Currents January 2013

Many local fisherman don’t think of the college campuses as prime fishing grounds but multiple Steelhead Trout were recently caught on the University of Toledo’s campus in the Ottawa River. According to Matt Markey, The Toledo Blade Outdoors Editor, the Steelhead Trout spends its summers in Lake Erie and in streams in the colder months, preferring  cool, clean waters. Catching a Steelhead Trout in the Ottawa River indicates that more selective fish, like the trout, are able to survive where they couldn’t before.

The improvements in habitat are possibly due to the multiple habitat restoration projects, including dam removals, recently completed along the Ottawa River. The Ottawa River has had many habitat restoration projects in the recent years and the River seems to be responding well. Our congratulations goes to the successful fisherman. We look forward to many more success stories like this one to demonstrate how productive and healthy our local rivers and streams can be. The complete story of the remarkable catch was highlighted in Matt Markey’s recent article  "Steelhead big man on UT campus" found in the Toledo Blade.

Researchers from the State University of New York have recently found startlingly high concentrations of micro-plastics in eastern Lake Erie. This study is part of a global endeavor to understand the origin and prevalence of plastic pollution in waters worldwide in cooperation with the Los Angeles-based 5 Gyres Institute. According to the research, some of the samples taken in Lake Erie had plastic concentrations three times higher than anywhere else in the world.

Because of the geology of the Great Lakes and Lake Erie, the plastic collects in eastern Lake Erie, like a bathtub collects dirt at one end. The plastics that were found during the research came from various sources, such as facial scrubs and larger pieces of plastic that have been broken down into microscopic pieces over time. While this is alarming to many, we can change the trend by reducing the amount of plastic we use and the amount that reaches our local waters. Cleanup efforts like PCS's Clean Your Streams are crucial because they help remove discarded plastic that would otherwise make its way into larger bodies of water, and ultimately, the Great Lakes. To read more about this groundbreaking research, check out a review of one of the articles here.

Winter is a quieter time for PCS publicly, but within the office our staff is busily preparing for upcoming events and projects like the Patch Day Workshop and monitoring the Camp Miakonda Habitat Restoration Project. With a new year comes new resolutions, and the PCS staff has a few recommendations to help turn that new leaf.

Paige: “Teach your children the value of the outdoors. Help and encourage them to learn about the animals, trees, lakes, rivers, and how we fit into the natural world.” Also, “Throw a party on the river! You’d be surprised how many people never think of utilizing our local riverside parks. Expose your family and friends to the beauty around us all!”

Ava: “Treasure your trees! A two-foot diameter big leaf maple tree prevents nearly 2,000 gallons of storm water and reduces CO2 by 600 pounds every year! Check out other benefits of your own backyard trees at i-Tree Design and plant more trees when you can. Remember that everything is connected and we should cherish everything as such.”

Kris: “Put your money where your passion is. If you love rivers and are not supporting a river conservation group, like PCS, please do so! Your contributions help us organize cleanups, put into place litter prevention programs, habitat restoration projects and great education programs. Every drop in the bucket helps in a huge way.”

Kyle: “Install a rain barrel! There are plenty of opportunities to save water AND money by implementing this simple structure to collect rain water for your garden or lawn. Check out this local initiative or this video for information on how easy it is to set one up!”

Make your own River Resolutions! There are countless ways to protect and restore rivers. Share them with everyone on our Facebook Page!

As part of Northwest Ohio Community Shares, we are selling tickets to the Annual Share-a-Glass Wine and Beer Tasting event. It will be held on Saturday, February 23rd at 7pm at the UAW Local 14 Hall, 5411 Jackman Road. Tickets are $20 for a single and $35 for a pair. For more information, please visit www.nwohioshares.org or contact PCS directly at 419-874-0727.  Please let us know if you are interested in purchasing a ticket. Attending this event helps Northwest Ohio Community Shares (NOCS) continue to support the collective fundraising efforts of the 26 non-profits working with NOCS, including PCS.

On Monday, January 14th, a group of 18 people discussed how informational material about local and state fish consumption advisories could be improved. The discussion group was part of 7 Focus Groups that are being held around the Great Lakes states. Cornell University received a grant to study the effectiveness and fluency of understanding Fish Consumption Advisories in Areas of Concern around the Great Lakes. The discussion was geared to hearing the opinions of Urban Anglers and how educational materials about these Advisories can be improved.  A light meal and Visa gift card was given to all the participants.  This conversation was very valuable to PCS, as it informed us about concerns and thoughts from local fishermen (and women) in the area.  Our discussions with state and local agencies working on the Fish Consumption Advisories for our region can be more focused and well targeted. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this discussion.