Thanks to a mixture of erosion and wind, winter runoff has created more than ten ice formations in the Chequamegon ice caves along the Wisconsin shoreline of Lake Superior. Tour guides will lead thousands of people across the snow and ice to see the natural phenomena through the caves that have just opened for a month-long season. Read the full story by WJFW-TV – Rhinelander, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230215-tour-ice-caves

James Polidori

While the Great Lakes Compact bans diverting water from the lakes, years-long droughts in Western states have brought renewed attention to the possibility of pumping water in from the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.  Read the full story by Michigan Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-diversion-challenges

James Polidori

After receiving a Congressional authorization to build a second heavy icebreaker, the U.S. Coast Guard said the $350 million ship might take a decade or more to build. Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers Association, believes they could finish building the ship in as little as four years. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-icebreaker-timeline

James Polidori

A report released this week by a binational group warns the task of sediment remediation from the Detroit River is massive, but a huge pot of U.S. federal funds is available to address that legacy of pollution. However, the scientists warn, it’s a case of use-it-or-lose-it with a deadline just a few short years away. Read the full story by The Windsor Star.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-river-remediation

James Polidori

Lake Erie’s water level rose to record highs in 2019 and 2020, damaging property and interfering with recreation before beginning a decline that continued into 2022. In 2023, the lake’s level isn’t projected to break any more monthly records but is expected to remain higher than average for the first six months. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-erie-water-levels

James Polidori

Saying the steps the Biden administration took to bar mining in the Superior National Forest are not permanent, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) on Tuesday reintroduced a bill that would offer permanent protections. While U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has the authority to impose the mining moratorium in the Superior National Forest for a maximum of 20 years, subject to renewal, only Congress can legislate a permanent withdrawal. Read the full story by SC Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-boundary-waters-protection

James Polidori

On Monday, less than a half percent of Lake Erie was covered with ice compared to 87.3% on the same date last year, according to data kept by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average date for maximum ice coverage on Lake Erie is Feb. 10, while maximum ice coverage has been declining on average by about 5% per decade. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-erie-ice

James Polidori

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission recently added its largest public fishing easement acquisition to date in North East Township. The access includes three parcels of land that were formerly leased to a private fishing club and had been closed to the public for more than 10 years. Read the full story by The Corry Journal.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-fishing-access

James Polidori

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis announced Wednesday that Erie County has received approval from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Buffalo to welcome cruise ships into its port. City officials said in October 2022 there is a possibility cruise ships could be coming to Erie’s Bayfront as early as this year. Read the full story by WHTM-TV – Harrisburg, PA.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-erie-cruise

James Polidori

The Lake Huron Coastal Centre (LHCC) announced that the Ontario government is investing $44,000 in plastic pollution reduction projects on Lake Huron. Through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund, communities will protect and improve the health of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters. Read the full story by Goderich Signal Star.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-plastic-reduction

James Polidori

In St. Joseph, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan, residents have spotted hundreds of slabs of sand covered in snow and ice. Although they look more like rocks after decades of erosion on the bottom of the lakebed, the solid chunks are the end result of freezing temperatures, powerful wind gusts, and miles of coastline getting battered by mother nature forces. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230203-sand-formations

James Polidori

A warmer than usual winter is having an adverse effect on the Great Lakes. Without colder temperatures, the region can expect more lake effect snow, a result of cold air passing over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. Because the water is warmer, fish migration and the quantity of fish in our water could change and low water levels could also force ships to carry a lighter load to avoid being grounded. Read the full story by CTV News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-winter-impacts

James Polidori

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) recently released a report on their work across the Great Lakes in New York, and their watersheds. The most recent report highlights work done on the Genesee River to help reduce phosphorus pollution caused by runoff and other sources, among other projects. Read the full story by WROC-TV – Rochester, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-newyork-accomplishments

James Polidori

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will study whether to toughen regulation of large livestock farms that release manure and other pollutants into waterways. Runoff of waste and fertilizers from the operations — and from croplands where manure is spread — fouls streams, rivers and lakes. It’s a leading cause of algae blooms that create hazards in many waterways and dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-livestock-regulations

James Polidori

Local and federal officials are cautiously optimistic construction will be underway this spring for a water pipeline to serve the Oneida Nation of the Thames in southwestern Ontario. The pipeline, still in the design phase, is expected to be 18 kilometers long and connect the First Nation community with clean drinking water through the Lake Huron Water Supply System. Read the full story by Global News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-water-pipeline-construction

James Polidori

Lake Huron typically sees a long-term, historical average of 28% ice coverage in mid-January; so far this winter, the coverage has been around 8%. Lake Huron’s ice coverage is usually at its highest in late February or early March. Read the full story by The Times Herald.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-lake-ice-cover

James Polidori

The State of Michigan has recently updated its fish consumption guidelines to account for PFAS chemicals in smelt and carp. Under the new guidelines, the state recommends eating only 6 servings of smelt a year from Lake Huron and just 1 serving a month from Lake Michigan due to PFOS levels. Read the full story by WKAR-TV – East Lansing, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-pfas-guidelines

