Clean Wisconsin members got our quarterly publication The Defender delivered to their door at the start of this month; if that’s not you, the full PDF is available here now: http://cleanwisconsin.org/defender.

Below is the full version of a story we printed in our summer issue, discussing the impacts of the mild winter we had in Wisconsin this year — some of which we are still feeling in the throes of a hot, dry summer. Clean Wisconsin spoke with an assortment of experts around the state, and they gave their take on a few oddities that have been seen: More algae, dry soil, lower lake levels and more.

Most Wisconsinites can agree, the winter we had this year was unusually mild: And how fabulous that was. We could go out of doors in just a few layers and a sweater some days. With less snow, there was less salt on the roads and sidewalks that could dirty up our shoes. Plus, game days at Lambeau became all the more bearable for those in the stands.

This is all old news by now, but the truth is, we are still feeling the impacts of this winter’s weird weather. Although Wisconsinites saved on heating costs and salting the roads this winter, we’re paying for it elsewhere in a number of ways.

Firstly, milder weather during the winter months led to thinning of ice sheets over our lakes. We heard all about sunken vehicles and disappointed ice fishermen in the news, but it wasn’t until this spring that another problem was discovered: an explosion of algal blooms below the surface.

Emily Stanley, from the University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology, says the warm conditions this winter caused an influx of smelly, green algae that has become a problem all over the state. Although phosphorous runoff from point-source polluters is the main source of algae in our lakes, thin ice and a lack of snow coverage to block out sunlight gave the emerald-hued goo a major head start.

Stanley and her colleagues study the water chemistry and nutrients in Dane County’s Lake Mendota; what they found during a routine check-up on the lake in February took them by surprise.

“We discovered that, in fact, there was a ton of algae under the ice,” she said. “Because enough light could get through the ice to allow the algae to do its ‘photosynthesis thing,’ if you drilled a hole into the ice to measure its clarity, in February it was about the same as it is in the center of the lake now [in June].”

Furthermore, the algae growth led to a secondary change. Normally, Lake Mendota (and, presumably, lakes all around the state) will release a bit of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each spring — but this year, it actually took a bit back. Why?

“Bacteria will be chewing up their food, and, like us, producing CO2. So, normally, CO2 will build up in the lake water, and when the ice melts in the spring there’s usually a big release,” Stanley said. “[Algae] takes in C02. With the algae being there this winter, CO2 did not build up under the ice like it normally does. And when the lakes warmed up, instead of belching out CO2, it actually—briefly, for a moment—pulled in CO2 from the atmosphere.”

Stanley emphasized that such an occurrence is neither good nor bad. While slightly less carbon in the atmosphere is somewhat of a benefit to the global environment, algae in our lakes is not desirable.

Algal blooms make our once-clear waters look like Kermit the Frog skin, cause rashes and breathing problems, and even killed two dogs last year.

Unfortunately, the warm weather we’re currently enjoying in Wisconsin (or, for those without AC, suffering through) also helps it grow particularly well. To help see things from a climate perspective, Associate Scientist at the UW Center for Climatic Research Michael Notaro explains how gradual changes in climate over the past decade have shown a number of noticeable effects.

“Northern Wisconsin, until recently, had a severe drought where the lakes actually got to Dust Bowl levels,” Notaro said. “[In Wisconsin], we should have more frequent days without precipitation, but on the days where it does rain … it just dumps these heavy downpours of rain. So [it is considered] drought conditions because there are more days without any rain.”

Here in Wisconsin, we have seen warm springs that come earlier in the last several decades. What that means is, birds migrate back to the state sooner and lakes melt a few weeks earlier than they had been in the 1950s. Plants and crops are also apt to bloom too soon and be killed by a sudden frost before summer sets in, Notaro explained.

“You can start to have cold air outbreaks, or just cold nights, which is normal in April, and when that happens it does damage to the plants,” he said, adding that drought later on in the year can be just as hazardous. “What we’re having this summer, with about a third of an inch [of rain] in the last month, the corn crops are really dry; the soil is really dry. The soil in my garden is hard as rock.”

By the end of this century, trends show that Wisconsin will actually continue to get wetter on the whole—but since temperatures will also increase, more evaporation will take place. This would cause our soil to dry out even more, and lower lake levels.

Withered leaves, a favorite spring that has ceased to bubble, or your local dock that stands higher above the water than it once did, are some of the first visible signs that changes are taking place in our environment.

Data from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey shows that, in places like Dane and Monroe counties, groundwater levels are historically low. Madeline Gotkowitz, a WGNHS hydrogeologist, says downward spikes in these levels can be attributed to lack of snowfall and snowmelt.

While low water levels do not necessarily mean that anyone’s well is going dry, many places in Wisconsin are well below normal as far as available groundwater resources. Gotkowitz said it is important to remember that just because water continues to flow out of the tap, doesn’t undermine the need to conserve water during drought conditions.

