The ongoing restoration efforts to improve the Outer Harbor in Buffalo, New York, is critical to supporting Buffalo’s revival and the ecological comeback of Lake Erie and the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210325-buffalo-revival
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is set to begin its annual effort to collect walleye eggs from the Muskegon River this week. The collection effort helps the DNR rear walleye in hatcheries that are later used to stock rivers and lakes throughout the state. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210325-dnr-walleye-collection
In anticipation of large-scale community growth, the Village of Somers, Wisconsin, submitted a request to divert 1.2 million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan. Because the village is partially located within the Great Lakes Basin, sign-off is only required from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and not the governors of all states bordering the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Urban Milwaukee.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-diversion
The EPA voluntarily requested to review if discharges from the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota “may affect” the downstream Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. If the EPA finds PolyMet discharges would affect the Fond du Lac Band’s water, the band could object to PolyMet’s water permit and require the Army Corps to hold a hearing on the band’s objection. Read the full story by Pine Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-polymet-review
Canada’s natural resources minister vowed to fight Michigan’s efforts to close the Line 5 oil pipeline using every available diplomatic and legal tool, calling the continued operation of Line 5 “non-negotiable”. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-line5
A new study highlights investment opportunities for green infrastructure within Great Lakes cities that can support climate adaption and boost economic and employment opportunities. Read the full story by DBusiness.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-gi-investments
President Joe Biden may be the key to settling the dispute over a Canadian-owned pipeline in Michigan, according to experts who study Canada-U.S. relations. Canada is actively exploring all options to stop the closure of Line 5, including invoking a 1977 treaty regarding oil transport between the U.S. and Canada. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-line5-diplomacy
When the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency approved the final permit for the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline project, environmental activists chained themselves to trees near the construction site, hoping to delay or even halt the project. It was the latest altercation in a more than century-long struggle that has come to define Minnesota’s very nature. Read the full story by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-mn-activism
Satellites detected volcanic plumes and sulfur dioxide clouds drifting over Lake Michigan this week from a recent eruption of Mt. Aetna in Italy. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-volcanic-plume
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking volunteers to visit wetlands around the state this spring to help the agency survey frog and toad populations. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-frog-study
A new understanding of how genes affect which fish can see deep in Lake Superior could help scientists seeking to support fish habitat restoration projects in the lake. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-fish-vision
Those in West Michigan affected by PFAS contamination in their drinking water are encouraged to participate in a state study that seeks to learn more about the impact the PFAS contamination on residents’ health. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210305-pfas-study
Legislation to simplify seawall permitting during high water periods on the Great Lakes and codify the state’s authority to regulate beach structures set off conflicts between Republicans who are upset the bill no longer allow property owners to install erosion protections without getting a permit. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-thunder-bay
American shipping companies operating the U.S. Great Lakes fleet will invest nearly $87 million at shipyards and facilities across the region this year, according to new figures released by the Lake Carriers’ Association. Annual maintenance work to the U.S. “laker” vessels allows ships that are 40 and 50 years old, or even older, to continue to sail the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-laker-upgrades
An old amusement park in Ohio will see new life as a public park and wetland as it is repurposed to help reduce algal blooms from Chippewa Lake, Ohio’s largest glacial lake. The project is supported by the H2Ohio initiative. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-ohio-amusement-park
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency wants to change the rules on water quality to increase the agency’s flexibility in classifying water quality as degraded. The rule changes are supported by numerous industry groups but have been opposed by environmental and tribal stakeholders. Read the full story by MinnPost.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-mn-wq-rules
The Nature Conservancy began work on an ecosystem restoration project in Ohio. The 280-acre Sandhill Crane Wetlands project will restore a portion of the historic Irwin Wet Prairie, which played a role in naturally treating nutrient runoff into nearby streams which led to Lake Erie. Read the full story by WTOL-TV — Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-sandhill-crane-wetland
Canadian federal investments to upgrade water infrastructure in First Nation communities do not require that engineers consider and mitigate climate change-related risks, risking infrastructure failures during extreme weather that would limit indigenous communities’ access to safe drinking water. Read the full story by Canada’s National Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-1st-nations-water
Restored pine logs from Michigan’s 19th century logging boom were recovered from the bottom of Muskegon Lake and are now being turned into high-end electric guitars used by rock stars like the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. Read the full story by WZZM-TV — Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-rock-on-muskegon
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is looking to boost state funds to address and monitor PFAS contamination across Wisconsin in his budget, targeting so-called “forever chemicals” that have been found in all five of Madison’s lakes. Read the full story by The Capital Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-pfas-wisc
Ice coverage on Lake Superior means that fishermen must adapt their fishing methods and use snowmobiles to reach their fishing nets set out on the frozen lake. Read the full story by the Daily Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-snowmobile-fishing
Across the Upper Midwest, anglers are noticing changes to the fish they catch every year. As climate change warms rivers and lakes in Michigan, cold-water fish such as cisco are disappearing from some lakes. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-cc-fish
A fisheries biologist in Wisconsin accepted at least $20,000 in jars of lake sturgeon caviar in return for supplying to a caviar processor eggs that had been collected under the guise of research, a criminal complaint filed last week said. Lake sturgeon are a threatened species in North America and fishing sturgeon in Wisconsin is strictly regulated. Read the full story by the New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-caviar
