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Where to see rare solar eclipse in Ohio

The path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse is expected to run directly across northwest Ohio, keeping tourism officials in the area, who normally plan for crowds to begin arriving in May, extra busy.   

Some private campgrounds in the area that are opening early for the eclipse and have sites available, including Crystal Rock, Erie and Ottawa County fairgrounds, Cedarlane RV Resort, Camp Sandusky and Camp Perry RV Park.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/where-to-see-rare-solar-eclipse-in-ohio/

James Proffitt

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Wisconsin’s state fish tops the food chain

The long, fast, toothy muskellunge (also known as muskie or musky) is nicknamed the “Fish of 10,000 Casts” due to its notoriously elusive nature. It is the apex predator in all waters where it’s found, known to hide in underwater cover, aggressively ambushing prey. They eat fish almost exclusively, though they have been known to consume just about anything they can swallow including birds, small mammals, and their own kind.   

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/wisconsins-state-fish-tops-the-food-chain/

James Proffitt

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New York state sues Pepsico over plastic pollution in Buffalo

On Nov. 15, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Purchase-headquartered Pepsico and its subsidiary Frito-Lay, citing a host of issues with the proliferation of its single-use packaging litter in and around a downtown Buffalo waterway.

The Buffalo River runs through the city before flowing into Lake Erie 20 miles upstream from Niagara Falls.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/new-york-state-sues-pepsico-over-plastic-pollution-in-buffalo/

James Proffitt

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St. Lawrence Seaway labor strike ends

A strike by about 350 members of UNIFOR, Canada’s largest private-sector union, ended when its members ratified a new contract on Nov. 2. The agreement will give them wage increases of 5, 4 and 4 percent annually over the next three years and offer them better protections against the St.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/st-lawrence-seaway-labor-strike-ends/

James Proffitt

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Great Lakes imports and exports halted by strike

A strike by about 350 members of UNIFOR, Canada’s largest private sector union, could cripple thousands of businesses and cause the loss of billions in economic activity if it continues, according to shipping officials.

“Every day is a critical time,” said Jayson Hron, communications director for Port of Duluth-Superior, the U.S.’ furthest inland seaport.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/great-lakes-imports-and-exports-halted-by-strike/

James Proffitt

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Lake Erie charter industry rebounding from slump

Veteran fishers on Lake Erie fondly recall the late 1980s as a heyday for walleye – a time when Ohio anglers were allowed to catch 10 fish a day and the big-eyed apex predators seemed an endless resource.

At its height in 1988, the Ohio charter fishing industry supported 1,221 licensed captains and nearly 5 million walleye were taken.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/05/lake-erie-charter-industry-rebounding-from-slump/

James Proffitt

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A deep dive into disposing waste from East Palestine’s derailment

Some residents in Vickery, including Ohio State Rep. Gary Click, were upset to learn that hazardous wastewater from a Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment was being sent to their area for disposal. But the reality is that Vickery Environmental (VE), a Class 1 deep well injection site about five miles from Sandusky Bay, has been receiving and disposing liquid waste for nearly a half century.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/04/deep-dive-disposing-waste-east-palestine-derailment/

James Proffitt

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Ballville Dam Removal: History, trends and impacts

For more than a century, a dam divided the upstream Sandusky River from Lake Erie. People got power, but fish were prevented from reaching native spawning grounds.

Then, four years ago, the dam came down, like hundreds around the Great Lakes region. It had been replaced as a power source years earlier, and environmentalists argued to restore the river’s natural course.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/ballville-dam-removal-history-trends-impacts/

James Proffitt

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The Great Lakes-Iceland connection through the 100% Whitefish effort

While Great Lakes fish populations are constantly in a state of flux, one species has declined precipitously in the last decade: lake whitefish. But Great Lakes leaders and fisheries managers are looking ahead in planning to do more with less.

And in the case of whitefish, a lot more.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-iceland-connection-through-whitefish-effort/

James Proffitt

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Great Lakes Moving Bridges: How they work and why we love them

They stop dozens of vehicles creating traffic jams so that a single boat can dawdle through and sometimes they make us late. They’re usually very old and expensive to maintain and operate and holy smokes, they move slow as cold molasses.

