A special task force set up to study Michigan’s dam safety rules and regulations met virtually for the first time Tuesday. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-dam-safety
For the second time in two years the 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. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-TMDL
Forecasters predicted waves of about of 4 to 7 feet in height and strong currents would cause potentially life-threatening conditions at Lake Michigan beaches in Indiana. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-hazards
With U.S. Senate support and the president’s signature, the secretary of the Navy would be able to consider maintenance and repair work at shipyards other than those in Navy vessels’ homeports — including ports around the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Duluth News-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-ports
A bloom of Microcystis cyanobacteria continues in the western basin of Lake Erie. Recent satellite imagery indicates the bloom is present along the the Ohio coast to Catawba Island. Along the Michigan coast the bloom extends to Point Mouillee State Game Area. Read the full story by The Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-bloom-forecast
A U.S. Coast Guard official told environmental groups Friday that damage discovered to Line 5 earlier this year likely was caused by Enbridge-contracted vessels conducting work in the area to prepare for the construction of a utility tunnel. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-enbridge
The EPA announced a $5 million investment to research the best methods for making sure the ships that navigate the Great Lakes aren’t spreading invasive species through their ballast water. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Superior, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-ballast-water
A multimillion-dollar rehabilitation project now underway along the American bottom of the Detroit River is just a small example of the potentially huge benefits the Great Lakes region could enjoy through post-pandemic investments. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200909-opportunities
The River Raisin Watershed has earned a somewhat troubling score in an inaugural report of more than 10 area watersheds which graded the quality of Lake Erie’s western basin and watershed. Read the full story by Bedford Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-Erie-graded
The cancellation of the Manitoulin Expositor Salmon Classic due to the pandemic leaves researchers, who examine the guts of the salmon, without samples. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-salmon-shootout
On August 12, six swimmers emerged from Lake Michigan in Ludington in wetsuits, goggles, and swim caps. They completed a 54-mile swim relay-style across Lake Michigan and in record time with the entire journey clocked in at 20 hours and 50 minutes. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-epic-swim
A $75 million effort to remove contaminated sediment from waters near a former U.S. Steel mill was approved Monday night, the latest step in a decades long endeavor to clean up the St. Louis River estuary in the western part of the city. Read the full story by the Duluth Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-Duluth-clean
The research has been going on for almost 2 months as members from Sea Grant and the Medical School at University Minnesota Duluth try to find out if COVID-19 is present in the waters of popular swimming areas like the beaches around Duluth. Read the full story by KXRM-TV-Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-COVID
Officials say a recent fish kill in Michigan’s Escanaba River was the result of the release of “black liquor” by Verso’s Escanaba Paper Mill. Read the full story by WNMU-Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-fish-kill
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has awarded a $7 million contract to replace World War II-era valves at the Soo Locks. J.F Ryba Marine Construction Co. of Cheboygan will replace the tainter valves for the MacArthur Lock. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-Soo-Locks
An airboat tour in Saginaw County Tuesday drew attention to a federal program that helps with wetlands restoration projects in Michigan. During the tour on Tuesday U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, and others saw how the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Ducks Unlimited used funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore 1,200 acres of wetlands in the game area. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-airboat-tour
When elected Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer made it clear that Michigan would take a leadership role on Great Lakes issues. Fast forward to the release of her first State of the Great Lakes report last week and in it she positions Michigan as a regional and national leader on drinking water issues. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200826-SOGL
The St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit River corridor is known for its muskie fishing, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking to learn more about these well-traveled waterways and how they are fished. They need some help from anglers to do it. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-angler-data
Evanston, Illinois, aldermen agreed to spend about $750,000 earlier this month in stop-gap measures to help protect the city’s eroding shoreline. The $750,000 to be spent in Evanston aims to address damage caused by record high Lake Michigan water levels, coupled with severe storms and intense waves. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-shoreline-fixes
It’s the most isolated place in Michigan. And despite sweeping changes elsewhere, life on Beaver Island remains serene. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-Beaver-Island
A group of 85 anglers dropped poles in the water Thursday for the first day of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society’s 2020 YETI Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair, one of nine stops in the series. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-bass-tourney
At least 88 waterspouts or funnels were spotted across the Great Lakes this week, setting a new world record, according to the International Centre for Waterspout Research. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-waterspout-record
The state of Michigan and other defendants have reached a $600 million settlement in the Flint water crisis lawsuit that will provide hundreds of millions in payments to city residents. Read the full story by CNN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-Flint-settlement
That’s the tongue-in-cheek message from U.S. Coast Guard, which found an inflatable shaped like the mythical creature floating in Lake Superior on Wednesday. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-unicorn
Despite signs of a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Port of Duluth-Superior is still down 30% compared to last year. Lost time can’t be made up on the Great Lakes, and we’re seeing that reflected in the port’s 2020 tonnage totals. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-cargo-lag
