Great Lakes
NOAA TESTS FREE NAUTICAL CHARTS AS MOBILE APP The National
MyNOAACharts, which can be used on land and on the water,
Oceanic and
has built-in GPS capabilities that allow users to fi nd their
Atmospheric
positions on a NOAA nautical chart. With a touch of a finger,
Administration
users can zoom-in on a specific location or zoom-out for
(NOAA) recently
the big picture. Some of the important locations have been
introduced
“geotagged” into the charts so that they are readable in
MyNOAACharts,
the app. Boaters can download the app from the Google
a new mobile
Play app store.
application that allows users to download nautical charts of the Great Lakes and the U.S. coasts. NOAA said the app is only designed for Android tablets, and is only in the beta testing stage.
Because this is a test version, NOAA said it would only be available until Labor Day, Sept. 2. The NOAA Office of Coast Survey will then evaluate usage and user feedback to decide whether to release a finished version of the app.
CONSERVATION GROUPS SUPPORT PROPOSAL Four conservation groups — Save the River, Clayton; the
the increased risk of erosion under Bv7. The mayor of Sodus
Nature Conservancy; Audubon New York; and Citizens
Point, Christopher Tertinek, argued that the higher water
Campaign for the Environment — sent a joint letter this
levels allowed under Bv7 would flood waterfront properties
spring to New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo urging him to
and cause the village’s sewer infrastructure to fail.
support a new Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River management plan. Plan Bv7, a water regulation proposal submitted by the International Joint Commission (IJC), was created to replace the existing half-century-old management plan. So far, the groups have gathered 9,170 letters and petition signatures supporting Bv7, which is an increase of more than 7,000 “support expressions” since July 2012.
Advocates argue that Bv7 is a balanced plan that takes into consideration environmental and recreational boating interests neglected under the original management plan. “Plan Bv7 will replace over 50 years of water level management that has signifi cantly altered the lake and river’s natural processes and dramatically reduced habitat diversity,” environmental advocates stated in their letter to Gov. Cuomo.
Opposition to the proposal has come mainly from residents on the lake’s south shore, who oppose the plan because of
MORE BLUE FLAGS IN CANADA For 2013, 18 beaches and four marinas in Canada have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag eco-certification. This internationally recognized and respected eco-label is awarded to beaches and marinas that have achieved
Ontario: Port Stanley Main Beach on Lake Erie in the Municipality of Central Elgin Grand Bend Beach • Grand Bend Marina and Port Franks Marina on Lake Huron in the Municipality of Lambton Shores
international standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education, safety, and services.
• Bayfield Main Beach and Bluewater Marina on Lake Huron in the Municipality of Bluewater
The Blue Flag program has been in Canada since 2005 with certified beaches and marinas currently in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. Residents and visitors can be assured that Blue Flag certified beaches are safe and clean, sustainably managed and great for swimming. Here is the list of the 18 Canadian beaches and four marinas that have received the Blue Flag this year: Manitoba: West Grand Beach and Grand Beach Provincial Park
• Station Beach on Lake Huron in Kincardine • Sauble Beach in Lake Huron in the Town of South Bruce Peninsula • Wasaga Beach Provincial Park on Georgian Bay • Bluffer’s Park Beach •Centre Island Beach • Cherry Beach • Gibraltar Point Beach • Hanlan’s Point Beach •Kew-Balmy Beach • Ward’s Island beach • Woodbine Beach in Toronto\
Nova Scotia: Birch Cove Beach and Dartmouth Halifax
Quebec: Plage de le’Est and Plage de l’Ouest and Plage des
Waterfront, Halifax
Cantons in Ville de Magog,
36 GLB | July/August 13