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MSU Extension Center for Lakes and Streams
@msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
550 followers 980 following 180 posts
The Michigan State University Extension Center for Lakes and Streams aims to advance the conservation and stewardship of Michigan’s inland lakes and streams through engagement, education, and research. Visit us at https://www.canr.msu.edu/cls
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msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
🌿🐟 Why do we care about Chara? Learn more about the importance of Michigan’s underwater understory! 🐟🌿

#MacrophyteMonday

www.canr.msu.edu/news/why-do-...

Photo: R. Marshik
A Rock Bass hunting in a dense meadow of native Chara. Photo credit: Ryan Marshik.
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
"Michigan is having a dry spell. More than 40% of the state is in a drought, and an additional 20% is abnormally dry". We're featured in yesterday's @detroitnews.com story on how drought is lowering inland lake and river levels across central and lower Michigan.

www.detroitnews.com/story/news/l...
Drought conditions have lowered the water level on the Clinton River, which runs through the Rammler Golf Course in Sterling Heights. The golf course's irrigation system draws water from the river, but the flow ahs been so low that the course's 600-head sprinkler system gets clogged with silt if greenskeepers turn it on. Clarence Tabb Jr. The Detroit News
October 16, 2025 at 2:05 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
New lake and stream webinars announced! Learn about...
🦠 Harmful algal blooms
🗺️ Smart maps, stronger conservation
🔬 Microplastics
❄️ How glaciers formed our wetlands
💰 Funding for watershed councils in MI
🐌 Invasive mystery snails
...and more! Check out the calendar: www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
an underwater view of water lillies and plants. Text reads, "Learn about lakes and streams online! Check out our list of webinars and online classes." The logo for the Michigan State University Extension Center for Lakes and Streams appears at the bottom of the image.
October 15, 2025 at 6:37 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
💰 For our sixth season, our Clean Boats, Clean Waters program has funding to support aquatic invasive species outreach projects in Michigan - check out our mini-grants program! The applications are due January 30.

www.canr.msu.edu/clean_boats_...
People observe a boat cleaning station. Text reads "Invasive Species Grants Available for 2026! The Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant program is for organizations dedicated to protecting Michigan's water for aquatic invasive species. Grants can be used for boat launch signage, marketing and radio ads, brochures and merchandise, educational booths & events. Visit micbcw.com."
October 8, 2025 at 3:37 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Enrollment now open: Popular MSU Extension course Introduction to Lakes Online offered January 2026. Register today for this unique opportunity to learn about inland lakes.

www.canr.msu.edu/news/everyth...
A lake under a blue sky is calm and reflects the forest around it.
September 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Learn more about the Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes (RIPPLE) program, a partnership between MSU Extension and the Michigan Departments of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy; Natural Resources; and Agriculture and Rural Development.

www.canr.msu.edu/news/prevent...

#InvasiveSpecies #fish
An orange goldfish in a clear water-filled bag is held in the hands of a person.
September 29, 2025 at 8:56 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Curious about lakes? It's never too late to go back to school! Enrollment is now open for our 🏅award-winning🏅 Introduction to Lakes Online course! Class starts at the end of January.

www.canr.msu.edu/courses/intr...
A line drawing of a school of fish that reads, "Introduction to Lakes Online Course - It's never too late to go back to school." Visit canr.msu.edu/lakesonline to learn more.
September 25, 2025 at 4:14 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
New lake and stream webinars announced! Learn about...
👻 TOMORROW! Local invasive species assistance
🦅 NEW! Birds, wetlands, and conservation collaboration
🌾 Wild rice
🐢 Herps
🔥 Wildfire impacts
🎣 Walleye stocking
...and more! Check out the full list: www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
The text, "Learn about lakes and streams online! Check out our list of webinars and online classes." appears above an image of a lake with a dock under a blue sky. The logo for the Michigan State University Extension Center for Lakes and Streams appears at the bottom.
September 24, 2025 at 1:36 AM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Septic systems that function properly are critical to the health of our streams, rivers, and lakes. If you have a septic system on your property, check out these tips from @michiganegle.bsky.social

