61 kilometers) long and up to 435 feet (132 meters) deep. That’s nearly 200 feet (60 meters) deeper than Lake Erie’s deepest point. Its no wonder why the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network’s over 430 members work so hard to protect this amazing lake.

For Executive Director Hilary Lambert, one of the best ways for the Network to achieve its goals is to work with the residents along the shores of the lake. As many of these communities face continued population and development growth, Lambert stresses the importance of helping them to solve the water quality problems they want to tackle.

Since it was founded in 1997, the Network has worked to bring together the six counties and 49 municipalities within the Cayuga Lake Watershed to collaboratively develop planning and water monitoring databases and documents. This provides the backbone to ensuring sustainable development and tackling obstacles like problematic septic systems, the overuse of lawn and fertilizer chemicals, and the proliferation of aquatic weeds.

To address these problems, the Network has employed a variety of outreach and awareness initiatives. Lambert described the ‘traveling road show’ that the Network uses to visit and educate the public. “The topic of lake levels is a hot button issue, especially for lakeside residents,” Lambert said. “This one gets a lot of folks to come out and spend an evening learning more about our beautiful lake.”

In addition to the road show, the Network has hosted two conferences this past year on both ends of the lake. On the north end, the conference focused on aquatic plants, both native and introduced, while the conference on the southern end highlighted the sources and role of phosphorus in the lake.

This spring, the Network will leverage the rise in awareness and bring people onto the water for a lakewide cleanup. Lambert hopes to involve people in as many of the lake’s 34 major sub-watersheds as possible by working with scouts, churches, schools, and community groups.

The traveling show, conferences, and cleanups are part of an overall strategy to increase awareness among basin residents. Lambert and the Network want residents to realize that there are methods available to protect the lakes; but they have to be used. For Lambert, the single most important factor influencing effective protection of any waterbody is the enforcement of existing laws and regulations. Unfortunately, this can also be the single most difficult factor to achieve. Through its outreach and advocacy, however, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network is making great strides towards reaching that goal.

At the heart of the Network’s work is the understanding of interconnection, shared responsibility, and awareness. “We are linked together in the Great Lakes Basin,” Lambert explains, “and we all need to work together to protect our most valuable, irreplaceable resource: clean water.”

Fast Facts

Name: The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network

Member Since: September, 2009

Location: Aurora, New York

Mission: The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network identifies key threats to Cayuga Lake and its watershed, and it advocates for solutions that support a healthy environment and vibrant communities.
Reason for joining Great Lakes United: We are all linked together in the Great Lakes Basin and we all need to work together to protect our most valuable, irreplaceable resource: clean water.

Website: //www.cayugalake.org/

Contact:
Hilary Lambert
315-364-2992
steward@cayugalake.org

The lands that drain into the Great Lakes are also immense. At over 200,000 square miles (520,000 square kilometres), they are home to over 40 million people and their social and industrial activity. This has led to colossal challenges that include water and air pollution, climate change, disputes over water allocation, and invasive species.

The region, however, contains a third massive reality: headwaters. Gentle rain that pools in depressions and gathers into tiny streams that babble through forests and meadows are infinitesimal compared to the Great Lakes. Yet these waters nurse the biological diversity of our wetland complexes, filter into and out of aquifers, and provide the sources of our streams, groundwater, rivers, and of course the Lakes. In fact, headwaters form both an intricate and delicate web of life and the foundation of everything downstream.

Every drop of water that flows into the Great Lakes begins in the region’s headwaters.

Consider depictions of the potential impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes. Headlines tend to focus on impacts such as lower water levels, reduced cargo capacity in freighters, stranded docks, the dredging of marinas, and the cost of moving municipal intake pipes. Additional impacts occur across the region. We tend to put these in human terms, from less or more water availability for human consumption, to impacts on agriculture, forests, and winter recreation.

While these challenges are serious, we must not separate the lakes and their basin from the web of headwater ecology.

