According to environmental law experts, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a strong case against Enbridge Energy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the oil will stop flowing through Line 5 anytime soon. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-line-5
According to Ontario’s Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act have the potential to put people and the environment at risk, removing conservation authorities’ ability to independently appeal decisions made around permits and municipal planning applications. Read the full story by Orillia Matters.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-province
Three Chatham-Kent, Ontario, residents are among the 20 people whose stories are told in an online documentary photography exhibition that showcases deep personal connections with Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Chatham Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-erie-documentary
The Port of Duluth-Superior is on course to set another record for wind cargo shipments as about 525,000 tons of blades and tower parts are expected to move through the port by the end of the year. That blows past last year’s single-season record of 306,000 tons. Read the full story by the Duluth Star-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-wind-turbine
The controversial owner of four dams in Michigan’s Midland and Gladwin counties — including two that failed in May, causing catastrophic flooding — has agreed to give up ownership of the dams to a two-county group of lakefront owners. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-dams
In a step to improve accessibility and further enhance a crown jewel of Michigan State Parks, Friends of Ludington State Park is raising funds to purchase and install a universal access kayak launch at the Hamlin Lake beach. Read the full story by Ludington Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-kayak-access
Lake Michigan is emblematic of the myriad issues facing all of the Great Lakes as the climate continues to change. Surging water levels have collapsed bluffs, swamped coastal dune lands, erased beaches and damaged homes, businesses, docks, trails, campgrounds and sewer systems. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2020120-erosion
Across Michigan and throughout the nation, cherished landmarks are threatened by record crowds as budgets and staffing at properties managed by the National Parks Service have failed to keep up with their skyrocketing popularity. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-shorelines
A plan that has addressed coastal erosion in multiple Ohio counties with frontage on Lake Erie through the creation of special improvement districts could be coming to Lorain County. Read the full story by The Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-lorain-improve
The Minnesota Supreme Court is weighing whether the groundwater around U.S. Steel’s leaking Minntac tailings basin should be regulated as drinking water, and Minnesota regulators say the outcome could have vast impacts on other water permits throughout the state. Read the full story by the Duluth News-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-water
On stretch of Lake Superior shoreline between Marquette and Big Bay, Michigan, deep emotions surrounding economic viability and environmental sustainability are colliding. A feasibility study is being conducted to build a vertical rocket launch site. Read the full story by the Upper Michigan Source.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-rocket-launch
An estimated 9,887 metric tonnes (22 million pounds) of plastics make their way into the Great Lakes every year. Now a new project aims not only to suck out some of that plastic but stop it from getting into the lakes in the first place. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-plastic-pollution
In Michigan, after a $3.9 million dredging project to protect a Lake Superior fish habitat was completed over the summer, workers are back at it as high-water levels and forceful fall storms push mining pollution back toward Buffalo Reef. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-whitefish-superior
In Ontario, the Royal Botanical Gardens is receiving a chunk of funding from a $5.1 million federal investment in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. The money will go toward 46 projects that aim to improve the quality of the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative. Read the full story by Y108 – Hamilton, Ontario.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-restoration
This year, “the gales of November came early.” In his haunting ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” Gordon Lightfoot sang of a very real phenomenon: 40% of all Great Lakes shipwrecks have occurred during the month of November. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-gales
The most notable Great Lakes ship to go down during the gales of November is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. There is another ship, however, that was taken down in November — the Schooner Pathfinder. Read the full story by the Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-pathfinder
A new report by a scientific committee of the International Joint Commission examines seven problems plaguing the Great Lakes to learn how they interact with one another. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201111-climate
Those living and working along the Lake Michigan shoreline are breathing just a little easier as the monthly average water level was about three quarters of a foot below last year’s October record. Read the full story by WHBL- Sheboygan, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-lake-levels
The Marquette Regional History Center will livestream a presentation by local dive enthusiasts on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. November is Shipwreck Month for the History Center, and Lake Superior harbors a large number of those. Read the full story by The North Wind.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-shipwreck-month
Opposition to a proposed quarry in Severn Township, Ontario continues to grow. It isn’t common for the Couchiching Conservancy to publicly voice opposition to projects, but the proposed quarry is too close to the McDarker Wetland, one of the conservancy’s properties. Read the full story by Barrie Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-quarry
High winds are in the forecast yet again this week, as a gale warning remains in place for western Lake Erie while a strong wind warning is in effect for Lake St. Clair. There is a risk that waves could damage shoreline protection works and cause erosion all along the Lake Erie shoreline in Ontario’s Chatham-Kent and Elgin County. Read the full story by The Gananoque Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-gale-erie
Sarnia has approved an engineering report for a creek that’s almost choked off at Lake Huron, city council decided last week. Read the full story by The Sarnia Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-clogged-creek
Incredible slow-motion video shows just how big the surge of Lake Michigan gets as high winds create waves that nearly overwhelm the Ludington lighthouse. Read the full story by WKFR- Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-ludington
48 acres of nature along Lake Michigan will soon be open to the public now that the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and the South Haven Area Recreation Authority have completed their acquisition of the Porter Legacy Dunes. Read the full story by WSJM-Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-dune-area
