A coalition between the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has approved nearly $1.7 million in grants to fund six different studies along the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-michigan-sea-grant
New York’s Thousand Islands Land Trust said the lack of ice cover has had major impacts on the local environment, including drastic water temperature fluctuations, changes in animal behavior and shifts in migratory bird patterns. Read the full story by WROC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-low-ice
During the Anishinabek Nation Councils Panel at the Anishinabek Nation’s 8th Land and Resources Forum, Eshki-niigijig Advisory Council member Lance Copegog of Beausoleil First Nation discussed what is being done to protect the Great Lakes, including work on a program where bodies of water have the recognition of personhood. Read the full story by Anishinabek News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-great-lakes-personhood
Removal of the Lake Erie and Niagara River ice boom was set to begin Tuesday but was delayed due to weather conditions. It would have been the earliest date for the removal of the ice boom. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-lake-erie-ice-boom
It may feel like ice fishing season just started, but Ontario Fish and Wildlife is reminding residents that ice fishing huts need to be taken down by specific dates in March. Anglers are also advised to closely monitor ice conditions. Read the full story by York Region News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-ice-huts-removal
A much-delayed and controversial plan to build a gas-fired power plant in Superior, Wisconsin, now faces opposition from local leaders who previously supported it. The $700 million project is contentious for its location — bordering a Lake Superior estuary and an Anishinaabe mass grave — and for its potential harm to the environment, property values and health of area residents. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-power-plant
Ice coverage on Lake Superior is at about 3%, making it the lowest recorded coverage since the federal government began measuring it in 1973. The Superior Watershed Partnership says the lack of ice has possible impacts on fish populations come spring, specifically for hatchlings that will not be protected from powerful waves that can wash eggs away. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-fish-populations
A popular Lake Michigan dog beach in Ottawa County, Michigan, is fully reopening this spring after nearly four years of reduced hours. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-dog-beach
Earlier this month, Wisconsin Legislature’s budget-writing committee shot down about $1 million in grants under the state’s stewardship program for a boat launch project in the city of Ashland. That’s despite the committee previously signing off on a similar amount of grant funding for another northern Wisconsin project. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-wi-boating-grants
The escalating threat of invasive grass carp in Canada’s Great Lakes has prompted the Invasive Species Centre to initiate a comprehensive public awareness campaign. Read the full story by BNN Breaking.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240228-carp
Record warm winter weather is having severe ramifications on the ice cover that typically engulfs the Great Lakes at this time of year. Just 5.9% of the Great Lakes are currently covered with ice compared to an average of about 40% for this time of year. Read the full story by ABC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-great-lakes-ice
Researchers in Minnesota are creating a national map to identify peatlands – soggy areas of slowly decaying organic matter – and guides for how to restore them. The idea is to save a landscape that occupies just 3 percent of the earth’s land area but stores over 30 percent of the planet’s carbon. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-bogs
A successful halt on shoreline development through a recently crafted bylaw in Tiny Township, Ontario has been submitted for a Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative award. Even if the township does not win the award, the deputy mayor hopes the story can ‘help other municipalities that are facing similar issues’. Read the full story by Midland Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-best-practice-award
Due to recent warm temperatures, the Duluth Fire Department in Minnesota is asking the public to exercise caution and refrain from engaging in ice fishing activities in Superior Bay. Read the full story by KBJR-TV – Superior, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-superior-bay-ice-conditions
The gridlocked battle between a Wisconsin tribe and a Canadian oil giant has entered its next legal round. On Thursday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments about whether Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 oil pipeline can continue to transport oil on the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-line-5
A man was convicted this week on two federal charges after he diverted the Platte River by hand through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-platt-river
Researchers are on a mission to get more wintertime data to understand how Michigan’s disappearing winters affect the broader Great Lakes ecosystem, endangering some species, and changing nutrient cycles, among a growing list of concerns. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-snow-clues
This past summer, a “moderately” severe algae bloom grew in Lake Erie. There is a long way to go to address the summer plague of Lake Erie algae blooms and the actions required to do so are a year-round job. Read the full story by the Environmental Defence.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-algae-blooms
Many volunteers showed interest in living in a Lake Superior lighthouse for the summer. The National Park Service opened and closed an application to be a caretaker for the Sand Island Light off the coast of northern Wisconsin in less than a day due to an abundance of applicants. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-lake-superior-lighthouse
Wisconsin lawmakers are introducing legislature modeled from the success of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to protect the Mississippi River waters and watershed. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240209-mississippi-river-model
Construction is underway on a wetland enhancement project at the Lakeview Wildlife Management Area in the town of Ellisburg, New York. The project is a collaboration between New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Great Lakes Commission, Audubon New York, Audubon Great Lakes, and Ducks Unlimited. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-ny-wetland-enhancement
Legislators and bipartisan members of the Great Lakes Task Force introduced new legislation Tuesday that would extend the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a public-private program that has used federal and nonfederal aid to protect and maintain the Great Lakes since 2010. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-glri
Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced $10 million to improve eight harbors along the Mississippi River and Great Lakes. WisDOT’s Harbor Assistance Program will issue grants to Wisconsin cities such as Superior, La Crosse and Milwaukee to maintain and improve waterborne commerce. Read the full story by The Daily Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-wisconsin-harbors
In a study released in December, researchers documented the informal shift in priorities by restoration project managers to include human well-being. An environmental social scientist says EPA should consider an increased focus on human well-being in their Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-well-being-in-glri