Officials in Michigan are requiring an energy company clean-up of sludge and sediment that it released into the Kalamazoo river last year. The sludge was released when the energy company lowered Morrow Lake at the dam in Comstock Township in 2019. Read the full story by WKZO – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-kzoo-river-sludge
Officials in Ohio are pushing for the Ohio General Assembly to approve additional funding for the H2Ohio initiative. If approved, the funding would provide millions of dollars to support statewide water quality improvement programs. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-h2ohio
The Federal Highway Administration recently designated a 70-mile stretch of highway along Lake Superior in Wisconsin as a National Scenic Byway. The designation highlights the archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities offered by the roadway. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-byway
Since 2018, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government has used unappealable special orders to allow a host of powerful developers to build in ecologically sensitive areas, bypassing the usual approval process. These ministerial zoning orders have also allowed swaths of farmland and a slice of ecologically sensitive moraine to be opened up for development. Read the full story by Canada’s National Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-doug-ford
After several days of high-water levels that have flooded homes in Michigan, St. Clair River water levels are expected to decline as ice jams blocking the flow of water are loosened and strong winds shift direction. Read the full story by The Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-st-clair
In a news release last week, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board expressed optimism that water levels in Lake Ontario will not cause widespread flooding this year. Read the full story by The Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-ontario-risk
Ice coverage across the Great Lakes rapidly expanded over the last week as frigid arctic air finally made its appearance, with Lake Erie nearly fully covered with ice. Read the full story by The Weather Channel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-ice-coverage
The rapid accumulation of ice in the St. Clair River has caused ice dams, flooding homes in East China Township in Michigan. The extent of ice cover has hindered U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard efforts to break up the ice. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-icejam
Managers in Owasco Lake in New York are deploying high-resolution water sensors to track fluctuations in water levels and monitor conditions across the Owasco watershed. Read the full story by The Citizen.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-owasco
Residents in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, are pushing candidates for an open Wisconsin State Assembly seat to take a supportive stance towards state regulation of PFAS chemicals. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-pfas-peshtigo
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is urging water plants to check their security protocols following a breach in Florida where a hacker tried to poison municipal drinking water. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-water-plant-security
This weekend brings Michigan’s annual free fishing weekend. It’s an effort to promote Michigan’s world-class fishing opportunities, introduce new people to the sport, and invite those who may not have cast a line in years to return. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-fish-safe
Commercial fishing companies based along Great Lakes shorelines are facing increasing competition from real estate developers seeking to build along the waterfront. The trend threatens fishing companies that rely on access to the lakes for operations. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-fish-waterfront
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation released its two-year progress report on Great Lakes restoration efforts, noting significant progress on actions to improve water quality and shoreline restoration in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-nydec
Michigan’s lakes are experiencing record low ice coverage. Loss of ice means hazardous conditions for ice fishing, more coastal erosion, and trouble for whitefish, burbot and other species that spawn in ice-covered Great Lakes reefs. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-mi-ice-cover
Despite congressional and governmental support, the former president’s final budget proposal excluded funding for repairs of the deteriorating breakwall at the Port of Oswego in New York. The $6.35 million requested by the Army Corps of Engineers for the repair was expected to be part of former-President Trump’s final budget but was axed at the last moment. Read the full story by Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-oswego
Three Coast Guard ice breakers from the United States and Canada have been working on the St. Clair River trying to break up ice dams to prevent flooding in homes near East China Township in Michigan. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-coast-guard-flooding
The impending closure of the Line 5 oil pipeline directed by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer is prompting Canadian businesses and politicians to reconsider energy relations between the two countries. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-line-5
Unique ice formations resembling pancakes were spotted along Chicago’s Lake Michigan shoreline this week. These ice formations are rare but interest scientists because they can decrease wave intensity, which can have major implications for ships navigating wavy waters. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-pancake-ice
After not having lifeguards last year at Washington Park beach on Lake Michigan, officials in Michigan City, Indiana, are considering a plan to attract applicants by boosting pay. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-mi-city-lifeguards
Advocates for a provincially significant wetland in Pickering, Ontario, are pushing back against a proposal to drain the Duffins Creek wetland and build a warehouse. Read the full story by TVO.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-duffins-creek
The Midland Bay Landing Development Corporation approved plans to accommodate a boat dock on Lake Huron that will support boat tours and cruise ships, hopefully boosting tourism to the town of Midland, Ontario. Read the full story by Orilla Matters.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-island-princess
A train derailment in Goderich, Ontario, destroyed a fish shanty near Lake Huron, removing part of the town’s prized cultural heritage. Read the full story by the Goderich Signal-Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210205-goderich-shanty
Michigan regulators announced the approval of two permits that Enbridge needs to build a tunnel underneath the Straits of Mackinac that would house a replacement section of the Line 5 oil pipeline. The tunnel must receive further state and federal approval before beginning construction. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210129-line5-tunnel
In Illinois, the Joliet City Council voted this week to select the City of Chicago Department of Water Management to provide Joliet with Lake Michigan water by 2030. Faced with a water supply that will no longer be sustainable by 2030, the City of Joliet launched a study of alternative sources of water in August 2018. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210129-chicago-joliet
After a challenging year of delivering limestone, coal ore, and other essential goods, the Great Lakes shipping industry finished the season strong. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210129-lakers
Record low ice formation on the Great Lakes has major consequences for the environment, including increased shoreline erosion, reduced fish spawning, and fewer ice fishing opportunities. Read the full story by the West Elgin Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210129-low-ice
