By the end of the month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to decide whether to approve an Ohio plan to reduce phosphorus pollution that feeds cyanobacteria in Lake Erie. Cyanobacterial blooms have become much larger in the last 30 years and have become a major public health concern. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-epa-ohio-reducephosphorus

Hannah Reynolds

H2Ohio’s incentive program for agriculture producers is expanding statewide. The program, led by ODA, provides funding to producers to help offset the financial risk associated with implementing H2Ohio’s agricultural best management practices that work to improve Ohio’s water quality. The program has been available only to farmers in the Western Lake Erie Basin, but producers throughout the state will be eligible to participate in H2Ohio beginning in 2024. Read the full story by The Courier.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-h2ohio-expanding-statewide

Hannah Reynolds

While much of the focus of the fight to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp centers is on the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, the USACE has identified an additional 18 places where invasive carp could theoretically cross into the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-beyondbrandonroad

Hannah Reynolds

The Port of Ludington Maritime Museum in Ludington, Michigan takes visitors on a journey around the Great Lakes, exploring shipwrecks, piloting a car ferry, testing their strength against a manpowered steamship wheel and hearing stories from long-passed ship captains. Read the full story by MLive.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-maritimemuseum-lakemishoreline-interactiveexhibits

Hannah Reynolds

Erie County, along with environmental agency partners and public volunteers participated in the Pennsylvania-Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Saturday morning, Sept. 16, to improve the Lake Erie watershed. This year’s effort focused on 22 sites along the Lake Erie shoreline and watershed. Volunteers removed over 3700 pounds of trash and other items from over 36 miles of shoreline and waterways. Read the full story by WZTE – Union City, PA.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-annuallakeerie-coastalcleanup

Hannah Reynolds

SepticSmart week is an annual event that focuses on educating homeowners and communities on the proper care and maintenance of their septic systems. If a septic system is not properly maintained, it can shorten the life of the system and potentially contaminate ground water which is a source of drinking water for many. Read the full story by The Morning Sun.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-septicsmartweek-2023

Hannah Reynolds

The Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse has been sold at auction, and the new owners are two Clevelanders who intend to preserve the historic part of Cleveland’s skyline. The lighthouse fetched a price of $425,000 when the auction closed on Sept. 6. Read the full story by Scripps News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-greatlakes-lighthouse-magnates

Hannah Reynolds

National Hunting and Fishing Day, which was established in the early 1970s, celebrates the contributions that men and women make to the conservation of our nation’s rich sporting heritage, wildlife and fisheries resources. Through self-imposed fees and excise taxes on guns and ammunition, fishing and archery equipment and certain outdoor sporting goods, sportsmen and women have raised more than $60 billion for wildlife and fisheries conservation efforts. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-events-interestinhunting-fishing

Hannah Reynolds

Over the next month, the Wisconsin DNR will host open houses at the Governor Tommy G. Thompson Fish Hatchery, Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility, Root River Steelhead Facility and the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery. Each of these free events will give attendees a chance to see fish up close and learn how hatcheries and spawning facilities help sustain Wisconsin’s fish populations. Read the full story by Wisconsin DNR.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230918-wisconsindnr-spawningtour-hatcherytour

Hannah Reynolds

After years of seeking approval, Waukesha, Wisconsin is finally set to start pulling millions of gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan to replace its polluted water supply. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-milwaukee-water-lakemichigan-pumping

Hannah Reynolds

A southwestern Ontario mayor says the provincial and federal governments need to follow in the footsteps of the United States and initiate a coastal resilience study along the thousands of kilometers of Great Lakes shoreline in Canada. Read the full story by CBC News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-ontariomayor-callsforaction-coastalresilience-canada

Hannah Reynolds

Invasive species often spread by hitching a ride on anglers, especially anglers who don’t clean their gear after fishing. Though this is widely known, research suggests many anglers still don’t clean, even though it protects the very thing they’re after – fish. So, can anything be done to change their minds? Read and listen to the full story by Points North Podcast – Interlochen Public Radio. 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-dirtylaundry-invasivespecies-limitations