But seriously, aren’t they great?

“It can definitely be an inconvenience, but in all reality it’s only a few minutes every hour,” Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider said.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-moving-bridges/

James Proffitt

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Weighted Walleye: The fallout of the Lake Erie fishing tournament

A fishing tournament weigh-in in Cleveland last month, an event most often attended by anglers, family, friends and passersby, sent the Lake Erie walleye scene into worldwide news after several videos went viral.

They appeared to show two consistently winning tournament anglers get caught cheating red-handed after 10 lead weights, tipping the scales at about 7 pounds, were removed from their five walleye at the final 2022 event for the Lake Erie Walleye Trail.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/weighted-walleye-fallout-lake-erie-fishing-tournament/

James Proffitt

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In: Commercial Fishing, Feature Homepage, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, fishing, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, lake erie, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio, Recreation and Tourism, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Science, Technology, Research
Great Lakes feature Midwest curiosity: Fish-cleaning houses

If you catch fish in a Great Lakes state on a river, pond, stream or reservoir and keep any to eat, most likely you’ll have to clean them yourself. But if you get close to one of the big lakes, especially Lake Erie, you could have a fish cleaner do it.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/fish-cleaning-houses/

James Proffitt

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First in decades, a new Great Lakes freighter joins fleet

For the first time in decades, a new bulk freighter has been built on and launched on the Great Lakes.

The Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin unveiled the Mark W. Barker earlier this year after spending nearly three years constructing it. The vessel was commissioned by Cleveland-based Interlake Steamship Company which currently operates about a dozen ships.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/new-great-lakes-freighter-joins-fleet/

James Proffitt

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Setting Lake Erie limits

The total allowable catch (TAC) for yellow perch and walleye went up this year in Lake Erie. The raise is indicative of booming walleye population in recent years as well as a healthy perch population in most areas of the lake.

The walleye TAC rose 18% from 12.28 million fish in 2021 to 14.53 million this year, with yellow perch rising 15% from 6.23 million pounds last year to 7.18 million pounds this year.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/setting-lake-erie-limits/

James Proffitt

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Study suggests phosphorous reduction alone could lead to more toxic algae

A new study completed by international researchers says current efforts to reduce harmful algae blooms by limiting phosphorous in Lake Erie could result in more toxic algae.

“I think it has implications for how we think about cleaning up Lake Erie,” said Greg Dick, director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at Michigan State University, and one of the study’s authors.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/phosphorous-reduction-toxic-algae/

James Proffitt

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Lake Erie’s once-thriving blue pike is long gone but never forgotten

One of the last known (and most famous) blue pike was landed by hook and line in 1962. In 1983, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the blue pike extinct. Yet, nearly 40 years later, the population remains robust and healthy – in the hearts and minds of countless anglers.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/lake-erie-blue-pike-never-forgotten/

James Proffitt

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A lesser known Great Lakes treasure: sea glass

The North American Sea Glass Association held its 16th Annual Sea Glass Festival at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge on Lake Erie – the first time it wasn’t held at a saltwater venue.

“This is probably the crème de la crème of festivals,” said Beverly Vinch, of Washed Ashore Jewelry, based in Avon Lake, Ohio.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/great-lakes-sea-glass/

James Proffitt

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Massive salmon farm gets green light from Ohio DNR

Despite overwhelming public opposition based on public comments received by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the agency approved a water withdrawal and consumptive use permit for Massachusetts-based Aquabounty on March 14.

The permit will allow operators to pull about 28 million gallons from the Michindoh Aquifer to fill tanks at its state-of-the-art Atlantic salmon rearing facility in Pioneer, Ohio.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/salmon-farm-ohio-dnr/

James Proffitt

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Fishing Tournament Trends: Kayaks and catch-photo-release gaining popularity

Every year thousands of anglers participate in fishing tournaments across the Great Lakes, with prizes ranging from a couple hundred bucks to tens of thousands of dollars. Some, like the Lake Erie Fall Brawl, offer new fishing boats valued at more than $100,000 as top prizes. Some events are targeted toward professional anglers, while others pair a professional angler and an amateur angler.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/fishing-tournament-trends-kayaks-catch-photo-release/

James Proffitt

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Lakeside Gentrification: Trailer parks and campgrounds the last bulwark against waterfront developments

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part story. Read the first part here.

