April 15th will mark the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada; an expression of binational commitment to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-water-quality-agreement
The State of Michigan wants feedback on a new interactive tool that scores communities on environmental justice factors. Referred to as the MiEJScreen, it identifies communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-environmental-justice
Tribal and state officials are warning against harassment of spearfishers as the Indigenous harvest season starts in northern Wisconsin. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-spearfishing
Northern Michigan could see benefits in critical infrastructure, Great Lakes protection, and PFAS remediation in the newly proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2023. Read the full story by The Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-restoration
Lake County, Ohio, will receive $11.3 million in state funding to construct a much-needed containment basin to store dredged material from the Grand River, to support interstate and international commerce. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-dreged-material
Michigan state environmental regulators are seeking $32 million in federal money to seal up hundreds of abandoned oil wells which can leak contaminants into surface and groundwater, and methane and other greenhouse gases can also escape and contribute to climate change. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-oil-wells
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees could vote Thursday, April 7 on a $1.48 million pre-design services contract for the removal of Horseshoe Lake dam and the restoration of Doan Brook in its place in northern Ohio. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-photo-contest
The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership is celebrating the start of the Great Lakes shipping season by running a photo contest. Boat enthusiasts are encouraged to submit their best photos depicting Great Lakes shipping. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-photo-contest
Minnesota recorded its highest moose population estimate in 11 years as the population has stabilized in recent years, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by KMSP-TV – Minneapolis, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-moose
While suffering some erosion from winter storms, Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle State Park’s beaches are in good shape compared with the past few springs. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220406-preque-isle
Michigan communities could more easily access new infrastructure money under legislation that aims to modernize state programs which fund, among other things, the removal of lead service lines from water systems. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-water-funds
A new film considers the problem of toxic algae on Lake Erie and what is, and isn’t, being done about it. The producers of The Erie Situation film announced that it will premier at the Cleveland International Film Festival April 3. Read the full story by Eco Watch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-documentary
Seeing dead fish in the spring is common, but sometimes it is a sign of a problem. Fish kills of more than 25 should be reported immediately to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Listen to the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-fish-kills
Freighters have been lining up for days in anticipation of the Soo Locks opening today at 12:01 a.m. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-soo-locks
If your summer plans include time at your favorite Michigan lake, there’s an easy and rewarding way to show your lake some love: help the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program gather valuable information about water quality and fish habitat conditions. Read the full story by the Iosco County News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-monitoring
Will maritime containers take off in Duluth-Superior? How does the invasion of Ukraine impact grain? And what to expect for iron ore, icebreaking in 2022-23. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-shipping-questions
The U.S. Coast Guard continues to work on a tugboat that’s partially underwater in the Duluth Harbor to remove fuel and water from the sinking vessel. Read the full story by Bring Me The News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-tugboat
The most recent bald eagle census from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife estimates 806 nests in the state. Lake Erie and other large waterbodies host the highest number of eagles because of easy access to food resources. Read the full story by The Delaware Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-bald-eagles
When it comes to water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, no news is good news and 2022 is shaping up as a ‘no news’ year. According to the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board, All the indicators are that we’re in the normal band of forecasted water levels. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-water-levels
The 2022 shipping season is underway as the first shipment of cargo arrived into the Port of Green Bay March 18. Read the full story by WFRV-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220325-port-of-green-bay
House Democrats reintroduced legislation to expand protections for Michigan’s water supply and close a loophole in state law allowing corporations to bottle Michigan’s water and ship it elsewhere. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-bottled-water
In 1962, Chicago city workers dumped 100 pounds of dye into the river flowing through downtown Chicago. It left the river emerald green for an entire week and kick-started an annual tradition. The city celebrated the 60th anniversary of the event this past weekend. Read the full story by National Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-green-chicago-river
With more than 4,000 vessels traveling through the Soo Locks each year, sometimes the biggest mystery when the huge chambers are emptied for annual maintenance is what treasures might be found at the bottom. Now we’ve got answers, thanks to recent finds being shared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Detroit District. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-empty-soo-locks
The tourism industry on the north shore of Lake Superior is getting a boost from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation with $450,000 in funding for the Town of Marathon to develop the Pebble Beach tourist area. Read the full story by TB News Watch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-superior-beach
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society had one of its most successful seasons ever in 2021 while searching for wrecks. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Ferndale, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-shipwreck
