Ripple Effect

Renewable energy gets backing (again) from some major Ohio manufacturers

One of the bigger political stories getting lost in the shuffle during this presidential election is the fate of Ohio's mandates on energy efficiency and renewables.

It's huge because it could not only impact energy markets for solar power and wind power, but also the nation's climate and landscape.

The Ohio General Assembly is trying to decide what to do after the state's two-year freeze on such mandates expires at the end of this year.

Ohio - the nation's fourth-largest energy user - is a pivotal state on this issue.

It remains the only state that went forward with a freeze, a grand experiment that yielded mixed results.

Gov. John Kasich went through with it, despite opposition from many businesses that saw value in promoting renewable energy as a way of generating jobs.

Although the Kasich administration now says the freeze served its purpose and should expire, that has done little to dissuade conservatives who want to do anything from modifying rules to making the freeze permanent.

But on Tuesday, nine business that collectively employ more than 25,000 people in Ohio flexed their muscle in support of renewables, urging state lawmakers to reinstate and strengthen the state mandates.

They include Campbell Soup Company, Cliff Bar & Co., Gap Inc., JLL, Nestle, Owens Corning, Schneider Electric, United Technologies, and Whirlpool Corp.

Lawmakers are expected to vote on proposals days after the election.

"Continuing to undo smart clean energy policies won’t help us build a stronger Ohio for tomorrow," Dave Stangis, Campbell Soup's vice president corporate social responsibility, said, citing the company's solar project in Napoleon that is expected to save Campbell $4 million and keep 250,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere in the next 20 years.

"We believe renewable energy and energy efficiency are good for the environment and good for business,” he said.

Frank O'Brien-Bernini, Owens Corning vice president and sustainability officer, said that company supports lifting the freeze because it is "a market leader in manufacturing energy saving products and materials that enhance wind energy performance."

Owens Corning is proud of its 2.4-megawatt solar parking lot canopy at its Toledo headquarters, the largest canopy of its kind in the Midwest, he said.

Whirlpool has manufacturing plants at four northwest Ohio plants - Clyde, Marion, Findlay, and Ottawa.

Renewable energy mandates "are a foundation for Ohio's continued economic growth," Jeff Noel, Whirlpool vice president of communications and public affairs, said.

A report by Clean Energy Trust and Environmental Entrepreneurs, promoted by advocates, contends Ohio lost more than 1,400 jobs in the wind industry alone in 2015.

Opponents question such claims, asserting Ohio is better off without the mandates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cubs, Indians give us our first all-Great Lakes region World Series in 71 years

There's been a lot of talk about how long it's been since the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians have been in the World Series.

But there's another thing making this year's Fall Classic special: It is the first time since the Detroit Tigers defeated the Chicago Cubs, four games to three in 1945, that both World Series opponents are from the Great Lakes region.

See this for a historical timeline of World Series opponents and the series outcomes. http://atmlb.com/1ixVRNX

Forty million people live in the Great Lakes region, 30 million in the United States and 10 million in Canada.

For purposes of discussion, let's think of the Great Lakes region in terms of its natural watershed, not the states and provinces that touch the lakes.

I live in Toledo. I've long argued people here have more in common with Toronto than Tennessee, both of which are about as far as a drive away.

What gives us that symbiosis/brotherhood?

Water.

This psychological component is something I'd like to get into for a book chapter someday.

But Ithere's an innate human attraction to water that goes beyond simple hydration and other obvious physical needs.

Water brings us together and binds us psychologically.

So even though the Detroit Tigers are my favorite team, I'm jacked about this upcoming World Series because - for the first time in 71 years - it'll be an all-day Great Lakes region World Series.

I'm also torn over which team I want to win the most, happy that whoever does prevail will be from the Great Lakes region.

Interestingly enough, three of this year's four semi-finalists were from the Great Lakes region.

If the Cleveland Indians hadn't won this year's AL pennant, the Toronto Blue Jays would have been in the World Series.

It's hard to quantify how much the Great Lakes region will reap financially in hotel and motel receipts, restaurant and tourism sales, and so forth.