Ed Matusik and his wife were in their new summer vacation trailer for just a month at Bay Point Resort and Marina in 2006 when they received an eviction letter: the investment group which recently purchased the site had plans for a new development in that section of the resort.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/trailer-parks-campgrounds-waterfront-developments/

James Proffitt

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Lakeside Gentrification: Waterfront properties and water access grow steadily further out of reach

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part story. Look for the next part next week.

Every summer for the last decade, James Peterson, his wife and two daughters traveled from Charleston, West Virginia, to Kaspar’s Lake Breeze Cottages in Marblehead, Ohio, to fish, relax and soak up the beauty and restorative power of Lake Erie.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/water-access-grows-out-of-reach/

James Proffitt

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Top 10 Fish to Catch: Great Lakes means great fishing

Summer is hands-down the most popular fishing season on the Great Lakes because people on vacation want to fish.

But Great Lakes fishing is a year-round sport. With a range of fish that offer a tasty meal, a challenge to land or both, anglers can have 365 days of fun on the lakes and their tributaries.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/top-10-fish-catch-great-lakes-fishing/

James Proffitt

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2022 Perch Outlook: Ohio hatch results not so great

Recently released Ohio Department of Natural Resources yellow perch hatch results indicate more of the same: overall mediocrity, leaning toward the not-so-good side.  

 That’s the result of an average hatch in the Western Basin and a very poor hatch in the Central Basin from Huron, Ohio, to Conneaut, Ohio. 

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/2022-perch-outlook/

James Proffitt

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Walleye Windfall: Lake Erie bait and tackle is big small business

Scott Stecher would like it if all baits, or lures, were Reefrunners. He’s been manufacturing and selling his series of Ripshads, Rippers, Cicadas and Wiglsticks baits for decades, and they hold sway in the walleye community.  

Stecher, who lives in Marblehead, Ohio, said his lures have landed walleye (and other fish) in places like South America, Europe and Asia.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/walleye-windfall-lake-erie-bait-and-tackle-is-big-small-business/

James Proffitt

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Walleye Windfall: Lake Erie’s booming walleye population keeps Ohio’s economy going

Gary and Roseann Sauvey have been operating Kaspar’s Lake Breeze Cottages in one capacity or another for 65 years.

The Sauveys’ waterfront home sits on a couple acres, sporting a side yard with five 20×20 cottages that haven’t changed much over the decades. From beautiful, quaint wood interiors to a small fishing pier and breathtaking sunrises, it’s a site stuck in time.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/walleye-lake-erie-population-ohio-economy/

James Proffitt

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Walleye Windfall: 2021 sees another big hatch of fish in Lake Erie

Lake Erie, so far as modern fisheries biologists are concerned, has never been so flush with walleye.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates there are currently about 95 million walleye in the lake two years old or older – that translates into fish about 15 inches or longer, the minimum size for keeping and eating.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/walleye-windfall-2021-hatch-fish-lake-erie/

James Proffitt

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Summer Fun Yet to Come: As times change, so do boat shows

At the 2020 Cleveland Boat Show, just before the pandemic struck, big changes were already afoot in the industry.

“I brought a huge lawn into the Cleveland Boat Show in 2020 so that people could stand around and play cornhole and relax, people could sit around a picnic table and drink beer and kids could run around,” said Michelle Burke, president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/summer-boat-shows-change/

James Proffitt

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Tips, Tricks, Recipes: Want to know how to eat Great Lakes fish?

Tens of millions of fish from the Great Lakes are caught and kept every year by recreational anglers, and it’s common knowledge the vast majority of them meet the same culinary fate: filets coated in some type of breading or dipped in batter, and then fried in oil.