This winter we missed out on snowmen, sledding, ice fishing, and plenty of other things that make Wisconsin, well, Wisconsin. The summer so far continues to show some more interesting developments with which residents must cope. Being aware of changes in Wisconsin weather and climate helps us to better understand what is going on in other aspects of our state’s ecology year-round.

Written by Sarah Witman, communications intern

Last week we asked our fans on Facebook to share their photos and stories, to get a taste of where and how they enjoy the natural places our state. Here’s what they came up with: An abundance of truly gorgeous Wisconsin scenery captured on film (or, rather, in pixels). Don’t forget to “like” us and add your photos to the collection! (http://www.facebook.com/CleanWisconsin)

Photos submitted by Chris Wickingson, Danielle Bailey, Rebecca Smith-Stoltz, Tracy Caravella, Racquel M. Rocky, Dan Schley, Brian Busby, John F. Sullivan, Jean Mazzella, Jennifer Chapman-Lumby, Laura Spalinger, Karalee Hines, and Marcus Frazee.

A photo of the Flambeau mine near Ladysmith, Wisconsin, taken in 2007.

Cars, bikes, laptops, jewelry, forks, faucets, your dog’s water bowl. These ordinary object and more point to one conclusion: We all use metal. And why shouldn’t we? It’s a reusable resource, while plastic or paper goods are not. It can be melted down and recycled with relative ease. It is the cornerstone of modern civilization.

The problem, though, is how much the demand for metal — new metal, not reclaimed or recycled — continues to rise. To get it, more and more natural areas are being budged aside to unearth the ore underground. Mines are an unexpected visitor for ecosystems, and can disrupt the health of trees, streams and wildlife there.

Furthermore, these environmental effects trickle down to us — sometimes, in a big way.

When mining interacts directly with our natural environment, there can be impacts on our health, especially when it’s not done right. Keep in mind that mines have an impact long after they are no longer in operation, and need to be properly and consistently monitored to ensure our health and safety.

Although it varies among each mine, mining activities (from ore extraction to processing, handling, and transport) are commonly associated with public health problems in our air, soil and water:

1. Air — Mining depends on equipment, generators and materials that generate hazardous air pollutants. The air becomes exposed to large amounts of sulfur dioxide, dust, and even heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium. Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides can also be released during these processes.
2. Soil — Toxic materials emitted into the air are eventually deposited in the soil, which will greatly affect plant quality.
3. Water — Metals and other materials contaminate surface and groundwater. Sewage and other wastes in the places where mine workers live seep into waterways and contaminate small organisms. Tailings, or mining leftovers, must be diligently stored in a safe container that won’t overflow, to keep its harmful contents from seeping into drinking water. Accidents at a mine site can destroy water quality for generations.

Mining companies, or individuals living near a mine, might convince themselves that some of the side-effects aren’t really that bad in the long run. However, it’s important to think about our health as defined by the World Health Organization: A “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” And it doesn’t take a doctor to see that all of these effects on the environment translate to harm in our bodies.

Wisconsin is home to large deposits of iron. The direct effects of iron we can deal with: At its worst, iron will only cause discolored drinking water (according to the Wisconsin DNR). However, iron deposits do not contain purely iron. Other elements are commonly found in deposits of iron, such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, selenium, sulfur, titanium, and zinc. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that cadmium is known to cause kidney damage, copper causes liver and kidney damage with long term exposure and upset stomach with short term exposure. We also know that lead, another metal that can be exposed during mining, causes developmental disabilities and kidney problems. Plus, mining communities see increases in tuberculosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis and gastrointestinal diseases, says Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide.

Wisconsin families are accustomed to legislators that make safety and health a priority: When a child’s toy is found to be unsafe, it’s recalled; if the local grocer is selling tuna or tomatoes  contaminated with salmonella, they’re refunded.  So why is it any different for mining laws?

A big reason stems from being able to prove that mines are the definite cause of these harms to our health. Symptoms and illnesses might not occur until long after the mine is operating, and if there is no incentive to consistently test the mine that connection will not be made.  They could even seem coincidental or unrelated, since people can get sick from a multitude of invisible causes these days: Who’s to say it’s the mine? It can be difficult to link health problems back to the source.

When focusing on the profits or benefits of a mining project, it can also be easy to overlook or underestimate the health risks that come with it. But any of the individual health risks mentioned above, while not necessarily life-threatening on their own, do contribute to larger threats and irreversible sickness.

Understandably, it can be tempting to focus on the positives more than potential harms — it’s a glass-half-full type of scenario. But if that water is contaminated and can cause health problems, we’d rather look at a different glass.

Written by Sarah Witman, Communications intern. Laura Green contributed to this post.