Damaged forests, whether from fire or pests, would alter infiltration rates, stream flow, and water chemistry. Disappearing wetlands would eliminate valuable habitat. Reduced ice cover or changes in spring run-off would disrupt fish breading and hatchling requirements. Temperature change might shift cold-water fisheries into warm water fisheries, but the timing of temperature change might also mean that bugs or seeds won’t be available when birds need them most.

Consider the impact of these potential outcomes on Lake Superior. Lake Superior has a refresh rate of 1 per cent per year. If the recharge rate suddenly dropped by 10 per cent, the impact on the Lake would be visible in a relatively short period of time. Upstream headwater impacts, however, would have already taken place, and likely not in as uniform a manner as can be demonstrated by a fallen water level. What might we have lost? Regional forests? Wetlands? Streams? Groundwater? Species? By the time the drop in Lake Superior levels had been noticed, the damage to the lake’s headwaters could be dramatic and irreversible.

The health of the Great Lakes must be protected. To do so, we must consider all of the components of the regional ecosystem: the lakes themselves, the basin, and the headwaters. To ignore, drain, or pollute our headwaters is to set in motion consequences that will ripple throughout the entire region. We must cherish and protect them as much as we do the Great Lakes themselves.

Member Bio:

Name: The Ontario Headwaters Institute

Formed: 2003

Recent Effort: “Preserving Ontario’s Freshwater”, a March 2009 symposium with over 100 attendees

Current Project: “Preserving Ontario’s Headwaters”, a 20-minute power-point and slide presentation to be ready in the fall of 2009
Website: www.ohwi.ca

To commemorate the signing —and the hundred years of water cooperation it ushered—the Consulate General of Canada, the United States Consulate General, and the International Joint Commission are hosting Boundary Waters Week from June 5 to 14 in Niagara Falls, New York and Ontario.

During the week in June, communities along the Niagara River and the Boundary Waters Treaty Centennial Committee will host a series of water-themed conferences, festivals, exhibits and events featuring distinguished environmental speakers and dignitaries. Highlights include a special ceremony on the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls on Saturday, June 13.

To help mark the event, Great Lakes United is hosting several activities during the Boundary Waters Week, including a workshop for activists working on cleaning up toxic hotspots, a tour of environmental hotspots along the Niagara River, and a meeting of the coalition to discuss campaigns for 2009.

In a release, Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter, Honorary Chair of the Boundary Waters Treaty Centennial Committee said, “This summer we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world’s first environmental agreement, the Boundary Waters Treaty. To this day, this historic accord remains a model of binational governance and a guide for two countries working to protect their shared natural resources for future generations.”

Her comments were supported by Niagara Falls, Ontario, Mayor Ted Salci, who is also an honourary chair of the committee: “Municipalities along the Niagara are pleased to honour this treaty by seeking new ways to protect, preserve and celebrate ‘our shared waters.’ ”

Henry was one of the first highly respected scientists in the Great Lakes region to recognize the important role of citizens and non-government organizations in the protection of the Great Lakes. He had the courage to step out of the ivory tower of academia and to actively participate alongside citizens at a time when insulation and distance was the norm.

But, not only did he participate in the political process himself, he emboldened the NGO community to expand the boundaries of citizen participation.

As citizens campaigned for broader public participation, Henry was always on the backs of activists goading them to push that much harder for the rights that the public deserve.

Since 1966 Henry has been teaching and researching at the University of Toronto until retiring in 1995. In 1989, he rose to become director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the university. He has served on the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board of the International Joint Commission  and as a commissioner on the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. He was also a lead author of the fisheries chapter for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 1995 report.

At the local level, Henry has worked closely with citizen groups who have fought to clean up the contamination at the former Uniroyal Chemical site in Elmira, Ontario. The site, which produced plastic explosive stabilizers during World War II, Agent Orange, and other rubber and agricultural chemicals, is responsible for contaminating the aquifers that lie beneath the plant. In 1990, the community switched to a piped source of water after the groundwater contamination was detected. Regier’s efforts in Elmira have helped to protect hundreds of thousands of people, as he worked to prevent the contamination from reaching a tributary of the Grand River.

