As citizens across the United States continue to debate the pros and cons of piping oil across the country, a decade-old disaster in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River serves as an example of what can happen when things go wrong. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-oil-spill
There are now algae blooms in the Sandusky and Maumee bays of Lake Erie. The National Ocean Service said toxin concentrations have increased, but beaches remain open. Read the full story by WJW-TV- Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-algae-bloom
In Michigan, the oldest shanty in Leland’s historic waterfront Fishtown is slated to be lifted off its foundation this week so a higher, safer perch can be built for it this summer – part of a multi-million preservation project being undertaken at this picturesque spot that’s long been a favorite of Up North visitors. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-shanty-fishtown
Cargo moved on the 3,700-kilometre-long St. Lawrence Seaway in June was down 8.37 per cent compared to the same time last year. That’s a slight increase compared to this year’s April to May figures where cargo shipped was down 10 per cent compared to 2019. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-shipping
Work is underway to restore nearly a mile of the Cuyahoga River, with floodplain excavation and in-stream habitat improvements for fish and aquatic wildlife. It’s supported by a $2.5 million award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Great Lakes Commission Regional Partnership. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-park
Almost 4,700 kilotonnes of plastics are introduced into the Canadian market annually. Only nine percent of plastic waste is recycled and 86 percent ends up as waste in our landfills. A lot of that plastic waste ends up in our lakes and on our shorelines. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-plastic-pollution
A million-dollar grant to study aquaculture aims to boost the number of fish farms in the Great Lakes region. The National Sea Grant office awarded the funds to a group that brings together scientists and educators from all eight states in the Great Lakes basin. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-aquaculture
The transportation and infrastructure committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation to build a system to prevent invasive carp from penetrating the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois and entering the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-carp-barrier
In Fairport Harbor, Ohio, the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse has been hit hard by the pandemic since fewer tours are going through and volunteers aren’t able to staff the building. To help soften the blow, the Fairport Harbor Creamery has been asking patrons if they’d like to donate $1.00 when they make a purchase. Read the full story by WEWS-TV- Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-Fairport-Harbor
Low dissolved oxygen levels in Port Colborne, Ontario has caused a fish kill and some fish have been seen gulping for air at the water’s surface. Water flow and temperature are two parameters that can affect the dissolved oxygen concentration. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-gulping-fish
Each summer since the 2014 Toledo water crisis that poisoned the metro system’s tap water for nearly three days, the city’s Collins Park Water Treatment plant has fortified its defenses against algal toxins in western Lake Erie that endanger public health this time of year. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-water-plant
Spending the night on Kellys Isand, the largest U.S. island in Lake Erie, is a nice quiet way to experience Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-Kelleys-island
The city of Flint announced it has collected 163 water samples as part of a massive effort to test water quality. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-flint-samples
While they may please beachgoers, this month’s warmer temperatures in the Great Lakes have scientists concerned about an early spawn of algal blooms and how the heated lakes could affect aquatic life. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-algal-bloom
Oswego, New York is considering an end to the Oswego Yacht Club’s occupation of the International Pier as part of a larger effort to improve the waterfront and create a publicly accessible and attractive jetty that complements the improvements at Wright’s Landing Marina and Breitbeck Park. Read the full story by Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-yacht-club
Federal forecasters, hydrologists and university experts were expecting the Great Lakes 1986 high water level record to be replaced this summer, but Lake Huron and Lake Michigan don’t appear ready to break the big annual record this year thanks to recent drier-than-expected weather across the region. Read the full story by The Herald-Palladium.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-water-levels
Effective on July 12th at 12 p.m., the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at Presque Isle State Park will enforce a swimming restriction for Beach 11 due to the elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria counts. Read the full story by WJET-TV- Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-presque-isle
Michigan boaters, swimmers and fisherman are expected to enjoy a prosperous year on Lake Erie, at least in terms of battling blue-green algae, after scientists recently predicted a moderate bloom of cyanobacteria in the waters this season. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-algal-bloom
Residents along the Lake Ontario shoreline have been on edge this time each year as they fear flooding from rising waters. However, that does not appear to be the case this year. Read the full story by WBEN- Newfane, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-Ontario-levels
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the 96th annual Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race kicked off Saturday morning and made their way to the race’s starting point in Lake Huron. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-sailboat-race
Surface temperatures on the Great Lakes have warmed to above average following a week-long stretch of hot weather. Surface temperatures on Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario range between 75 and 85 degrees. Read the full story by WDIV-TV- Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-surface-temps
The municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, has joined more than 80 communities from Ontario, Quebec and eight American states to seek billions of dollars in federal aid for shoreline and water infrastructure projects in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions. Read the full story by The Chatham Voice.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-shoreline-funding
Michigan taxpayers, business owners, and devastated homeowners shouldn’t bear the massive costs of cleaning up and rebuilding after floods caused by the failure of the Edenville Dam in May. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-mopping-midland
