You can fish on the Great Lakes, go boating, swim, and partake in water sports, all the while enjoying the spectacular views they provide. But how deep is each lake? You’d have to dive hundreds of feet below the surface to reach the bottom. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240925-lake-facts
In August, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory discovered around 40 large underwater features, most of which are about as long as an Olympic swimming pool. They’re cold, dark, and weirdly circular. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-lake-michigan-sinkholes
In the only available wild rice spot on Lake Superior, Natives from different nations gather for the wild rice harvest season. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission brought their expertise for a harvest alongside representatives from the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resource Department. Read the full story by WDIO – TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-wild-rice-harvest
It’s been more than six weeks since the initial sighting of the Lake Erie alligator. There have been no confirmed sightings since. Wildlife experts review challenges the gator could face with the cold months ahead. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-erie-alligator
In addition to serving as picturesque areas for watersports and relaxation, wetlands serve many purposes including flood control and water quality preservation. Today, many different governments, groups, and organizations are working to preserve and restore these crucial ecosystems in Southeast Michigan. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-wetland-restoration-detroit
The Alliance for the Great Lakes says there is momentum growing across the country to shift the responsibility of the trash burden of plastic production from consumers to producers, and manufacturers need to be a part of the solution. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-sustainable-manufacturing
Less than 15% of the Great Lakes are mapped at high resolution but Michigan Tech aims to change that to better preserve and protect the lakes into the future. Read the full story by WDIV-TV-Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-lake-mapping
Cyanobacteria blooms are not normal for Lake Superior as the lake is nutrient-poor and the coldest of the Great Lakes, but warming temperatures and increased flooding have overridden its natural barrier against algal blooms. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-algal-bloom-reporting
In a significant stride toward bolstering environmental journalism, Michigan Public is amplifying its coverage of the Great Lakes and drinking water issues, thanks to a generous $200,000 grant. This funding breathes new life into the Great Lakes News Collaborative. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-great-lakes-news-funding
Marquette’s Great Lakes Climate Corps is wrapping up its summer of projects. The team of young adults improves the environment with community-based projects around Michigan’s upper peninsula. Read the full story by WLUC – TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-climate-corps-projects
More than three months after the Michipicoten sustained a rupture to its hull on Lake Superior, the Canadian-flagged bulk carrier remains dockside in Superior, Wisconsin. Read the full story by TBnewswatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240920-idle-freighter
The Canadian government says it’s trying to slow the spread of invasive species through a regulation that partly took effect this week. But the rule is drawing some flack from American commercial shippers in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WCMU Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-invasive-species-spread
In Ohio, the Maumee River and other Toledo-area waterways are one step closer to meeting restoration goals outlined by a 1987 U.S.-Canada agreement, in part because Glass City Metropark is being used for some of the soil dug out of the Toledo shipping channel. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-river-restoration
An elementary school at Naval Station Great Lakes that needs significant improvements including AC installation and accessible drinking water, is being demolished and rebuilt. Read the full story by WGN – TV – Chicago, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-school-rebuild
The peach-blossom jellyfish appears to be growing and expanding its northern range in British Columbia thanks to recent warm summers. There isn’t enough data yet to say for sure, but the population’s recent growth could pose a threat to juvenile salmon food sources. Read the full story by My Cowichan Valley Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-invasive-jellyfish
Lake Erie, the smallest of the Great Lakes by volume, recently put on a show when it turned a vibrant green, a stark departure from its usual deep-blue hue. The green tone of the water poses a serious health risk, as it is the result of a dangerous algae bloom growing in the lake. Read the full story by The Travel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-erie-algae-bloom
Researchers have uncovered fascinating insights into the lives of prehistoric Native Americans who made camp in the Great Lakes region around 13,000 years ago. Read the full story by Newsweek.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-native-american-history
The Great Lakes Museum director emeritus, Mr. Gillcrist, made significant efforts to preserve Great Lakes history over the past 25 years which earned him the 2024 C. Patrick Labadie Award for Historic Preservation from the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-museum-director-award
A harmful algae bloom has formed on Ford Lake bordering the city of Ypsilanti in Michigan. The County Health Department says people and pets should avoid swimming in water that has scum or mats of algae. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-harmful-algae-ford-lake
Earlier this weekend, an intense X-class flare happened on the sun’s surface which could spark a strong wave of Northern Lights activity over the Great Lakes early this week. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-geomagnetic-activity
The Biden administration on Friday asked an appeals court to revive a Trump-era rule that lifted remaining Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the U.S. Read the full story by WLUK – TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240916-grey-wolve-hunting
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has updated an online tool that maps which communities may be most susceptible to adverse effects from pollution. The tool was first released in 2022 and updated this month after seeking public comment. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-environmental-justice-tool
As political programming continues at the Democratic National Convention, city and Indigenous leaders from across the U.S. and Canada met in the Windy City to discuss a different issue — the future of water use and environmental health in the Great Lakes basin. Read the full story by Courthouse News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-water-testing
The Great Lakes Microbial Water Quality Assessment project, sponsored by the International Joint Commission, released a report stating that decades-old water testing methods are inadequate and advances in newer methods are critically needed. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-water-testing
A new company, the Great Lakes Tinned Fish Company is the first in the Midwest to source exclusively from the Great Lakes region and they plan to debut their product this fall. Read the full story by WXMI – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-tinned-fish