The role of highly respected scientists, like Henry, as agents of change must not be undervalued. While his contributions as a researching scientist are remarkable, it must also be said that Henry’s work laid the foundation for integrating the ecosystem approach in the governance and management of our shared water resources. Add to this an unwavering support for women’s and aboriginal leadership, a humorous tendency to create fresh vocabulary to describe new ideas, and a true and honest humility, and you begin to glimpse the person.

Henry has said that he considers this award granted to a single man on behalf of all those he has worked with. “Two months after being struck by this particular lightning bolt I’m more convinced than ever that I’m the ‘designated recipient’ for you all.”

In recognition of the honour, the Kitchener-Waterloo Record opined, “Great athletes, famous artists, successful business people, our pre-eminent politicians—all have been honoured by the Order of Canada. This newspaper can think of no more worthy recipient than a scientist named Henry Regier who, with far less public acclaim, has devoted his life to preserving the planet. That, after all, is home to us all. Unless it is maintained, unless it is preserved, nothing else matters.”

Citizens Concerned for Michipicoten Bay fear that development may potentially threaten lake water quality, air quality, fish and wildlife habitat, future potential use of the bay as a destination for adventure tourism, and enjoying the quiet use of their residential property. They have spearheaded efforts to educate area residents and decision makers about these concerns and engage citizens in public comment opportunities.

Many residents and visitors to the Wawa–Michipicoten Bay area are not convinced that several potentially serious environmental, economic, and social issues have been adequately addressed. As a result, Citizens Concerned for Michipicoten Bay has taken steps to legally challenge permitting decisions and what is allowable under local zoning. Currently, several unresolved issues brought up during the public comment period have been turned over to the Ontario Municipal Board for a hearing. Citizens Concerned for Michipicoten Bay intends to go to the Ontario Municipal Board Hearing to resolve their objections to the quarry proposal and to the municipal re-zoning for the quarry property.

The costs of this hearing to protect Michipicoten Bay are high, you can help by making a donation to Citizens Concerned for Michipicoten Bay.  Just go to: http://www.ccmb.ca/content/donations.html.

“Seaway acts to flush Great Lakes invaders”
– Muskegon Chronicle, May 6, 2008

After years of watching new invasive species arrive in the ballast tanks of ocean ships, the St. Lawrence Seaway has finally put in place measures to address ships that arrive in the Great Lakes with “no ballast on board” but still harboring residual water—and invaders—at the bottom of their tanks. In addition to ballasted ships flushing their tanks out in the open sea, these ships are now also required to flush, killing or purging many invaders that may be lurking. While this is not an 100% effective measure, and we must continue to press towards ships meeting national discharge standards, it represents a significant step forward in protecting the Great Lakes.

“IJC abandons gutless plan for dam”
– Great Lakes News, online edition, September 18, 2008

Activists from across the region rallied to prevent the International Joint Commission from implementing a management plan for the Moses-Saunders Dam that would have damaging effects on coastal habitat. “Plan 2007” would maintain the status quo for managing Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River levels. American Rivers has suggested that these management practices have made the St. Lawrence one of America’s most threatened rivers. The IJC is now working on a broader, more inclusive, process for developing a water levels plan that would benefit the environment after suffering 50 years of damage.

“Montreal Selects New Sewage Treatment Technology”

On January 30, 2008, the city of Montreal announced that, after years of study, ozone will be the disinfection technology implemented at its sewage treatment plant. According to the Mayor of Montreal, Gérald Tremblay, it is a big step forward in improving the water quality of the St. Lawrence River and for the benefit of Montrealers and residents downstream.

The ozone technology meets the requirements of Montreal wastewater, in addition to dealing with emerging substances. The Montréal sewage treatment plant treats 2.5 million cubic meters of water daily, about 50 per cent of all wastewater in Quebec. From the perspective of sustainability, this disinfection process takes into account the elimination of viruses and bacteria, emerging new compounds, including pharmaceuticals and surfactants (detergents).