The Kalamazoo River flow below Morrow Dam will be reduced to a mere trickle several times this month while utility divers replace dam gates. River flow will be reduced to about 100 cubic feet-per-second — an unprecedented reduction, say local anglers. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-kalamazoo-river
Last week’s announcement by the Trump administration to end federal endangered species protections for gray wolves was met with resistance from some Minnesota leaders and conservation groups. One of those groups said the fight isn’t over. Read the full story by WXPR-Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201103-gray-wolf
Participants in this year’s St. Lawrence River Institute’s River Symposium Science Day in Cornwall, Ontario, learned about the important waterway and the impact it has had on Akwesasne residents over thousands of years. Read the full story by The Gananoque Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-river-symposium
In Ontario, Waterfront Toronto announced that the new Cherry Street North bridge has been completed, and is embarking on a journey down the St. Lawrence from Nova Scotia to Toronto for installation. The bridge will connect the new “Villiers Island” to Toronto and the revitalized Port Lands. Read the full story by Toronto Urbanized.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-Toronto
Walpole lsland First Nation is planning to establish a commercial fishing industry. Walpole Island is an island and First Nation reserve in southwestern Ontario, on the border between Ontario and Michigan. Read the full story by The Courier Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-chief
A $2.9 million cleanup of contaminated sediments along the Detroit River will help bring a new look to the Motor City and set the stage for the completion of the Riverwalk by linking two popular waterfront parks. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-motor-city
Many areas in Ontario experienced record-hot temperatures in 2020 which, combined with high-intensity rainfall and with periods of calm, are favorable to algal bloom formation. Read the full story by Barrie Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-algae-bloom
In Ohio, the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District is offering property owners and farmers in the Turtle Creek and Portage River watersheds financial incentives through new cost-sharing programs for nutrient best management practices. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-nutrient-trapping
Genesee County, Michigan, has agreed to sell its last remaining parcel of property near Lake Huron, netting $600,000 from the land that remained after construction of a Lake Huron intake for the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-genesee-county
Protections for most gray wolves will once again be eliminated under a final rule announced by the Trump administration. The decision removes gray wolves, except for the Mexican wolf, from the endangered species list in the lower 48 states. The final rule would take effect in January. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-gray-wolf
A group of Native American tribal citizens utilized a remote-operated underwater vehicle in the Straits of Mackinac to take a look at Enbridge’s Line 5 oil and natural gas pipelines. They may have inadvertently confirmed the most important finding in Great Lakes archaeology in at least a decade. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201030-ice-age
Great Lakes steel production rose by 19,000 tons last week but remains depressed by more than 19% so far this year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-steel-production
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and former Governors Rick Snyder, Jennifer Granholm, John Engler, and Jim Blanchard discuss Proposal 1 and its impact on Michigan’s natural resources. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-michigan-governors
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced changes aimed at benefiting the fishing experience in the state. The new pilot program, as part of the Reimagine the Canals initiative, uses water from the Erie Canal to enhance fishing opportunities in Western New York. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV-Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-erie-canal
Endless beaches, the famous dune climb, and breathtaking views of Lake Michigan are just a snippet of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Tuesday, October 21st officially marks the lakeshore’s 50th anniversary. Read the full story by 9 & 10 News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-sleeping-bear
Holland Township is teaming up with the Michigan DNR to bring more safety measures to Holland State Park. The plan is to bring in a gate to limit public access to the pier during dangerous weather conditions and the park’s off season. Read the full story by WZZM-TV-Holland, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-holland-state-park
A new study conducted by researchers from the University at Buffalo says pollutants that haven’t been used in years or even decades are being discovered in bird breeding grounds in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV-Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-pollutants-birds
A dam restoration project aimed at keeping sea lamprey from moving upstream and wreaking havoc in the wider watershed of Lake Michigan is scheduled to break ground on Saturday, Oct. 24. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-invasive-species
Great Lakes water levels have been rising in the past few months, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, and that raises concerns about the impacts that can occur along the shore, such as coastal flooding and erosion. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-michigan-huron
Meteorologist James Gilbert and the President of the Great Lakes Coalition, Ron Wilson, discussed lake levels in late September 2020. Read the full story by WROC-TV-Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201021-water-levels
The Black River Canal, a popular waterway connecting the Black River and Lake Huron, is facing issues with erosion that Port Huron, Michigan, officials are looking to address in the short and long term. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201015-canal
A wildlife biologist is finding easy-to-access spots within Toronto, Ontario, where people can go look for migrating hawks, falcons, vultures, eagles and other raptors. The birds prefer to skirt, rather than cross, the immense Lake Ontario on their way south for the winter. Read the full story by Radio Canada International.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201015-hawks
Researchers recently completed a project with the aim of analyzing coastline changes in the Town of Lincoln, Ontario from 1934 to 2018 using historical air photographs. The research highlights the changes over time to several areas of the Lincoln coast that may be more vulnerable to erosion. Read the full story by Niagara This Week.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201015-lincoln
The comment period for permit applications for Enbridge’s Straits Tunnel project through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) ends Monday. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201015-enbridge
Josina Morita, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, says Chicagoans should embrace the taste of the invasive fish species that threatens Illinois’ waterways — and she is giving out samples for free. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201015-carp-burgers
More than $125 million in state dollars will be coming to the Duluth, Minnesota, region as part of the bonding bill that advanced Thursday. Duluth officials are cheering the $13.5 million set aside for Lakewalk and sea wall repair, the city’s one big request. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201015-lakewalk-MN