As climate change causes more wildfires in western North America, it can mess up train routes causing goods like potash, a fertilizer used by farmers globally, to be shipped through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. Read the full story by the Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-potash-shipping
Democrats looking for an advantage in Michigan’s critical U.S. Senate race are trying to revive the bitter battle over oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by E&E News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-senate-race
The number of cruise stops in Cleveland is set to double next year with the return of Victory Cruise Lines to the Great Lakes. The small cruise line’s two ships will relaunch in 2025 after a dormant 2024. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-cruise-stops-double
The Great Lakes Fisheries Commission is funding 12 different projects totaling $900K to improve aquatic habitat and facilitate conservation efforts in the Memphremagog watershed in Vermont. Read the full story by WCAX – Burlington, VT.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-conservation-funding
The air over the Great Lakes is usually cooler than over land on a hot summer day due to cooler water temperatures and wind blowing from lake to land causes a cooling effect. Read the full story by the MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-cool-air
Zebra mussels are non-native to the Great Lakes region and while only the size of a fingernail, they can cause irreversible environmental and economic damage. Read the full story by the Cleveland Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240821-zebra-mussel
The Government of Canada announced a plan to expand product-related regulations for per- and poly-flourinated substances (PFAS) by considering whether PFAS qualify for the Watch List under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-pfas-regulations
The Marquette State Fish Hatchery has stocked 90 inland and Great Lakes sites with yearling lake trout, brook trout, and splake this year to keep fish populations sustainable for both anglers and ecosystems. Read the full story by WLUC – TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-fish-stocking
Photographers have captured evidence of a persistent harmful algae bloom that’s plagued Muskegon Lake spilling into Lake Michigan. The bloom migration came two days after Muskegon County Health Department advised municipalities to post signage at access points around Muskegon Lake. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-algal-bloom-spread
Whichever national park beach you visit, there is probably some amount of plastic mixed in with the sand between your toes. A new study found that Great Lakes beaches have some of the highest concentrations of microplastics. Read the full story by the National Parks Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-microplastic-beaches
The Great Lakes Museum in Kingston is one of 27 organizations in Eastern Ontario receiving federal funding to help support and diversify tourism attractions, with $3.7 million being distributed in total. Read the full story by YGK News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-museum-funding
Alberta’s government recently launched a public awareness campaign to combat the spread of invasive zebra mussels and quagga mussels to the province which is currently free of zebra and quagga mussels. However, populations are on the rise in other parts of Canada including the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Community Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-invasive-species-campaign
Audubon Great Lakes and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are starting the Marsh Bird Habitat Restoration Project in Allouez Bay, Wisconsin. The project aims to restore the area’s natural habitat by reducing invasive cattails. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-restoration-project
Michigan Senator Gary Peters made a stop in Traverse City, Michigan, to see the progress of the FishPass Project. The project will replace the Union Street Dam and reconnect the Boardman River to Grand Traverse Bay to allow native fish passage. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-senator-visit-fishpass
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s largest research vessel, the 180-foot Lake Guardian, was docked at Hart Plaza in Detroit on Thursday for free public tours. The vessel was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the world’s largest system of fresh surface water. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-epa-research-vessel
No one wants unsightly pipelines snaking across the country, draining Lake Michigan to feed the citrus groves of the Central Valley in California. But that future is drawing closer by the day. Read the full story by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-water-scarcity
Experts from Michigan State University are working on a groundbreaking way to deal with an invasive fish that is blighting Lake Michigan and connecting waterways: the FishPass. Read the full story by Yahoo!News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240809-lamprey-solution
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been working to collect new mapping data on Lake Superior since 2020. This survey is part of a large effort to update the mapping of the coastal and nearshore water of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-superior-mapping
Governor Whitmer of Michigan signed off on state funding to support an early warning system along the 80-mile Lake Huron-to-Lake Erie corridor. The program involves physical monitors at treatment plants in the region that ultimately serves half the state’s population. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-water-monitoring-funding
Momentum for transitioning away from single use plastic is building in the Great Lakes. The Alliance for the Great Lakes is calling for implementing extended producer responsibility policies — holding producers responsible across the life cycle of their products. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-plastic-trash
Just when Michiganders think they know all the invasive plants and bugs to watch out for, another one gets added to the list. Lesser celandine is an aquatic plant with pretty yellow flowers found heavily in mid-Michigan near streams and in forested floodplains. Read the full story by WDRG – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-new-invasive-mi
Ten years ago this Friday, Toledo, Ohio, residents woke up to an algae-driven water crisis that brought unwanted attention from other parts of the world and inflicted a scar on the city’s reputation. Despite knowing the cause of the crisis, similar problems remain today. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-erie-algal-blooms
In Ohio, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department drained the pond at Whetstone Park following the discovery of an invasive round goby in the water. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-pond-drain
To help better understand which of the almost 200 aquatic invasive species roaming the Great Lakes pose the greatest threat, scientists at various Michigan-based research groups ranked the top 10 species that have the greatest impact. Read the full story by WJBK – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-ranked-invasives
Enbridge Line 5 has spilled 35 times, releasing over 1.3 million gallons of toxic oil. Extending the 70-year-old Line 5 pipeline through the company’s proposed re-route is not a solution. Read the full story by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240731-enbridge-threat