“Congress Passes Great Lakes Legacy Act”
–Targeted News Service, October 1, 2008

Before adjourning for the fall, Congress reauthorized the Great Lakes Legacy Act, providing $54 million per year to clean up toxic pollution across the region. Funding from the legislation is being used to clean up such pollution as contaminated sediments Indiana’s Grand Calumet River (an Area of Concern) and Milwaukee’s Kinnickinnic River.

Congress passes historic Great Lakes protection
– Great Lakes News, online edition, September 23, 2008

After seven years of negotiating the agreements and passing them in the eight Great Lakes states, Ontario, and Quebec, the Great Lakes Compact and its sister international agreement became law this fall. The agreements represent the strongest protections in Great Lakes history against harmful diversions and introduce strict conservation standards for the regions most wasteful water users.

“Minnesota Voters in 2008 Approve $5.5 Billion to Protect Land and Water”
Marketwatch, November 5, 2008

The Clean Water, Wildlife and Cultural Heritage and Natural Area amendment to Minnesota’s constitution was passed on November 4, raising $300 million every year for 25 years. The funds will go toward cleaning up polluted waters and lands, establishing conservation easements, and other projects to ensure a environmental legacy for future Minnesotans.

Helene Kershner accepts the John Manty Award in the memory of her late
husband, Bruce. Presenting the award to honour the long-time forest
activist is John Jackson.
Photo credit: Brent Gibson

At a June 6 ceremony on the Buffalo waterfront co-hosted by Great Lakes United and the Canadian Consulate, Great Lakes United gave the eleventh John Manty Award to the late Bruce Kershner.

His wife Helene received the award in his memory and offered an impassioned plea for citizens across the region to follow-up on Bruce’s work to protect our ancient trees and forests. Many of his friends and co-workers were in the audience. Bruce is remembered for his love of wild places and his dedication to ensuring everyone knew how special and how worthy of protection these places are.

Bruce was an environmentalist, author, forest ecologist, and former staff person for Great Lakes United. He was a renowned authority on old growth forests, documenting hundreds of ancient trees and forests in eastern North America, where previously no one thought they had existed. He documented New York State’s oldest forest and the largest assemblage of old growth forest in the Niagara River and Escarpment corridor on both the Canadian and U.S. sides. Bruce published a dozen books and ancient forest guides, including a gem entitled, Secret Places: Scenic Treasures of Western New York and Southern Ontario. This book is hoped to be republished soon.

Bruce was committed to maximizing public involvement in protecting the old growth forest by ensuring people’s love for those special places. Bruce was constantly leading people into the forest. A trip with Bruce infected people with a love and respect for the remnants of ancient forests that need to be preserved. And it turned them into activists determined to protect those places.

Bruce died in February 2007 from esophageal cancer. In addition to his accomplishments above, we at Great Lakes United remember him as a dedicated staff member who helped us find the path we tread today.

The John Manty Award is given to people who have shown broad vision, a commitment to the grassroots, and a focus on networking. If you know someone who should be considered for this award contact John Jackson at jjackson@glu.org.

It is thought that the lights of tall buildings confuse the navigation systems of birds unlucky enough to have these buildings in their flight path. They circle the buildings repeatedly and die of exhaustion or by colliding directly with the building. According to scientists at the Field Museum in Chicago, these deaths could be reduced by 80% if the building lights were simply turned off.

The Detroit Audubon Society is requesting building organizations, government agencies, and property owners to reduce the carnage by turning off lights in tall buildings – on the 5th floor and above – from 11:00 p.m. to dawn, from the second weekend in March through May, and from the second weekend in August through October.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm showed her support by issuing a proclamation naming “Safe Passage Great Lakes Days” from March 15 to May 31, and August 15 to October 31. Detroit Audubon is gratified to receive support from DTE Energy and Ford Motor Company as well.