Walleye and yellow perch are the two species who suffer this fate the most.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/regionwide-local-fish-game-recipes/

James Proffitt

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Great Lakes Breakdowns: There’s a thin line between affordable and not for boat tows

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, millions of Americans suddenly found themselves out of work or working remotely, their recreational options severely limited with the closure of bars, eateries, gyms and countless public spaces.

So what better way to spend time with family while remaining socially distanced than buying a boat and hitting the water?

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/great-lakes-boat-tow-affordable-expensive/

James Proffitt

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In: Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, James Proffitt, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, outdoor recreation, Pennsylvania, Recreation and Tourism, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, sailing, Tourism, Wisconsin
Boating on a Budget: Get off land and onto the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are great for many reasons – their economic power, the lifestyle they provide millions of residents, as a getaway for tens of millions visitors and the livelihood it offers hundreds of thousands in lakes-related industries.

And then there’s the water. Summer sees the lakes filled with people soaking, swimming, skiing – and boating.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/boating-budget-great-lakes-recreation/

James Proffitt

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In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Feature Homepage, harmful algal blooms, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, Tourism
Good News for Lake Erie: 2021 algal bloom severity forecast is 3

For the second year in a row, scientists predict the annual Lake Erie cyanobacteria bloom will be smaller than it has been in the past decade.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecast, assembled with the help of multiple partners, indicates an expected bloom severity index of 3 on a scale of 10.5.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/2021-harmful-algal-blooms-toxic-algae/

James Proffitt

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In: birds, Climate change, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Habitat Restoration, James Proffitt, lake erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, New York, News, Ohio
Habitat Focus: To help the birds, nonprofit organization looks to Great Lakes habitats

There’s a bird emergency in the Great Lakes region, according to the National Audubon Society, but the nonprofit bird conservation organization is hoping to change that.

“This really is a bird emergency,” said Nat Miller, Audubon Great Lakes’ director of conservation. “We don’t think that’s hyperbole. As often is the case, birds currently serve as an indicator for larger environmental problems and today they’re telling us it’s a critical time now to act to save the wildlife, water and way of life in the Great Lakes region.”

In an effort to reduce this alarming trend, scientists and conservationists with The National Audubon Society recently released a wide-ranging and comprehensive blueprint to address climate change, pollution and other detrimental man-made effects on Great Lakes wetlands and coastal areas – and their bird populations.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/birds-wetlands-coastal-great-lakes-habitat-restoration/

James Proffitt

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In: COVID-19, Feature Homepage, James Proffitt, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Latest News, Michigan, New York, News, Niagara Falls, Ohio, Recreation, Recreation and Tourism, Tourism, Wisconsin
Open Doors: Great Lakes tourist destinations make 2021 a new start

A little more than a year ago the nation’s media outlets, including Great Lakes Now, were reporting on the widespread closures and restrictions being enacted across Great Lakes states. There were complete or partial closures and restrictions at nearly all public parks, preserves and other lakes-related facilities. Bars, restaurants and many stores and businesses were locking their doors.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/great-lakes-tourism-recreation-covid-19-2021/

James Proffitt

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In: culture, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, history, History and Culture, indigenous communities, James Proffitt, Latest News, Michigan, News, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing
Conservation Coordination: Black Lake sturgeon fishing highlights contrasts between Native and state approaches

The brief Black Lake sturgeon season which garners so much attention each year is over, but not for everyone.

The public face of the season usually begins and ends on a bitter-cold Saturday morning after six anglers spear their fish. After that, it’s over for citizens of Michigan and other states who travel for the opportunity to catch a big, long, tasty prehistoric fish.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/black-lake-sturgeon-fishing-indigenous-culture-conservation/

James Proffitt

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Duck Stamp: Little stamp has big impacts in the Great Lakes and nationwide

Waterfowl hunters began buying them nearly a century ago. Just after that, collectors joined the fun.