But sports talk to us - and the World Series is one of Earth's biggest stages. This year's World Series will, in many immeasurable ways, raise the profile of a region that needs it on the environment and other issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America's longest-serving congressman, Great Lakes warrior John Dingell, talks about his "white tornado" of a wife and why his heart still beats strong for nature

As the clock winds down on one of the most bitter and ugly campaigns for the White House, now's as good of a time as any to switch gears and get a little inspiration from another political figure, former U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D., Dearborn).

 

Now 90 and weakened by two heart procedures he received at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit a year ago this month, Dingell - America's longest-serving congressman - has always been a Great Lakes warrior. 

 

People sometimes forget that because of Dingell's unwavering support for the automobile industry, which often was in contrast to Democratic Party initiatives to tighten auto fuel economy standards as a way of reducing air pollution and slowing down the release of climate-altering carbon dioxide emissions.

 

His continued support for that industry is believed to be one of the reasons former U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) successfully wrestled away his long grip on the chairmanship of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee near the end of both of their careers.

 

But Dingell's impact on the environment has been immense.

 

He was one of the chief architects of the landmark 1972 federal Clean Water Act, which ushered in the modern era of sewage treatment.

 

He authored the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which has saved hundreds of plants and animals across the country at risk of extinction.

 

Dingell wrote the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA, which requires federal agencies to consider environmental consequences of development projects before they are built.

 

He had important roles in other major legislation, such as the 1990 Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1986 and 1996, the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

 

Accompanied by his wife of 35 years, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D., Dearborn), former U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D., Dearborn) is moved into position to speak at the July 29 event. THE BLADE/LORI KING

 

One of Dingell's biggest sources of pride and joy, though, was his lead role in helping establish the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which has been increasing in size since it was created in 2001 and now locks down vital habitat for more than 60 fish species and more than 300 migratory bird species. That refuge is the first and still the only wildlife sanctuary the United States and Canada are jointly managing.

 

Dingell has largely faded from public view since leaving office on Jan. 3, 2015 after spending 59 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

Even with his newly implanted pacemaker, that seems completely reasonable given his age, his long list of accomplishments, and where he's at in life.

 

Think about it.

 

Dingell has earned a break. He ran for re-election every two years for almost six decades.

 

He really has nothing left to prove.

 

What inspires me is how determined he has been to be part of two ceremonial land transfers that have brought more acreage to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge since late July.

 

Dingell attended a July 29 ceremony in downtown Monroe and, more recently, one in northeastern Monroe County's Berlin Township on Oct. 4.

 

It's not easy for him to attend such events.

 

Painful, actually.

 

But his love of nature soothes him.

 

On July 29, he attended a ceremony inside a bank building, where the Port of Monroe donated 33 acres to the River Raisin National Battlefield Park and 35 acres to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

 

Dingell showed up in a wheelchair. 

 

He grimaced in pain a few times. He told me his heart's working fine and his health is generally good, but his arthritis is pervasive throughout his body and severely limits his mobility.

 

What stood out to me about that appearance wasn't just the words he spoke on behalf of nature, but also on behalf of his wife of 35 years, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D., Dearborn), the woman who replaced him in Congress.

 

Dingell showed on several occasions he still has a razor-sharp wit and sense of humor, telling the crowd he had absolutely no qualms about recommending his wife when supporters asked who should succeed him.

 

"Who the hell do you think has been telling me how I'm doing [in Congress]?" he said.

 

As Debbie, 62, stood up from her seat and started to mingle with people standing in the back of the room, he quipped: "I'm going to pay for this, I want you to know."

 

Then, during a lengthy interview he cordially gave me after that dedication, Dingell dished out thoughts about the 2016 presidential election.

 

He said his wife is working on Hillary's campaign, and that his children have dubbed her the "white tornado" for the pace she keeps, which - on that day - meant little sleep after arriving back late in Michigan the night before from the Democratic National Convention.

 

Dingell reaped praise on his wife several other times during that interview, almost tearing up as he confessed he never knew she could make him so happy at this stage of his life.

 

"She's beautiful," he whispered.

 

Debbie told the crowd earlier it was important for him to attend that ceremony because "his heart and soul" were in those projects.

 

She said both of them miss their Monroe friends, and that he continues to be engaged in current events.