Hannah Reynolds

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences has raised two-thirds of its fundraising goal to build a cutting-edge research vessel designed for the Great Lakes. Read and the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-school-freshwater-sciences-raisingfunds-researchvessel

Hannah Reynolds

Some of the most cited “climate havens” are older cities in the Great Lakes region, upper Midwest and Northeast. Yet each will likely have to contend with some of the greatest temperature increases in the country in the coming years. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-us-climatehaven-heat-greatlakesregion

Hannah Reynolds

A rule requiring greater outflow of Lake Ontario through the Moses-Saunders Dam to lower water levels will not be enforced, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board has announced. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-board-lowerlakeontario-waterlevels

Hannah Reynolds

Ford House has chosen a company to help plan a $7 million project to restore the Ford Cove Lake St. Clair shoreline to its original native state. The area includes a mile of shoreline along Lake St. Clair plus more than 17 acres of marsh, nearshore habitat and forested wetlands.  Read the full story by the Macomb Daily.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230906-fordcove-project-lakestclair

Hannah Reynolds

On one evening each August, the organization Milwaukee Water Commons holds their We Are Water event to celebrate the gift of Lake Michigan. The event serves as a reminder of water’s essential role in taking care of us and the recognition of our duty to safeguard its existence. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-we-are-water-celebration-lakemichigan

Hannah Reynolds

Oswego, Illinois, was recently granted its Lake Michigan Water Allocation Permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. To get permission to tap Lake Michigan water, Oswego had to meet several criteria, including providing evidence that the aquifer it currently uses is no longer able to meet the village’s needs and that the other water source alternatives are not as viable. Read the full story by the Patch.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-oswego-permit-lakemiwater

Hannah Reynolds

Benton Harbor, Michigan, residents have been inundated with challenges facing their water system for years, such as lead in pipes, ineffective corrosion treatment, and threats of water shut-offs. After years of public interest campaigns and $45 million in federal aid, almost all the lead pipes have been replaced. However, now residents have another issue to worry about – rising water bills. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-bentonharbor-leadlines-expensivewaterbills

Hannah Reynolds

In celebration of World Water Week, the Cedar Tree Institute hosted the Gift of Water Gala at Peter White Public Library located in Marquette, Michigan. “The Gift of Water” is a newly published anthology filled with essays about conservation and preservation, specifically focusing on and written by people connected to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-giftofwater-safeguarding-water

Hannah Reynolds

Authorities have now determined that 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from a cargo ship into Lake Michigan, after it was breached earlier this month. Officials are still investigating what caused the Manitowoc’s hull breach Aug. 3, off the coast of Manistee, Michigan. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-manitowoc-diesalspill-lakemichigan

Hannah Reynolds

Minnesota U.S. Eighth District Congressman Pete Stauber has received the 2023 “Legislator of the Year” award from the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force for his work in supporting the maritime needs of the Great Lakes Navigation System, mining industry, the Duluth-Superior Port, and the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Mesabi Tribune.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-stauber-greatlakes-award

Hannah Reynolds

After years of rallying, recent national directives to further mitigate PFAS will address two sites on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, that have been leaching PFAS into nearby water bodies including the AuSable River and Clark’s Marsh. Last week, one of the suggested plans was officially adopted by the Department of Defense. Read the full story by WJRT-TV – Flint, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230823-pfascleanup-oscoda-nationalpolicy

Hannah Reynolds

Michigan will spend more than half a million dollars on a slate of projects meant to support the state’s transition to renewable energy — for boats. Six companies will receive a total of $506,000 as part of a new grant program aimed at decarbonizing the region’s maritime industry. The first round of projects will develop electric boats, deploy solar-powered vessels and install charging stations. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-chargingstations-electricboats-michiganmarinas