www.michigan.gov/egle/newsroo...
Septic Smart Week Seal
September 19, 2025 at 2:30 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Brought to you by our RIPPLE program - Reducing Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes! www.canr.msu.edu/invasive_spe...
Logo of a hand with a leaf as the thumb, held up in a "stop" gesture. Says RIPPLE: Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes.
September 18, 2025 at 5:53 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Not all claws are created equal - meet the invasive crayfish crew of Michigan. 📣 Check out our Great Lakes Almanac to Invasive Crayfish and learn how to tell these invaders apart from our friendlier native crawdads. 👉 bit.ly/crayfishalma...
Images of four invasive crayfish (Red Swamp - Procambarus clarkii, Marbled - P. virginalis, Rusty - Faxonius rusticus, and Yabby - Cherax destructor) with the text, "Get to know the invaders" and the RIPPLE logo.
September 18, 2025 at 5:50 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
New lake and stream webinars announced! Learn about...
👻 Local invasive species assistance
🌾 Wild rice
🐢 Herps
🔥 Wildfire impacts
🎣 Walleye stocking
🦠 Harmful algal blooms
🗺️ GIS for conservation
☠️ Microplastics
🧊 Glacial wetlands
...and more! Check out the full list: www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
The text, "Learn about lakes and streams online! Check out our list of webinars and online classes." appears above an image of a lake with a dock under a blue sky. The logo for the Michigan State University Extension Center for Lakes and Streams appears at the bottom.
September 16, 2025 at 2:27 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
The list of lake-related webinars has been updated! Highlights include:
💲TODAY: Michigan Invasive Species Grants
💲9/10: Michigan Watershed Planning Grants
🚽 9/15: Septic systems & the environment
🌾 9/25: Starry stonewort and manoomin

See the whole list at www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
A sunset on a gravelly beach. Text reads, "Learn about lakes online! Check out our updated list of webinars and classes."
September 9, 2025 at 2:43 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
New guidebook! Protecting inland lakes through natural shorelines: An introductory guide to bioengineering techniques. Developed by staff from the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and @michiganegle.bsky.social. Free download! www.shorelinepartnership.org/library.html
An image of the cover of the new guidebook: Protecting Inland Lakes through Natural Shorelines: An Introductory Guide to Bioengineering Techniques. The cover is blue with an abstract water design, and includes images of highly modified and natural shorelines, as well as an example of an engineering design for developing a bioengineered shoreline.
August 27, 2025 at 9:19 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Webinar 7 PM ET tonight: Webinar on new research on wakesurfing boat impacts on inland lakes.

📷: Ben Hovland, @mprnews.org

#wakeboats

umn.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Zoe Zylstra, who has been wakeboarding since she was 6 years old, surfs behind a boat specially designed for wake sports on St. Albans Bay near Excelsior, Minn., on July 22. Credit: Ben Hovland, MPR News
August 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
In May, Erick Elgin and Jo Latimore from our team presented a #NotMISpecies webinar They discussed the value of community science (volunteer monitoring) for finding invasive plants early in Michigan lakes, joined by volunteer from SE Michigan. Watch: us06web.zoom.us/rec/play/_Ni... #MacrophyteMonday
Screenshot from the beginning of a webinar showing the title, "What Lies Beneath: Invasive Plants in Michigan Lakes" by Erick Elgin and Jo Latimore. Illustrations of five significant invasive plants from Michigan lakes, including Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, starry stonewort, European frog-bit, and hydrilla. An inset shows one of the speakers, Dr. Jo Latimore.
August 25, 2025 at 4:53 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Crayfish monitoring training events are being held across the Great Lakes region this fall. Free to attend!