 

"He never, ever stops thinking and plotting," she said with a chuckle, "and I could use some other words."

 

Former U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D., Dearborn) addressing 100 people at a land dedication on Oct. 4. THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON

 

On Oct. 4, Dingell showed up using only a walker at a ceremony in which Clive Taylor and his wife, Clarice, now of Gibraltar, Mich., donated 43 acres of environmentally unique land to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

 

Dingell again spoke passionately about the outdoors.

 

“Look around you,” Dingell told the crowd. “We have a most beautiful place that is a profound and precious gift. This is a wonderful treasure we will protect.”

His wife told the Taylors they wanted to thank them "from the bottom of our soul.” 

“People don’t understand how important the environment is. We have to instill that in future generations. We have to get our young people to appreciate the wildlife we have," Debbie said.

As he stood at the podium - shaky, yet showing signs of improvement - Dingell made some passing comment about how he feels bad he can't physically do what he used to do.

It was a reference to the site's gorgeous woods and ponds that the Taylors built there over the past 15 years, converting a flat, wide-open soybean field into a picturesque wildlife sanctuary.

The Taylors encouraged their 100 or so guests at that event to hike through the woods and explore the property.

Dingell's body may be slowing down.

But his heartbeat for nature remains strong.

 

 

 

 

 

What drives someone to build their own wildlife refuge? Ask Clive Taylor, nature's Renaissance man

There's a special place in Heaven for people who lock down their land from development, whether it's through conservation easements that help preserve the family farm or by donating privately owned forests, rivers, and lakes to park districts or groups such as the Nature Conservancy.

 

But the story of Clive and Clarice Taylor takes such commitment to a higher level.

Clarice and Clive Taylor on site of the land they donated Oct. 4. THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON

 

While I'm sure they'll reap tax benefits from their generous donation just like anyone else who donates, their passion goes well beyond wanting to keep their land from becoming another strip mall.

 

You see, the Taylors - who donated their 43 acres earlier this week to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge - carved their own piece of paradise from scratch out of what was for decades a soybean farm.

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Mr. Taylor, a self-taught outdoorsman and nature lover, and his wife built seven ponds, planted hundreds of trees, wildflowers, and other plants - such as cattails, water lilies and the ecologically threatened American lotus - while tirelessly removing invasive phragmites and other exotics.

 

The couple built an observation deck, and a nesting platform for bald eagles. Their property is home to beaver, mink, coyotes, great blue herons, snowy egret, deer, and many other forms of wildlife, including hundreds of bees and crickets.

 

It took a lot of money and sweat equity, but it was that important to them. 

 

“It was a work of love,” Mr. Taylor told me. “I love trampling through the marsh.”

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

What drives someone to do that?

 

Obviously, a lot of love for nature.

 

To call the site environmentally unique is an understatement.

 

Located in northeastern Monroe County’s Berlin Township, it is off Labo Road just west of U.S. Turnpike Road near the Monroe-Wayne county line.

 

It is hydrologically connected to the sprawling and environmentally sensitive, 4040-acre Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Both of them had some amazing - and, yes, even humorous - stories to tell about how they scoured the region and salvaged whatever raw materials they could find to make improvements at their site, mostly for better hiking trails as nature took hold and their land became less of a farm and more of a wildlife refuge again.

 

John Hartig, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge manager, told me one of the main stipulations the Taylors made was to have their property used by future generations for environmental education, not just as land to expand the refuge acreage.

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Mr. Taylor is a throwback to another era, a Renaissance man who grew up along the water in southeastern Wayne County, in Gibraltar, Mich., and built his own boat at age 19. That was in 1960, six years before Gibraltar was incorporated as a village.

 

He told me he learned a lot about nature, hydrology, and the outdoors from years he spent working at the former E.W. Heinrich Marina.

 

His wife said he holds a high school diploma, but never had the patience for college. He was too enamored by the outdoors.

 

Sure, he had a close friend help him. But I was struck by the sincerity in her eyes when I asked her how he did it without hiring teams of hydrologists, biologists, other scientists, and planners.

 

“He knows. He just knows,” she said, explaining that much of his education about nature is intuitive. “He just has an eye for it.”