Hannah Reynolds

There is a project in the works to install a “gantlet” system in the Des Plaines River at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet to stop silver and bighead carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The $1.14 billion project is funded by the federal government and the states of Illinois and Michigan. Although the cost estimate has increased and progress has been slow, the project is in the last stages of design as Illinois prepares to sign an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction. Read the full story by The Pantagraph.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-scientists-invasivecarp-creativestrategies-protectlakemichigan

Hannah Reynolds

Port Colborne could enable an all-season Lake Erie shipping option when the St. Lawrence Seaway system’s locks are not operating, says a study from Fluid Intelligence. The study looks at the potential advantages of short-sea shipping services between southern Ontario and the U.S. Great Lakes region and was released in May. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-portcolborne-shortseashipping-lakeerie

Hannah Reynolds

Volunteers came together Sunday morning to help clean up trash at International Park located in Toledo, OH. The effort was put on by a group whose goal is to protect and preserve our Great Lakes. Sunday was the fourth stop on the Ultimate Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip where organizers and volunteers are beautifying each of the Great Lakes in just one week. The first step in helping Lake Erie is to clean up the Maumee River. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-greatlakes-greatresponsibility-cleanup

Hannah Reynolds

The state is recommending that Michigan residents lower how much smelt they eat from some local bodies of water. New guidelines for smelt consumption were included in the state health department’s 2023 Eat Safe Fish Guides, with the agency saying people should limit their smelt consumption to just one serving per month for fish from Lake Michigan, as well as Portage Lake in Houghton County.  Read the full story by The Detroit News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-smelt-michigan-lakes-guidelines

Hannah Reynolds

For decades, scientists have been drawn like magnets to a cluster of remote islands thirty-some miles out into northern Lake Michigan, halfway between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. The islands in the Beaver Island archipelago are a hub for scientific research about Great Lakes water quality, microplastics pollution, wetlands monitoring, and more. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-wetlands-waterquality-beaverisland

Hannah Reynolds

Swimmers and some boaters are being warned to stay out of parts of Lake Erie on Monday. A Beach Hazard Statement has been issued for swimmers in Erie, Lucas, and Ottawa Counties beginning in the afternoon on Monday, August 14. The warning then goes into effect for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, and Lorain Counties later in the evening. According to the alert, wind and wave action could make for a high risk of rip currents. Read the full story by WJW-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-lakeerie-weatheralert

Hannah Reynolds

An opportunity to learn about shipwrecks and underwater photography is coming up on Thursday at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. As part of the Sanctuary Lecture Series, renowned underwater photographer and author Chris Roxburgh will host a free presentation, Exploring Shipwrecks of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Read the full story by The Alpena News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-shipwrecks-thunderbay-explore

Hannah Reynolds

Did you hear about the Michigan man who crossed Lake Michigan in a bathtub (sitting backwards, no less) because of a $5 bet? Well, the 54-year anniversary of his voyage was this week. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-lakemi-crossedlake-bathtub

Hannah Reynolds

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one step closer to creating a new wetland ecosystem in Buffalo’s Outer Harbor. Construction on a stone breakwater in the abandoned shipping slip adjacent to Wilkeson Pointe is scheduled to begin in the fall and should be completed by November, the Corps announced last week. The new wetland will help reverse nearly a century of environmental degradation. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-buffalooutharbor-10years-revival

Hannah Reynolds

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed Michigan’s $57.4 billion general government budget for Fiscal Year 2024, which included funding for clean energy, conservation and environmental justice. Nearly $600 million is budgeted for Michigan’s water infrastructure, protecting access to drinking water, replacing lead service lines, rebuilding sewers, and more. Read the full story by the Michigan Advance.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-michigan-newbudget-greatlakes

Hannah Reynolds

Lake Superior is known for its cool, blue beauty, but the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area) has a new antagonist: blue-green algae. The most recent bloom confirmed in the Thunder Bay (Ontario) District was reported on Lake Superior at Shuniah’s Birch Beach on July 28. Blue-green algae blooms aren’t common on Lake Superior, but experts say warming temperatures may make them more frequent. Read the full story by CBC News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-bluegreenalgae-lakesuperior-climatechange