James Polidori

Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior could see some changes in the years ahead under a new plan from the National Park Service. The plans include renovating historic structures like lighthouses and cabins, and offering more access and guidance to visitors. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230125-park-plan

James Polidori

Black carp, an invasive species that was first imported to control snails in fish farms where fish are bred, have made their way into Illinois waterways. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources believes black carp have moved up the Illinois River as far as central Illinois. If the invasive carp enter the Great Lakes, they have the ability to dominate the food chain and cause major disruptions to the ecosystem. Read the full story by WBGZ – Alton, IL.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-invasive-carp

James Polidori

Lockwood, Andrews & Newman (LAN), an engineering firm accused of having some responsibility for Flint’s lead-contaminated water in 2014-2015, has settled a lawsuit with four families, months after a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict in August. Details of the agreement between the families and LAN were not publicly disclosed in federal court in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Read the full story by AP News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-flint-settlement

James Polidori

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is urging its customers to take advantage of programs that will lower their sewer bills while calling on the federal government to do more to help low-income water customers. The sewer district is offering affordability programs at the same time it is having to pay for massive improvements, including the $3 billion Project Clean Lake that is designed to reduce combined-sewer overflows into Lake Erie and its tributaries. Read the full story by Cleveland.com

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-discounted-water

James Polidori

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is requiring the village of Montgomery to submit a water improvement plan for approval of its permit application to divert Lake Michigan water to its residents. The plan requires the village to lower its non-revenue water loss from 28.2 percent to under 10 percent. Read the full story by WSPY – Plano, IL.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-water-permit

James Polidori

For the past 37 years, an agreement between the State of Michigan, the federal government, and five sovereign tribal nations has guided commercial fishing regulations in parts of the Great Lakes. The last decree was set to expire in 2020 but was extended as negotiations carried on. Four of the five tribes involved are supporting the new decree, but the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and other sport fishing and conservation groups take issue with changes in the new agreement. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-fishing-rights

James Polidori

The City of Waukesha, Wisconsin could start breaking ground on a short, but critical stretch of water pipeline in just a matter of weeks, thanks to a Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors decision Thursday afternoon. The 35-mile pipeline will convey Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee to Waukesha and then return it —after it’s used and treated— to Lake Michigan via the Root River. Read and listen to the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-water-pipeline

James Polidori

The U.S. Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking operation is underway in Lake Superior. The Coast Guard sector based in Sault Ste Marie has started its winter icebreaking efforts – known as Operation Taconite – because of an increasing amount of ice in the commercial ports located on the west side of Lake Superior. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-ice-breaking

James Polidori

The walleye hatches in the western and central basins of Lake Erie were above average this year, as was the hatch for yellow perch in the western basin. The story was different for yellow perch in the central basin where hatches there “continue to be well below average,” according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by Cleveland.com

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-fish-hatches

James Polidori

Muskegon County closed on the former Nugent Sand property on December 13, finalizing the acquisition of more than 160 acres that includes 1,460 feet of Lake Michigan frontage property for its Dune Harbor Park. The park will be opened for public use no later than March 13, 2023, said Muskegon County Community Development Director Robert Lukens. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-public-park

James Polidori

Paul Radomski’s new book Walleye: A Beautiful Fish of the Dark details the biology, management and importance of this iconic fish. Radomski, a fisheries biologist by trade, said he hopes readers will take away a greater appreciation for walleye as they learn more about it. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221219-walleye-book

James Polidori

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Bayfield, Wisconsin, has made significant changes to improve accessibility to the shoreline in recent years. Through its “Access for All” campaign, the Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore group wants to continue these efforts by adding a 520-foot-long accessible ramp at Meyers Beach so people can better access the kayak launching area. Read and listen to the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-accesible-shorefront

James Polidori

A lake effect snowstorm hit parts of Jefferson and Lewis counties, New York, causing waves of 15 to 20 feet and winds over 50 miles per hour. The high winds caused some commercial vessels to anchor on Wednesday on both ends of the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River portion of the Great Lakes Seaway and storm damage to the town of Cape Vincent. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-storm-damage

James Polidori

Enamored with the wild from childhood, Canadian photographer Trevor Pottelberg learned to brave the extreme storm season of Lake Erie to get hold of awe-inspiring images of water in motion, several of which can be viewed in this article. Read the full story by The Epoch Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-wave-photographs

James Polidori

The Northeast Wisconsin shipwreck of the Sidney O. Neff was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7 following its listing on the State Register of Historic Places in September. The Wisconsin Historical Society says the wreck allows historians and archaeologists to study the construction of early converted wooden steambarges in the Great Lakes lumber trade. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-historic-shipwreck

James Polidori

In St. Joseph, Michigan, the US Army Corps of Engineers awarded a contract to King Company of Holland, Michigan to dredge the St Joseph Harbor of debris in the water that has severely limited traffic over the last five weeks. Due to bad weather causing rough waves and high winds, it could take even longer for the harbor to be fully operational again. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-dredging-delay