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

She estimates the couple put about $500,000 into the property during the 15 or so years they owned it, a pittance for what it would cost if they didn't do so much of the work themselves.

 

Here are just a sampling of photographs I took while out there.

 

It's a special place, most of which is set off in the distance. But you wouldn't know that driving along Labo Road and thinking you're just passing another farm on a country road.

 

The Taylors now live in a scenic part of Gibraltar Island known as Horse Island.

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

Scenic shots from the 43 acres Clive and Clarice Taylor donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. THE BLADE/TOM HENRY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our warming planet: August was the 16th consecutive month the world's average temperature set a monthly record

We're now up to 16 consecutive months of record heat.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this morning the globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for August 2016 was the highest for that month in the agency's database for global records, which goes back to 1880.

August 2016 also was the 16th consecutive month a monthly global temperature record was broken.

That 16-month streak is the longest on record, NOAA said.

The June-through-August and January-through-August global temperatures also are the highest on record.

Go here for NOAA's August summary and here for its full August report.

Go here for a summary NOAA.gov article on the August climate highlights, and here for the U.S. climate summary for August.

Your 2016 Lake Erie Moment of Zen

As summer winds down this Labor Day weekend, let me leave you with what former Daily Show host Jon Stewart used to close his shows with: Your Moment of Zen.

Yeah, I know.

Sunsets and sunrises can be cliches.

But throw out that political correctness.

When it comes to nature's beauty along Lake Erie's Gibraltar Island, just sit back and enjoy.

Ahhhh. Moments like these are why we work so hard.

So, in no particular order, here are a few snaps I took along the Gibraltar Island shoreline on the night of Aug. 18, 2016, while attending an annual science writers' workshop hosted by Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory:

 

...and here, in no particular order, are a few snaps I took along the Gibraltar Island shoreline on the morning of Aug. 19, 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gasoline prices to remain low through the Clinton-Trump election, possibly longer

Diggin' these $2-a-gallon and less gasoline prices?

The federal government expects them to last at least through the end of 2016.

According to a statement released earlier this week by Adam Sieminski, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's chief, motorists in this country can expect to see gasoline prices remain down and possibly even decline a little more than what they were in June.

"A combination of lower crude oil prices, high gasoline production, and rising gasoline inventories pushed gasoline prices down this year," Sieminski said.

That has nothing to do with this being an election year, I'm sure.

Ahem.

When prices get this low, debates inevitably emerge about whether state and federal gasoline taxes should be bumped up a few pennies per gallon before anyone notices. The argument is to generate extra cash for much-needed road repairs and improvements to our aging transportation network while people can still cushion themselves against such increases.

But - probably no coincidence - we're apparently not going to hear much talk about that until after the election, too.

Other interesting EIA tidbits:

Natural Gas: For the first time since 1957, the United States is on track to export more natural gas than it imports. That will likely happen in the second half of 2017. Supplies are expected to be at a record high for the start of the upcoming winter, meaning our monthly heating bills shouldn't get too far out of whack once frost sets in.

Electricity: Coal-fired power continues to be used less as markets continue to shift more toward natural gas and renewable energy.

Renewables: The amount of electricity generated by hydropower is expected to increase this year for the first time in five years.

 

 

 

 

 

Four states in water-rich Great Lakes region - Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania - now experiencing drought

Despite scattered rain in recent days, four states in the water-rich Great Lakes region - Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania - are now experiencing a moderate drought, according to the latest weekly data released this morning by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

In northwest Ohio, where I live, Wood, Hancock, Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, Ashland, and Wayne counties had conditions worsen enough over the past week to go from being classified by the government as abnormally dry to moderate drought.

Michigan likewise has several counties at or near the Great Lakes shoreline that are in a moderate drought, including Monroe, Wayne, Huron, Tuscola, Bay, Midland, Saginaw, Oceana, Mason, and Manistee counties. In fact, there's a wide swath of land from Michigan's south-central to its Thumb region now under drought.

The most-parched Great Lakes state now, though, is New York, where 10 counties are now in a severe drought, most of which are near Lake Ontario.