Today, the Detroit River is much cleaner, and sentinel wildlife species have returned. The river has come a long way since the 1960s, however, there is still much work to do, including developing a stewardship ethic. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-detroit-river
In 2016, an Erie boater took to court against a fine for a lack of lifejackets. The result of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court’s decision sets precedent for state law to perform checks of fishing licenses and safety equipment. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-safety-inspection-boater-law
Ohio House lawmakers announced Tuesday that the long-awaited pedestrian land bridge to connect downtown Cleveland to Lake Erie would get $20 million in the proposed capital budget’s one-time fund. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-cleveland-land-bridge
The Essex Region Conservation Authority will present proposals for the restoration of Hillman Marsh in Leamington, Ontario, which is currently overrun with water from Lake Erie. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-hillman-marsh
On Tuesday, the full Indiana Senate unanimously approved a bill that requires life rings be placed at public piers and Lake Michigan access points to help to assist in rescue efforts. Read the full story by WNDU-TV – Indianapolis, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-rescue-equipment
The state of Michigan has identified thousands of sites potentially contaminated with the man-made chemical and many Michiganders would like to presidential leadership address the “forever chemicals.” Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240207-pfas-michigan
The Biden administration has set aside $17 billion to improve maritime infrastructure, money that many want to invest into capital improvements at Great Lakes ports. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-infastructure-funding
Eight ships will spend the off-season in the Duluth-Superior twin Ports, twice as many as last winter, according to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-twin-ports
Michigan Reps. Debbie Dingell and Lisa McClain introduced a bipartisan bill today that would authorize $200 million to conduct high-resolution bathymetric mapping of lakebeds of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-lakebed-mapping
Elk Rapids, Michigan, is surrounded by water. To protect their future the city plans to hire a shoreline management coordinator through a new state program known as the MI Healthy Climate Corps. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-climate-crops-program
The 748-foot S.S. Philip R. Clarke entered the Soo Lock facility’s Poe Lock around 9 a.m. on Tuesday to close out the 2023 navigation season. Read the full story my MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-soo-locks
Lake Superior has long been known as the icy lake, but studies have shown that Superior is one of the fastest warming lakes in the world. And it’s not just Superior, the surface temperature and all five of the Great Lakes has increased in the last few decades, having profound impacts across the region. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-warming-trends
Wisconsin abounds with water resources but in some corners of the state, access to fresh water can be scarce or expensive. Efforts are underway to convert sewage into a safe, drought-resistant source of drinking water. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-wisconsin-water
At the bottom of Lake Huron there’s a ridge that was once served as an ancient caribou hunting site. Computer scientists are using artificial intelligence to predict caribou movement and help find important archaeological sites. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-ai-caribou
Twenty-one Great Lakes region fishing companies have signed the organization’s 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, committing to using all parts of the whitefish, lake trout, yellow perch, and walleye that they catch by 2025. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240119-100-great-lakes-fish
Once considered a promising location for offshore wind development, no commercial offshore wind turbines have yet to be installed in the Great Lakes region. Will this change? Read the full story by the Public News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-offshore-wind
Giant goldfish are happily living in Lake Erie and other bodies of water crowding out native fish and wildlife. Here is why it is never okay to release the pet into the wild. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-the-peoria
The Peoria, a cargo ship that ended up returning to the scene of its accident, and sinking yet again, is the most recent shipwreck in Door County, Wisconsin to be recognized and protected by the state. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-the-peoria
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking landowners in the Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay watersheds willing to add wetlands to their property. The DNR is hosting a webinar on Friday, Jan. 12 to talk with property owners interested in helping restore wetlands. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-wetland-restoration
Ice-covered lakes are used for recreation during the winter. No matter whether large or small, many waterways are experiencing ice coverage that is below normal. The Great Lakes usually have around 3% ice coverage in mid-December, but data from NOAA indicates coverage is just above 0% this year. Read the full story by FOX Weather.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-thin-ice
Lifeguards at Presque Isle, Pennsylvania play a crucial role in making sure people can enjoy the park without harm but staffing those beaches has been difficult. The Lifeguard Association at Presque Isle, they’ve been doing everything they can to stay competitive with those other organizations and offer a unique experience. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-presque-isle-lifeguards
The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Northeast Lakeshore Total Maximum Daily Loads for Total Phosphorus and Total Suspended Solids study. The study will investigate ways to reduce the amount of nutrients entering waters within the Lake Michigan watershed. Read the full story by the Door County Pulse.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-tc-phosphorus
TC Energy has an ambitious plan for Georgian Bay: to draw water up through a clay escarpment, store it in a reservoir, then send it down back into the bay past underwater turbines to create power for southern Ontario when it’s needed. To make this happen, the Calgary-based oil and gas behemoth wants the greenlight from multiple groups, including the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-tc-energy
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine plans to include the health of the state’s large rivers in the ongoing H2Ohio program aimed at water efforts. The H2Ohio program will expand to research PFAS contamination, remove eroding dams, conserve forest buffers and more. Read the full story by the Cleburne Times-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-h2ohio
An annual survey by New York’s Thousand Islands International Tourism Council shows that nearly 80% of tourism operators were either satisfied or pleased with the 2023 tourist season, a large increase from how operators felt in 2020. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231218-thousand-islands-tourism
An announcement was made earlier this week that the EPA wants to get rid of lead pipes that provide drinking water within the next decade. However, the EPA mandate makes an exception for places where it would be almost impossible to replace all of the lead pipes within 10 years, including Chicago. Read the full story by Grist.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231206-lead-pipes