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Image of a crayfish in a bucket of water, with lots of text: "Crayfish Monitoring Trainings. September and October 2025. For Great Lakes natural resource agency staff and conservation group professionals. Participants will learn: Crayfish anatomy & identification, Invasion pathways & regulations, State-specific reporting protocols, Standard field sampling. Registration now open". Logos for Michigan State University and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.
August 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Lake webinars! Check out this freshly updated list, including:
🦓💪 Aug. 21: How zebra mussels are changing fish contaminants
🌊🛥️ Aug. 26: Wake boat impacts on lakes
💧💲 Sept. 4: Watershed grants from MI EGLE
💩🚽 Sept. 15: Septic systems and the environment
List: www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
Image of the bow of a red kayak on a tree-lined lake under a blue sky. Text reads, "Learn about lakes online! Check out our updated list of webinars and classes."
August 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
There are still spaces available in this Aquatic Plant Identification workshop on August 13 at Michigan State University! Register at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Learn the basics of aquatic vegetation ecology and identification in this 1-day workshop held on the campus of Michigan State University, instructed by Jeremy Hartsock, Erick Elgin (Michigan State University Extension), and Billy Keiper (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy). Participants will learn to identify submerged and floating vegetation common to lakes throughout Michigan. Special emphasis will be placed on vegetation types relevant to lake management, including invasive species. Hands-on identification practice will be made possible through the use of freshly collected specimens. Pizza lunch will be provided, and you will receive a copy of Aquatic Plants of the Upper Midwest by Paul Skawinski. For more information visit https://shorturl.at/QXZ8k Registration for lodging can be made at https://shorturl.at/FzlyT Cost: $20 for students, $75 for MIAFS members, $100 for non members
July 31, 2025 at 6:55 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Lake webinars! MILP just upcated their list. Some new ones:
8/21: How zebra mussels are changing fish contaminants
8/26: How wake boats impact lakes
9/25: Starry stonewort and manoomin (wild rice)
10/2: When the forst burns, what's in the water?

Full list: www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
A calm tree-lined lake under a clear blue sky.
July 30, 2025 at 12:38 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Great work, volunteers! They submitted chlorophyll samples from over 150 Michigan lakes through the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program! Here they are in the receiving room at the EGLE Environmental Lab this week. Results will land in the MiCorps Data Exchange: www.micorps.net/about-data-e...
Scores of labelled zip-top bags laid out neatly on a long lab bench with people in the background logging them in.
July 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Want to ramp up your conservation skills? Enroll in the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program from MSU Extension! There will be 6 locations this fall: Alpena, Newaygo, Oakland, Oceana, St. Clair, and Washtenaw counties.

www.canr.msu.edu/news/2025-co...
Information about the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program is displayed along with a variety of Michigan flora and fauan, including purple coneflower, a monarch butterfly on milkweed, a white birch, an American robin, goldenrod, and oak. Information states that the program is a multi-week hybrid class, September through November 2025. Learn the foundations of Michigan conservation and how you can apply your knowledge in your community. From Michigan State University Extension. Website: canr.msu.edu/csp.
July 22, 2025 at 12:25 AM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
Within an hour of Lansing? Want to help stop aquatic invasive species? We have a CD3 boat cleaning station available to borrow!

It comes loaded with vacuum power, scrub brushes, and plug wrenches - everything a boater needs to STOP aquatic invasive species in their tracks! Message us if interested.
Free! We come to you! Rent your own CD3 Today! For a limited time only! Goodbye invasive species! Image of a CD3 multitool cleaning station.
July 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
The Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership has updated their list of upcoming lake webinars and online events:
🚨 MiCorps AIS Detection Blitz (happening NOW!)
🌟 7/10: Biology and mgmt of starry stonewort
🌾 7/18: Conserving wild rice with an Anishinaabe worldview
The list: www.canr.msu.edu/michiganlake...
A frog rests among watershield on a calm lake. Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership logo. Text: Learn about lakes online! Check out our updated list of webinars and classes
July 1, 2025 at 6:35 PM
msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social
You know that invasive plants are bad for our lakes. But do you know how to identify them? Do you know there's a Michigan program where you can learn to identify them, how to find them, and how to report them? It's the Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch! #MacrophyteMonday

www.micorps.net/wp-content/u...
Two smiling men on a boat holding a rake overflowing with invasive Eurasian watermilfoil.
June 30, 2025 at 12:50 PM