Since its inception in 1934 when Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law, the duck stamp (as it’s commonly known) has garnered more than $1 billion for habitat conservation in the national wildlife refuge system.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/duck-stamp-impacts-great-lakes-nationwide-refuge/

James Proffitt

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In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, Budget, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, harmful algal blooms, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, Lead, News, Ohio, Policy, Politics, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, wetlands
H2Ohio: Agency directors focus on wetlands, farmer subsidies, replacing lead lines

The first full-year report for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s much-publicized H2Ohio water quality initiative is out.

Introduced in 2019, the plan has already reaped benefits for Ohio residents and will continue to expand in its scope, according to officials charged with its implementation.

The report was offered in a web presentation by Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie Stevenson.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/h2ohio-agency-directors-wetlands-lead-agriculture/

James Proffitt

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In: conservation, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, History and Culture, ice fishing, James Proffitt, Latest News, Michigan, News, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, sturgeon
Short Season: Sturgeon spearing plays big role in conservation efforts for the ancient fish

When Chris Wilson speared a 63-inch, 61-pound sturgeon, it was only moments after he lugged the fish out of his shanty before a small crowd appeared. Some trotted over from nearby shanties and one man rode up on an ATV – he wasn’t fishing but simply spending the morning checking out the season.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/sturgeon-spearing-conservation-efforts-fish/

James Proffitt

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In: birds, Cleveland, conservation, Feature Cleveland, Fish, Birds and Animals, James Proffitt, Latest News, News, Ohio, recreational hunting, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, waterfowl
Winous Point: Conservation and research plays key role in history of one of the oldest hunting clubs

Two simple, white signs marked “WPSC” on small posts are all that mark its existence to most of the public. The posts sit on either side of a narrow road that turns to gravel then  disappears shortly after into the woods and is the gateway to the oldest continuously operating – and most storied – waterfowl hunting club in North America.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/winous-point-conservation-research-history-oldest-hunting-clubs/

James Proffitt

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In: Beaches, Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, fishing, history, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, remediation, Research, Research, Data and Technology
Unexploded Ordnance: Lake Erie shoreline site of long-term munitions study

In 1991, a Lake Michigan fishing vessel crew netted an object they later deposited on a beach in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It was subsequently identified as a fully-armed Sidewinder missile. While this is an extreme example of unexploded ordnance (UXO) pollution, it highlights the issue of old military munitions in the Great Lakes.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/unexploded-ordnance-lake-erie-shoreline-site-munitions-study/

James Proffitt

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In: COVID-19, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, outdoor recreation, Recreation, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Tourism
2020 Really Sucked. What’s Up Next? I don’t know.

This is part of a series in which the Great Lakes Now staff looks back on 2020.

A frequent theme of my GLN articles – and others’ – this year was the Crazy-19 virus. For me, its appearance in print ranged from news about charter captains not fishing and non-resident fishing and hunting license sales suspended to parks, monuments, Lake Erie businesses shut down and events cancelled, including The Biggest Week in American Birding.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/2020-really-sucked-next-i-dont-know/

James Proffitt

On:
In: fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Habitat Restoration, infrastructure, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, Recreation, Tourism and Culture, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing
Got Pike? Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior, Yes. Erie, not so much.

In Lake Erie, the northern pike occupies, on the grand fish scale of things, a not-so-special place.

The elongated, fast, toothy eating machine is in general neither widely loved nor widely hated. In fact, as far as a sportfish goes, which it most definitely is, it is rather neglected.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/pike-huron-michigan-ontario-superior-erie-seiche/

James Proffitt

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In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, harmful algal blooms, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, toxic algae
Field Tiles: Continued use and improvement of drainage systems pose problems for Lake Erie

The watersheds that feed the Western Basin of Lake Erie are home to thousands of crop and livestock farms. Those farmers use underground systems to manage rainwater, including many located where a massive swamp once made up the Ohio landscape.

All those farms face challenges managing fertilizers and water in their fields with drainage systems.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/12/field-tiles-drainage-systems-pose-problems-lake-erie/

James Proffitt

On:
In: Cleveland, Feature Cleveland, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, recreational fishing, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Tourism
Fall Brawl: Sheffield Lake fishing derby inspires intense angling

Anglers as a group are generally nice people – polite, kind, generous and peaceful. But throw out a couple high-end, super-sweet fishing machines and stacks of cash, and they’ll brawl hard. For six weeks.