Starting April 1, underwater spearfishing in Michigan will expand to include the chance to harvest additional species, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-spearfishing
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, Soo Area Office will open the Poe Lock at 12:01 a.m., March 25, marking the 2022 Great Lakes shipping season start. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Suite Ste. Marie, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-soo-locks-open
The Save Our Great Lakes project aims to improve storm water management on Barker’s Island off the Lake Superior coast of Wisconsin. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-island-storm-water
The sites include a plastics manufacturer in Wyandotte, a sewage treatment plant in Jackson, an ice-cream maker in Ludington and a petroleum fuel terminal in St. Clair, according to a recent federal report that reviewed climate risks throughout the nation. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-climate-change
Icebreaking efforts are continuing on the St. Lawrence River in anticipation of the start of the 2022 navigation season. While ice-breaking activity is ongoing, residents are urged to stay off the ice. Officials stated that icebreaking will dislodge pack ice and pose severe dangers to those on the river. Read the full story by InformNNY.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220318-ice-breaking
he Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced it will begin releasing rainbow trout in public lakes and ponds throughout the state, including in Northeast Ohio, on March 15. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-rainbow-trout
A deep-water hydrographic survey vessel from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use multi-beam sonar to create 3D images of the Detroit River and Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-sonar-map
One target of the 2021 federal infrastructure package is a decades-long effort to remediate industrial contamination in five locations in Wisconsin where rivers and estuaries flow into the Great Lakes. Read the full story by PBS Wisconsin.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-wisconsin-cleanup
The Rouge River in metro Detroit, Michigan, is among the state’s environmental areas of concern that will receive significant funding for restoration projects. Read the full story by C&G Newspapers.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-restoration
University of Wisconsin researchers are seeing more and more salt in the Great Lakes — so much that the lakes’ ecosystems are starting to change. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-salty
A top infrastructure official from Macomb County in southeast Michigan is feuding with state environmental regulators over water protection, claiming the state is not doing enough to clean up sewage systems contaminated by pesticide runoff and drugs being flushed down drains and toilets. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-contaminated-water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says filters distributed by Michigan state and county health departments since 2018 to remove lead from tap water in Benton Harbor are working effectively. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-water-filters
A shipwreck dating back to the 1890s was discovered 650 feet below the surface of Lake Superior, 35 miles offshore from Deer Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read the full story by Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-shipwreck
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is attracting once rare bald eagles to the delight of bird watchers this winter. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-bald-eagles
After a two-and-a-half-year absence, cruise ships filled with tourists are set to return with a vengeance to the Great Lakes this spring. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-cruise-ships
The ice cover on the Great Lakes has reached its peak coverage for the winter and all of the Great Lakes spent some time with more ice than the long-term average for individual dates. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220309-ice-cover
March 2 marks the observation of Great Lakes Day, a virtual event that brings together a binational coalition of regional agencies, legislators, local communities, tribes and business, maritime and environmental groups. Read the full story by WFBO – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-great-lakes-day
President Biden will tout the $1 billion investment from the infrastructure plan to accelerate cleanup of polluted hotspots on the Great Lakes during his visit to Wisconsin’s Lake Superior coast next Wednesday. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-president-biden
Project Clean Lake has reduced combined sewer overflows in the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District coverage area by 1.7 billion gallons annually over the last decade, greatly reducing the amount of raw sewage making its way into streams and lakes at several locations. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-sewage
Next Monday kicks off National Invasive Species Awareness Week. The Great Lakes experience with invasive species offers many lessons that apply across Pennsylvania as the state grapples with a growing number of invasive plants, insects, and fish and other animals. Read the full story by GoErie.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-invasive-species
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy will allocate $9 million in grants to push clean energy on the state’s bodies of water. Read the full story by The Center Square.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-energy-grants
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is sending one of its four deep-water hydrographic survey ships into the Great Lakes for several months this year to sonar-map the lakebed under heavily trafficked areas. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-sonar
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is sending one of its four deep-water hydrographic survey ships into the Great Lakes for several months this year to sonar-map the lakebed under heavily trafficked areas. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-sonar
As this region focuses on developing a stronger “blue economy” and prepares for a likely future as a national refuge from the worst effects of climate change, this federal investment comes at a critical moment. Read the full story by the Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-cleanup
Legislation that could have scuttled a long-planned sewer project intended to keep human waste out of Lake Michigan has been revised by the Senate Utilities Committee. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220225-sewer