People submitted more than 300 names for the piping plover chicks hatched on Montrose Beach in Chicago, and the winners were revealed Saturday: Hazel, Esperanza and Nish. Read the full story by Block Club Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-piping-plover
Federal and local experts said Lakes Michigan and Huron may be at or near peak water levels before the seasonal drop is expected to begin later this month. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-water-levels
The International Join Commission’s Great Lakes Science Advisory Board is working to develop a unified early warning system to “get ahead of the curve” on what problems the lakes may face in coming years and decades. Read the full story by the Grand Forks Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200713-early-warning
In response to widespread interest in the upcoming public hearing on Enbridge Energy’s proposed relocation of the Line 5 pipeline in Ashland, Bayfield, and Iron counties, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is hosting a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, July 1. Read the full story by the Spooner Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-line-relocation
As Chicago moves into another phase of reopening, two federally endangered shorebirds are entering their own new phase of trying to save their species. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-plovers
After years of sleuthing, a descendent of a ship’s mate on the Hartford, found the final resting place of the boat at Sandy Island Beach State Park in New York. Read the full story by Watertown Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-ship-remains
Registrations are being accepted to take part in a free public webinar July 9 to discuss the forecast for harmful algae blooms on western Lake Erie this summer. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-Erie-algae
Even before last month’s momentous flooding event that struck Midland County after the failure of the Edenville Dam, the owner of the dam system had feuded with the State of Michigan for years over how to regulate the Tittabawassee River ecosystem. Read the full story by the Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-dam-owners
The company that operates Morrow Dam near Comstock, Michigan faces a state investigation for letting large amounts of sediment wash into the Kalamazoo River, endangering fish habitats and possibly kicking up contaminants. Read and listen to the full story by WMUK- Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-dam-polluting
Summers in Huron County, Michigan bring plenty of locals and tourists to the waterside. Not just for beaches and boating, but for learning about the history of the Great Lakes through lighthouses. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-lighthouses
Novel coronavirus has been dominating the headlines in the early part of 2020. But a few recent stories — with no connection to COVID-19 — reminded us that the Great Lakes are vital natural resources that must be regularly monitored and evaluated. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-monitor-evaluate
With admissions expected to take a six-figure hit this year, the National Museum of the Great Lakes is relying substantially on fundraising events to stay afloat. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-freighter-raffle
Officials and volunteers are raising awareness about aquatic invasive species at events in eight states, including Michigan, and two Canadian provinces. Read the full story by WLNS-TV- Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200629-boaters
Two buoys have been deployed in Green Bay to monitor weather conditions as well as the quality of the water, which will help researchers understand under what conditions toxic algal blooms form in lower Green Bay. Read the full story by WFRV-TV- Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-buoys
Years of discussion, argument, and litigation about how to deal with the aging Line 5 pipes under the Straits of Mackinac have left everyone involved with a bad taste in their mouths. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-tunnel
With Chicago beaches still closed, some Indiana parks and beaches are seeing a big influx of visitors from Illinois. That’s good for local businesses, but also creates new safety concerns. Read the full story by WLS-TV- Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-Indiana-Dunes
The Town of Gore Bay, Ontario, formally agreed to support a resolution seeking for the federal government to intervene to better manage and control the water levels of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-lower-water
Channel dredging is underway to clear the path for a new navigational lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Read the full story by Northern Ontario Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-Soo-Lock
Montrose Beach in Illinois is once again the home of a newborn piping plover chick, after their parents Monty and Rose successfully mated at the lakefront for the second consecutive year. Read the full story by Block Club Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-Piping-plover
Citizens in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, are illegally pumping water from their flooded properties into the public sewer system, contributing to numerous sewage overflows into the Boardman River in recent weeks. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-illegally-pumping
Federal environmental regulators have fined Enbridge $6.7 million for allegedly violating a 2017 consent decree, saying the company failed to remedy pipeline-safety issues in a timely manner. Read the full story by the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-Enbridge-fines
International cargo on the Great Lakes fell 10% at the start of the shipping season, as the coronavirus pandemic greatly disrupted the global economy. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-shipments-down
With Great Lakes water levels setting records this season, a popular recreation site in Door County, Wisconsin, is taking steps to save its shrinking shoreline by limiting access to those headed to the beach. Read the full story by WLUK-TV-Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200619-beach-access
Thousands of dead fish are washing up along the southern shore of Lake Erie, but experts say the phenomenon shouldn’t concern people. ODNR said it has taken reports and studied every possible explanation, and determined there is nothing for Ohioans to worry about. Read the full story by WJW-TV- Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200610-dead-fish
The Institute of Water Research through Michigan State University has received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce agricultural field runoff in the Saginaw River watershed through farmer-led outreach and education. Read the full story by WLNS-TV-East Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200610-water-quality
Enbridge has produced legally acceptable plans for dealing with a potential spill from oil pipelines that cross a Michigan channel linking two of the Great Lakes, according to a federal appeals court. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200610-spill-plans
Manitou Island Transit ferry services will not operate this season because of dock conditions on both North and South Manitou islands. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200610-ferry-service
