For a century Joliet, Illinois and its Will County neighbors mined their sandstone aquifer but now the water is running out. A group of six communities will soon receive Lake Michigan water from Chicago via pipeline. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-chicago-pipeline
Water levels on the Great Lakes rose sharply earlier this year due to a very wet spring, but they have remained unusually steady over the summer on Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron due to dry conditions. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-lake-levels
The third and final stage of the Randle Reef remediation project has started and is expected to finish by 2025. The $150-million project is cleaning up of the once-most contaminated site on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-hamilton-harbour
Lake Erie anglers who rely on charter guides for fishing will soon have a richer experience out on the water thanks to a new certification program from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Sea Grant. The program, Erie PrOH, ensures fishing guides and crew members have detailed knowledge of fishery topics and can act as responsible stewards of the lake. Read the full story by The Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-erie-proh
Shipwreck hunters have discovered the intact remains of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in 1881 and is so well-preserved it still contains the crew’s possessions in its final resting spot miles from Wisconsin’s coastline. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-schooner
State agencies in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa now are cleaning up the St. Louis River’s legacy contamination, restoring habitats for wild rice and recreation, and bringing back fish populations like lake sturgeon. Read the full story at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-sturgeon
The state of Michigan is offering free water quality tests to private well owners. About a million households rely on private wells in the state for drinking water. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230908-free-testing-for-wells
The Great Lakes region is getting about $2.8 million for coastal conservation, restoration of wetlands, and making the coastline more resilient to the changes caused by climate disruption. Given the length of Great Lakes coastlines, that’s not a lot of money. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-shoreline-resilancy
About 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of Toronto finds. Read the full story by The Guardian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-microplastics
Should states and Indigenous nations be able to influence energy projects they view as harmful or contrary to their laws and values? This question lies at the center of a heated debate over Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline, which carries oil and natural gas across Wisconsin and Michigan. Read the full story by The Conversation.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-pipeline
Mid-July marks the beginning of the fall shorebird migration, with early migrants moving through Great Lakes coastal mudflats, wetlands, beaches, and flooded fields into August. Here are a few Great Lakes migratory shorebirds to look for. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-fall-migration
Residents dogged by frequent flooding have finally drawn attention from city and state officials. After years of tireless work, folks in Chicago South Side community have convinced the city to study the problem of lakeside erosion to see how bad this damage from climate change will be. Read the full story by Grist.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-chicago-erosion
Environmental Defence Canada hosted the seventh annual #WeAreLakeErie Day, a call to action on social media for Ontarians to do what they can to protect Lake Erie and its water. Read the full story by News Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-lake-erie-day
It’s summer in Michigan and people flocking to lakes and other bodies of water around the state may see something they didn’t know we had – jellyfish. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-jellyfish
On Wednesday night, Defense Department officials announced plans to install two new groundwater treatment systems near the Wurtsmith base, which borders the community of Oscoda, Michigan near Lake Huron. The systems will be installed at two locations with the intent of reducing the spread of an underground PFAS plume. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-pfas-cleanup
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average surface water temperature of the Great Lakes is rising. Over the past couple of years, Lake Superior’s warmer temperatures on the surface have also increased harmful algal blooms. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-algal-blooms
Port officials expected it would cost about $30 million to develop a state-of-the-art port facility with convenient access to rail and interstate highways on the former Pulliam Power Plant site. A newly received engineering cost estimate put the price tag above $48.7 million. The cost increase was attributed to increases in labor and material costs. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230818-port-of-green-bay
The U.S. Geological Survey along with conservation agencies from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario are utilizing three uncrewed research vessels in the Great Lakes. The surface vehicles, called saildrones, are wind-powered and can stay out on the water 24 hours a day for months, gathering fish population data. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-research-vessels
A Lake Ontario cruise was no summer vacation for several teachers who spent a week on board an Environmental Protection Agency ship, testing water quality on the lake. The voyage plays an important role in the future health of not just Lake Ontario, but all of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-science-reseach-trip
In 2014, New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda was created to bridge the gap between planning and action. The plan is getting an update and this time taking aim at more targeted areas that have been identified by local organizations to need a higher level of focus. Read the full story by WROC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-action-agenda
Despite often being described as smelly and not nice to look at, charter fish captains say they find algae blooms helpful when it comes to catching more fish in Lake Erie. Researchers worry about the accumulation of toxins in the fish from the algae. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-algae-blooms
