This Nonprofit Wants Your Help Measuring Great Lakes Ice Cover

If you’re an ice fishing enthusiast who plans on fishing Great Lakes waters this winter, there’s a nonprofit that will pay you to document and share data from your trek. It’s all part of a grant-funded effort to build detailed libraries of ice thickness data, with cited benefits ranging from recreation safety to improved climate modeling.

Last fall, the United States Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced $101.5 million in grants to 12 different regional associations that belong to the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. The funds, which came out of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), are intended to give coastal communities “the tools and information they need to build resilience to devastating weather and climate disasters,” per U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

$5 million went to the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit that works on initiatives related to public health and safety, maritime operations, climate resiliency, and more. Among other projects, GLOS will use the money to fund a first-of-its-kind effort to mobilize Michigan ice fishers in the collection of ice thickness measurements.

According to Shelby Brunner, science and observations manager for GLOS, organizations like NOAA already do a good job of collecting “spatial coverage” data for Great Lakes ice. Those figures, which indicate the percentage of the Great Lakes that have frozen over in any given winter, are cited frequently to illustrate a season's relative severity or mildness. When it comes to ice thickness, though, Brunner says records are woefully inadequate.

“There is some thickness data that’s collected, but it’s not super precise,” Brunner says. “A lot of it comes from Coast Guard cutters. When they're out, they stand on the boat’s deck a couple of stories above the water, and jot down their best estimates of how much ice they're breaking. It’s not an exact science, and it’s not great for knowing what the undisturbed ice thickness on the lakes is. And while there are some groups, like the National Weather Service, that will send out people to do spot checks near their offices, that information isn't super widespread.”

According to Brunner, having more accurate and comprehensive ice thickness data from the Great Lakes would be “good for everyone,” with benefits ranging “from public safety to maritime economy to long-term climate understanding.” Winter recreation enthusiasts could use the information to make safer decisions when partaking in activities like ice fishing, snowmobiling, or snow kiting. The Coast Guard could rely on it for ice breaking or rescue operations. And as Traverse City grows its presence in the blue technology sector, any number of new businesses could benefit from the data, too.

While GLOS plans to lead the way on bringing that data to the masses, it’s also calling for some crowdsourcing assistance.

“We know the Great Lakes are a huge passion for people in this region, so GLOS has been talking for years about the community science space – basically, mobilizing people who are interested in submitting data and being part of the scientific process,” Brunner tells The Ticker. “When we started talking about the ice thickness problem in the context of this funding ask, I said, ‘Have we ever talked to the ice fishing community?’ They already have the tools [for measuring ice thickness], and they’re already out there, doing it for fun. How do we engage them?”

The federal grant provided the answer. Right now, GLOS is “actively enrolling folks who ice fish or ice recreate on the Great Lakes.” Anyone who enrolls and submits data will receive a small stipend.

“We want to incentivize submissions and get some momentum behind this project,” Brunner explains.

If there’s a question mark around the effort, it’s the Trump administration. President Trump froze funding for the IRA on his first day in office, then implemented a more sweeping federal funding freeze on January 27. Two days later, U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) blocking the Trump freezes. The administration subsequently rescinded the January 27 freeze, but kept earlier, more specific freezes in place for the IRA and a few other funding programs. This past Monday, McConnell issued an Enforcement Order, clarifying that his TRO applied to all of Trump’s funding freezes and ordering the administration to release funds appropriated by the IRA.

Brunner acknowledges that the funding tug-of-war could continue. McConnell’s TRO expires next Friday, though a court hearing to consider a preliminary injunction will follow. In the meantime, GLOS is moving ahead with its plan – and hoping the value proposition of better Great Lakes data doesn’t get lost in a partisan debate.

“The one thing that the Great Lakes have going for them, in my opinion, is that we're very purple,” Brunner concludes. “We have Democratic and Republican support, and I think both sides value information about the Great Lakes and how we protect and understand this super valuable resource. So, we’re hopeful, even though we know a lot of projects are at risk right now.”