Hannah Reynolds

Roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel is believed to have spilled into Lake Michigan through a hull breach on a stricken freighter. Absorbent boom was placed around the bulk freighter Manitowoc following the spill, which began about 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 2 while the ship was leaving Manistee. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-hullbreach-disesalfuel-lakemichigan

Hannah Reynolds

As the largest island in Lake Michigan, Beaver Island is a key stopover spot for migratory birds, as well as ideal habitat for resident nesting species. The island is home to a designated birding trail that took flight a decade ago, where enthusiasts annually host a special birding conference with guided field trips. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-beaverisland-greatlakes-birdwatching

Hannah Reynolds

Lampricides will be applied to the Big Manistee River in Manistee County this month in efforts to kill sea lamprey larvae burrowed in the stream bottom. The applications will be conducted between Aug. 15 and 24 by personnel from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-sealampreycontrol-lake-mi-tributaries

Hannah Reynolds

Michigan is the land of 11,000 lakes and 36,000 miles of streams. We are the Great Lakes State, but Michigan is also the land of 1.3 million septic systems – and the only state in the union with no uniform code to regulate them. Environmental regulators estimate that hundreds of thousands of Michigan’s septic systems are failing, flushing raw sewage that ends up where we swim, fish, drink. One local gem of a lake, however, will get some protections, thanks to the actions of a township board, nonprofit research and health department cooperation. Read the full story by The Daily Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-septic-state-legislation-stagnate

Hannah Reynolds

According to Hamilton (Ontario) Region Public Health, the beaches at Binbrook Conservation Area and Valens Conservation Area tested unsafe for swimming as of Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. According to public health guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, water is considered unsafe for swimming when one sample contains 400 or more E. coli bacteria per 100 millilitres. Read the full story by the Hamilton Spectator.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-hamilton-public-beaches-closures

Hannah Reynolds

Though the calendar still says it’s summertime, fall migration already has begun for some species of migratory birds, including the Great Lakes piping plover. Just this week the first juvenile piping plover from summer 2023′s fledglings was spotted on Sanibel Island, Florida. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-pipingplover-overwinter-florida

Hannah Reynolds

Empire Bluff Trail, known for knockout views of Lake Michigan and the park’s stunning shoreline, was the focus of a recent improvement project aimed at reducing erosion and environmental impact. The work included rerouting the trail around a steep hill with log steps that had become a harder climb due to high foot traffic in recent years. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-sleepingbeardunes-tailrerouted

Hannah Reynolds

‘Forever chemicals’, otherwise known as PFAS, are found nearly everywhere in a household – from cooking pans to rugs. While you may not be able to completely avoid the chemicals, there are some things you can do at home to reduce your exposure. Read the full story by WXIN-TV – Indianapolis, IN.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230724-foreverchemicals-filter-water-at-home

Hannah Reynolds

Researchers with University of Wisconsin-Green Bay are surveying hundreds of wetlands around the region every year as part of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program. The program aims to monitor and assess Great Lakes coastal wetland health using biotic indicators and provide a baseline and method for tracking future changes in plants, animals, and environmental quality. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230724-wetlands-greatlakes-protection-habitatmonitoring

Hannah Reynolds

It might come as a surprise given their proximity to Lake Michigan, but Chicago’s neighbors southwest of the city could soon be facing a water shortage. The Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer supplies groundwater to communities in Will, Kane and DuPage counties. The aquifer is beginning to collapse – it’s depleting, and this is a non-replenishable aquifer. This poses the challenge of managing and addressing a growing imbalance between flooding and water scarcity in the region’s water geography. Read the full story by WTTW-TV – Chicago, IL.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230724-waterscarcity-northernillinois

Hannah Reynolds