James Polidori

An analysis released by a coalition of activists and conservation groups in Michigan finds that high water rates force many families to live in unsafe conditions, putting elders and children at risk. The report proposes that state officials adopt a water-affordability strategy that supports low-income Michiganders and does not harm residents who can afford their utilities. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-water-affordability

James Polidori

Energy storage is a priority for several Great Lakes states including Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. By using iron, salt, and water, the Great Lakes region can create a green energy future with the technology of iron-flow batteries. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-energy-storage

James Polidori

In 1972, the same year the Clean Water Act was passed, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point created the Water and Environmental Analysis Lab (WEAL). Over its 50 years, communities, student employees and hundreds of thousands of residents have benefited from its water testing programs, educational outreach and five decades of data collected from groundwater sources across the state and the nation. Read the full story by Point/Plover Metro Wire.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-water-lab-anniversary

James Polidori

After more than 100 years of industrial use and environmental contamination, a new, cleaner life is in the future for Grand Haven’s Harbor Island – but it will take at least six years to get there. Before redevelopment can occur, a massive effort to clean up contamination must be mounted. Read the full story by MLive.com.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-contamination-cleanup

James Polidori

The Wisconsin DNR reminds anglers that the opening of Lake Superior’s lake trout season is December 1, running until September 30, or until the harvest cap is met. Anyone looking to harvest lake trout must purchase a Great Lakes trout and salmon stamp in addition to their fishing license. Read the full story by WEAU-TV – Eau Claire, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221202-trout-season

James Polidori

In Lake Erie’s western basin, toxic algal blooms lasted into November for the first time in the past 20 years of data gathering. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are analyzing the impacts of weather conditions and the species of algae on the bloom’s extended stay. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-algae-conditions

James Polidori

In a major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-fired power plants, the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered the Gen. James Gavin Power Plant in Cheshire, Ohio, to stop dumping dangerous coal ash into unlined storage ponds and speed cleanup of the site. This marks the first time the EPA has formally denied a utility’s request to continue disposing toxic coal ash after a deadline to stop such disposal has passed. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-coal-ash-order

James Polidori

In Lisbon, New York, the Eel Protection Study, a five-month study that investigates the use of light to guide adult American eel through hydroelectric power stations, aims to guide, collect, and transport the eel during its migration from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. Read the full story by Seaway News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-eel-protection

James Polidori

Angelica Vazquez-Ortega, a Bowling Green State University geochemist, obtained more than $1 million in grants to study the effects of using dredged lake sediment from Lake Erie as a farm soil amendment to mitigate nutrient overflow into the lake. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-sediment-fertilizer

James Polidori

A new report led by St. Paul, Minnesota-based Freshwater Society reveals how groundwater is governed and serves as a reference for water policy and resource professionals to build future policy work. The authors conclude that the current structures, cobbled together over decades in response to different kinds of stressors and crises, does not adequately provide for a sustainable and equitable groundwater management for the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Read the full story by The Waynedale News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-groundwater-governance

James Polidori

The Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort, a watchdog group, has tracked a particular bird that has foregone its migration to Michigan to forage in Florida over the past several breeding seasons. Even though this bird has apparently taken herself out of the nesting business, 150 piping plover chicks were fledged in the wild at dozens of nesting sites along the Great Lakes shoreline – a huge step in the numbers game for this small bird. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-piping-plover-migration

James Polidori

On November 26, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw will travel from Cheboygan, Michigan, to Chicago with its annual shipment of 1,200 Christmas trees to deliver holiday cheer to families in need. This is the 23rd year of carrying on the tradition of the schooner Rouse Simmons, which sank in Lake Michigan in 1912 with a cargo full of Christmas trees. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-christmas-ship

James Polidori

COMMENTARY: In the St. Clair River, northern madtoms are one of the species that helps researchers gauge the overall health of the river and its inhabitants as they eat some of the tiniest organisms in the system, which are also some of the most sensitive and vulnerable to pollutants. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221123-catfish-indicator

James Polidori

In the effort to continue promoting a more dynamic and diverse supply chain for U.S. soybean farmers, the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) has continued its partnership with The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) to encourage the greater utilization of the Seaway in accessing international markets.  Specifically, the partnership extends the SLSMC’s “Gateway Incentive Program,” a 50% reduction on shipping tolls for new shipments of soybeans and agricultural freight via the Seaway.  Read the full story by Ohio’s Country Journal.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-seaway-shipments

James Polidori

The city of Lakewood, Ohio, has agreed to spend approximately $85 million to improve its sewer system to significantly reduce the amount of raw sewage discharges from Lakewood’s system into Lake Erie and the Rocky River. Department of Justice officials said the city of Lakewood allegedly discharged untreated sanitary sewage into the bodies of water on at least 1,933 occasions from January 2016 to now. Read the full story by WOIO – Shaker Heights, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-sewer-improvements

James Polidori

Earlier this week, dozens of Cleveland residents attended the first of six listening sessions to learn about four proposals that aim to bridge the gap between Cleveland’s downtown and its Lake Erie shoreline. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-shoreline-access

James Polidori