In spearheading “Project Safe Passage,” Detroit Audubon is following the lead of cities such as Chicago, New York, and Toronto, which have similar programs. Toronto became the first North American city to dim tall building lights during spring and fall bird migrations. Chicago was the first United States city to follow suit. Michigan can become the first state to demonstrate its concern in a similar way. However, it is not just a matter of saving the lives of avian migrants. Keeping those lights on means using a good deal of electricity, and that costs money. Further, the electricity used has an environmental cost: the generation of that electricity means that power plants are in operation, which contributes to air pollution.

So by turning out those lights, not only will birds be spared, but money and energy will also be saved, and pollution will be reduced. It can be a win-win-win situation, for the environment, for building owners and managers, and for the birds.

Detroit Audubon welcomes the support of Michigan Audubon in the effort to inform people throughout our state of the benefits of simply turning out lights during the bird migration season. Several of the bird species at risk from these night-time lights are declining in population. We can help reduce that risk by removing one major hazard.

What you can do

To a bird, a window is an invisible killer. One out of every two birds that collide with a window will die. There are steps that you can take to help steer birds clear of this danger.

• Place birdbaths and feeders close to windows within 12 inches. Birds will fly to the attractions and stop before hitting the window.
• Put up a physical barrier, such as a mosquito net or screen, outside of windows.
• Create an unnatural pattern to the birds by spacing vertical blinds or bamboo stripping on the inside of the window.
• Remove houseplants and Christmas trees from windows as they present an illusion of the outdoors.
• Break up reflections by covering the window with cloth, ribbons, paper, or decals.
• Turn your lights off lights or close your shades between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the fall and spring migrations from March 15 to May 31 and from August 15 to October 31.
• Encourage cities and downtown buildings to take part in Project Safe Passage.

Joe Bartell is a past president of the Detroit Audubon Society. He is a member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, in addition to many other world conservation and birding organizations.

“This ranking should be a wake-up call to all who care about the St. Lawrence River and the diversity of its plants, wildlife and fish. We must change the rules by which decisions are made as to how much water is allowed to flow through the hydro dam at Cornwall-Massena,” said John Jackson of Great Lakes United.

American Rivers points to the Moses-Saunders Dam near Cornwall, Ontario and Massena, New York as a key threat to the River. Built nearly 50 years ago, environmental considerations were not part of the planning process. As a result, the plan does not allow for the natural variability essential for a healthy river, but instead significantly limits the range of water level fluctuations.

“The environment of the St. Lawrence River is a vital part of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem, but so often is treated as an afterthought in water management plans,” said Jackson.

The International Joint Commission is currently reviewing the management plan for the dam and the way it will control river flow. Earlier this spring, the IJC recommended an option that would essentially maintain the status quo that has prevailed for the past half century.

Many environmental and conservation organizations within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region point to a different option – Plan B+ – as a better solution from the IJC’s recommendation. Proponents argue that this plan provides the best balance between the environment, navigation, and hydro power needs.

“Plan B+ is the only plan that will deliver a healthy Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River,” said Jennifer Caddick of Save The River. “It delivers environmental benefits by allowing the natural variability necessary for healthy wetlands, which has been lacking in the last 50 years of water levels management.”

On April 23 the government of Ontario announced their support of Plan B+. Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield said that the Ontario government believes that plan B+ “takes steps toward emulating the natural flow pattern of water flow and level variability that existed before the dam was built in the 1950s.” She also stated that they felt that Plan B+ better balances the needs of the other interests with the needs of the natural system than does the proposal put forward by the IJC.

The International Joint Commission is currently undergoing public consultation on their proposed plan. The consultation period ends on July 11.

Since the dam’s completion in 1958, the ecosystem of the St. Lawrence River has suffered substantial losses to its globally significant biodiversity due to unnatural and damaging water levels regulation. Water levels have been artificially constrained causing a loss of biodiversity in coastal wetlands and significant impacts to many fish species and nesting water birds.

The St. Lawrence River is vital to the high quality of life enjoyed by those who live along its banks and it is home to a rich diversity of fish and wildlife species. Yet, so long as an antiquated management plan remains in place, the vibrance of this ecosystem will continue to fade, with serious consequences for the people and animals who depend on the river.