Despite signs of a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Port of Duluth-Superior is still down 30% compared to last year. Lost time can’t be made up on the Great Lakes, and we’re seeing that reflected in the port’s 2020 tonnage totals. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-cargo-lag
A drone has been pulled from Lake Michigan following an aerial assault from a bald eagle. The drone was operated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-drone-eagle
Western Lake Erie’s 2020 summer algal bloom is growing along the Ohio shoreline and moving as far east as Sandusky and the Lake Erie islands. But the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration bulletin shows its toxicity remains relatively low for now. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200821-algal-bloom
During Scott Pruitt’s brief stint as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, his bizarre behavior was considered almost comical. With Pruitt gone, and Andrew Wheeler in his place, nobody is laughing about anything that has to do with the EPA anymore or the environmental rollbacks the Trump administration has put into place. Read the full story by Downtown News Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-rollbacks
An eco-explorer recently added a kayak trip across Lake Ontario to his long list of adventures. The Toronto-native began the 355-kilometre journey in Hamilton, Ontario, and eventually made it to the Thousand Islands region 20 days later — all while raising money for charity. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-kayak-ontario
In Wisconsin, Racine’s Department of Park, Recreation and Cultural Services announced on Tuesday that the path between the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Racine Zoo is officially closed due to erosion. Read the full story by The Journal Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-pathway
Read an unabridged interview with the assistant fisheries chief for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, who specializes in invasives. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-invasives
In Ontario, crews and excavators in Bright’s Grove have rumbled back into action to continue the battle for Sarnia-Lambton’s shoreline. The erosion is due to Lake Huron reaching record heights this year. Read the full story by The Sarnia Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-shoreline
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced that an independent forensic investigation team will look into what caused the Michigan’s Edenville and Sanford dams to fail. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-dams
Great Lakes steel output ticked up last week after U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal brought more blast furnaces that had been sidelined during the coronavirus pandemic back online. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-furnaces
After decades of cleanup and millions and millions of dollars spent, the Lower Menominee River is no longer one of the most polluted spots on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WLUK-TV-Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-menominee
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are seeking public comments for the proposed removal of a “beneficial use impairment” that restricts navigational dredging activities within the Ashtabula River Area of Concern. Read the full story by the Star Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-AOC
Microplastics have been found in the Great Lakes on shorelines and in surface water and lake floor sediments. Ongoing research finds that laundry microfibres are a major source of microplastics found in freshwater. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200812-plastic-pollution
The state of Michigan and five Ottawa and Chippewa tribes have more time to renegotiate their expiring agreement governing fishing in the Great Lakes. The decades-old agreement, set to be renegotiated this summer, now will be extended through the end of 2020 to give the parties more time to strike a deal. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-fishing-rights
A scientist who monitors the annual algal bloom in Sandusky Bay has noticed a big surprise: The bloom hasn’t shown up yet. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-algal-bloom
As severe weather hits parts of the East Coast, some parts of Western New York are seeing their own wild weather. A waterspout on Lake Erie on Tuesday evening was caught on video. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-waterspout
It appears a big boat party is on for this weekend in metro Detroit, despite the pandemic. Muscamoot Bay, known as a hotspot on Lake St. Clair on summer weekends, is the site of the annual “Raft Off” the first Saturday in August every year. Read the full story by WWJ- Southfield, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-boat-party
A company that owns two mid-Michigan dams that failed in May has filed for bankruptcy. By filing for Chapter 11, the company’s creditors and those seeking damages will face another obstacle. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-dam-bankruptcy
According to a recent report from the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, there has been a decline in the fish populations in the offshore regions of Lakes Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Superior, while Lake Erie’s overall fish numbers are strong. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-Mussels
Michigan’s new standards for seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) compounds in drinking water — some of the toughest, most comprehensive standards on the chemicals anywhere in the country — took effect Monday. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-PFAS
With the exception of Lake Superior, each of the Great Lakes have likely reached their peak water levels for the year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-water-level
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, they are in a constant battle to reduce their footprint on the lake and to stay in business. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200805-conservation
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently passed legislation authorizing the construction of a multilayered system to prevent the spread of invasive species at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-carp
Since the beginning of the pandemic, shipboard workers have worried about the virus spreading on board. Four months later, no outbreaks have been reported on any Canadian freighters. But it’s been anything but smooth sailing for the industry. Read the full story by The London Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-freighters
Steel production has dropped by 19.7% for the year, while steel capacity utilization is down more than 21 percentage points as compared to the same time last year, largely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that greatly gutted demand for steel in the short term. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-steel-production