The 10th Annual B’Laster Fall Brawl began at 12:01 a.m Oct. 16 and runs through 8:00 a.m.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/fall-brawl-sheffield-lake-fishing-derby/

James Proffitt

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In: Advocacy, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, Ohio, Recreational Hunting and Fishing
Dave Spangler: Lake Erie loses tireless full-time advocate

Dave Spangler, a ceaseless advocate for Lake Erie, died Oct. 21, at 74. He spent the last few decades working to make Lake Erie the best body of water he could.

Spangler appeared in Great Lakes Now’s “Unlocking the Lakes” episode to share about how COVID-19 has been affecting tourism and the recreational fishing industry.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/dave-spangler-lake-erie-advocate/

James Proffitt

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In: Advocacy, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, toledo
Legal Fees: Toledo residents to pay for LEBOR challenger Drewes Farms

While the roller coaster case garnered national attention with its on-again, off-again Rights of Nature legal battle, Toledo residents are stuck paying legal fees for Drewes Farms Partnerships in its fight against the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, popularly referred to as LEBOR.

Owners of the Wood County crop farm filed a challenge to LEBOR the morning after its landslide February 2019 passage by Toledo voters.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/legal-fees-toledo-residents-lebor-drewes-farms/

James Proffitt

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In: fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Indiana, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio, Ontario, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
C+: Western Lake Erie receives mediocre score on new report card

Lake Erie’s Western Basin didn’t do well on its first big test: a report card produced by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

The report card gave it a mediocre score, an overall C+, based on a various factors regarding the lake’s condition. The watershed surrounding western Lake Erie scored a C.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/western-lake-erie-mediocre-score-report-card/

James Proffitt

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In: COVID-19, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, maumee river, News, Ohio, sturgeon
Sturgeon Stocking: COVID-19 puts pause on popular sturgeon release program

The Toledo Zoo’s popular lake sturgeon stocking event won’t happen this year, though a pause in the program – thanks to the international COVID-19 pandemic – won’t hurt the project.

“In a nutshell, our partners out of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alpena, Michigan, and Genoa, Wisconsin, are the ones who collect the eggs,” explained Kent Bekker, director of conservation at the zoo.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/sturgeon-stocking-covid-19-release-program/

James Proffitt

On:
In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, harmful algal blooms, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, toxic algae, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Total Maximum Daily Load: Court case looks to push for Ohio EPA nutrients limit for Lake Erie

For the second time in two years Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center appears to have forced the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s hand in seeking solutions to Lake Erie’s ongoing nutrients pollution problem.

In U.S Northern District of Ohio Court hearings on July 17 and July 30, ELPC attorneys sought a summary judgement requiring the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/total-maximum-daily-load-court-case-ohio-epa-nutrients-lake-erie/

James Proffitt

On:
In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, harmful algal blooms, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, Wisconsin
Cost of Conservation: Needed systems and equipment can lead to a hefty price tag

As Ohio farmers in Lake Erie’s Western Basin watershed face declining crop prices, increased media scrutiny and the looming threat of stricter regulations on the industry’s use and release of nutrients which cause algal blooms in the lake and its tributaries, they are in a constant battle to reduce their footprint on the lake and to stay in business.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/08/cost-conservation-agriculture-lake-erie/

James Proffitt

On:
In: Agriculture, Algae Blooms, Cleveland, Feature Cleveland, harmful algal blooms, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, News, Ohio, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, toxic algae, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Toxic Algae 2020: Moderate bloom forecasted for Lake Erie

Scientists believe a dry spring in Lake Erie’s western basin watershed will help keep the annual harmful algal bloom in check this summer and early autumn.

The bloom’s biomass is expected to rank 4.5 on a scale of 10 in terms of severity, according to Rick Stumpf, oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/toxic-algae-2020-harmful-algal-bloom-forecast-lake-erie/

James Proffitt