Go here after 8:30 a.m. every Thursday morning for U.S. Drought Monitor updates.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is a product generated by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

 

MICHIGAN

 

 

OHIO

 

 

 

NEW YORK

 

 

PENNSYLVANIA

Davis-Besse on cover of nuclear trade journal; other highlights include articles about the NRC, safety, and Fukushima

FirstEnergy Corp.'s Davis-Besse nuclear plant is on the cover of the latest edition of Nuclear Plant Journal, an industry trade magazine founded in 1983 that comes out six times a year.

An article starting on Page 48 describes, in technical detail, how FirstEnergy verified during a recent outage "that the containment vessel had not degraded in interior regions of the containment due to refueling canal leakage at its Davis-Besse plant."

To do its test, the Akron-based utility developed a procedure that required excavation of nearly five feet of reinforced concrete "to expose the plate at a critical low elevation where water could accumulate for examination and ultrasonic thickness testing," the article's two authors John Vincent, a principal engineer at CTLGroup in Skokie, Ill., and Trent Henline, Davis-Besse site projects manager, wrote.

The task was further complicated by the potential for higher-than-normal radiation exposure to workers.

An aerial of Davis-Besse (not this photo) is on the cover. BLADE photo.

In their article, Vincent and Henline said the special inspection verified the containment vessel is still in good shape - 39 years after the plant went online in 1977 - and was done without damaging any parts. Workers were subjected only to "relatively low radiation exposures," the authors wrote.

"The procedure that was developed can be used for similar situations at other plants," the article said.

Other highlights of the latest edition of Nuclear Plant Journal include an article by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Stephen Burns on his agency's efforts to be an effective regulator and an article by Bill Dean, the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation director, on lessons learned from the Fukushima-Daiichi disaster of March, 2011.

In another article, William Magwood IV, director-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency, said he ironically had a 90-minute chat with Japanese delegates about preparations for seismic events hours before that country was hit by the tsunami that triggered the multiple-reactor Fukushima meltdown.

At the time, Mr. Magwood was an NRC commissioner.

The latest issue includes discussions about the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Photo credit: Associated Press.

"It's hard not to think back to that and remember how innocent the conversation seemed five years ago today about seismic events, and then all that has happened over the last five years, and the tragedy of the tsunami and the difficulty to deal with the aftermath of the accident at the plant," Mr. Magwood wrote. "I think that everyone in the nuclear community continues to think about all of these people, and we want to do what we can to help them, and work hard to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again anywhere in the world."

Nuclear Plant Journal has a circulation of 12,273. It is written primarily for nuclear managers and engineers across the world.

 

 

 

 

 

University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center getting hammered by mayflies, too

You're not alone, Point Place.

Other areas along the western Lake Erie shoreline are getting hammered by mayfly swarms this summer, too, as the photograph below shows:

 Mayflies blanketed the entrance to the University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center in Oregon last Friday morning. Photo credit: Carol Stepien,

It was taken about 10 a.m. last Friday at the front entrance to the University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center in Oregon, which is off Bay Shore Road and adjacent to the northwest corner of Maumee Bay State Park.

 

The photograph was taken by the center's director, Carol Stepien, a UT distinguished ecology professor.

 

"This was the largest hatch and coverage I have seen in my 12 years at the LEC, since I began in 2004," Ms. Stepien said.

 

I also saw some dense clusters last Wednesday at Ohio State University's boat dock on South Bass Island as a group of us waited for a shuttle aboard a research vessel over to Gibraltar Island for the Ohio Lake Erie Commission's quarterly meeting at the main Stone Laboratory building.

 

Swarms should start fading soon, but - as usual - the delicate insects usually go wherever the wind takes them when they emerge from the lake for their approximate 24 hours of adulthood before they die.

 

The insects spend two years as nymphs, burrowing in lake sediment before sprouting wings and taking flight.

 

Millions are eaten by fish before they ever leave the water. Many of those that do emerge are eaten by birds.

 

Christine M. Mayer, a UT aquatic ecologist and researcher at UT’s Lake Erie Center, said recently mayflies can be found in many parts of North America and there are many species of them.

 

Remember that mayflies don’t bite: Nature doesn’t equip them with a mouth.

 

They’re a sign of improving water quality because they thrive only in healthy sediment and oxygen-rich water.