An annual Erie, Pennsylvania, conference is exploring the potential impact of Project Resolve — an initiative passed by the Erie County Council earlier this year. Project Resolve is a regional strategy to advance manufacturing while also reducing plastic and waste pollution that affects freshwater systems, like Lake Erie. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-project-resolve
Wetlands are a vital part of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Today, there are about five million acres of wetlands in Wisconsin, covering about 15 percent of the state. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-lake-michigan-wetlands
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist was in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Monday to visit the construction site for a new lock at the Soo and Lake Superior State University. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-soo-locks
The remainder of the U.S. Brig Niagara’s 2023 sailing schedule has been officially canceled due to mechanical issues. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-brig-niagara
Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. While EPA’s draft strategy is a good start, the EPA will need to strengthen its accountability measures if they want to actually limit plastic pollution and the harm it causes. Read the full story by The Hill.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-plastic-pollution
It’s been one of the least dangerous years on Lake Michigan’s east coast. Ron Olson, chief of Parks and Recreation for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, attributes the drop to better public education on rip currents, life jackets, and the flag system. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230726-lake-michigan-drownings
A study from Environment America found persistent problems with bacteria pollution along U.S. and Great Lakes coastlines. Where does beach pollution come from, and other key questions are answered. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-bacteria-beaches
Rebecca Meuninck, the new executive director of National Wildlife Federations’ Great Lakes Regional Center is looking to “expand the program to have more focus on climate resilience and making sure the communities that are most impacted by pollution and climate change are being reached by those programs and benefitting from them”. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-national-wildlife-federation
Oswego County’s rich marine history is on display – from events to exhibits. The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, New York hosts a new display for the 2023 season, “Shipwrecks of Upstate NY.” The exhibit offers a detailed look at the shipwrecks below Lake Ontario using 3D printed and hand-painted scale models of shipwreck sites. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-lake-ontario
Canadian energy giant Enbridge has appealed a federal court ruling in Wisconsin to shut down its Line 5 pipeline that runs through Michigan. That action was met with strong criticism from environmentalists and tribal leaders. Read the full story by the Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-line-5
The Ontario government is investing up to C$6.9 million in wetland conservation projects across the province. The Wetlands Conservation Partner Program sees the government collaborate with conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Read the full story by Sarnia News Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-wetland-funding
Weeks after two teenaged boys drowned while cliff diving in Silver Bay, Minnesota State Sen. Grant Hauschild is calling for the return of the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Grand Marais, Minnesota that closed after Labor Day in 2022. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-grand-marais
Dearborn Heights, Michigan Mayor Bill Bazzi was recently elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. The binational coalition of over 230 municipal and regional U.S. and Canadian mayors and local officials works toward advancing the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. Read the full story by the Press & Guide.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-great-lakes-and-st-lawrence-cities-initiatve
Open water swimmers have been deploying sensors in popular swimming spots in Toronto and Lake Ontario to get information on changing water conditions and improve public safety. Listen to the full story at City News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-sensor-data
A big company’s decision to refocus its future operations will impact a series of small Upper Peninsula cities. American Queen Voyages, the company which owns the familiar Ocean Navigator as well as the Ocean Voyager, has announced it will not return to the Great Lakes next year. Read the full story by The Mining Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-great-lakes-cruising
Fifteen Michigan beaches were closed last weekend or were under contamination advisories for water quality that’s unacceptable or questionable for human contact. Water quality status should be checked before heading into the water. Read the full story at MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-beach-closings
Harmful algal blooms are forming in some parts of Lake Erie earlier than typical. Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research researchers are surprised to find the blooms this early in the summer, as they typically do not start forming until August and some years as late as September or early October. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-hab
For the fourth time in the past five years, the Port of Oswego Authority, (POA), has won the prestigious Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award for recording increases in international cargo tonnage shipped through the New York port during the 2022 navigation season. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-pacesetter-award
Property owners along three of the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair should remove sandbags that were placed along shorelines in 2020, when high water levels threatened lakeside properties. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-sandbag-removal
A group of scientists from The Nature Conservancy met up north to scuba dive in Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, training how to stay safe while doing environmental research beneath the waves of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-dive-training
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently recovered five shipwreck artifacts that were taken from Lake Huron. The artifacts were transported to Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-shipwreck-artifacts
A 2012 study done by then-SUNY Fredonia Professor Dr. Sherri Mason found that Lake Erie has more microplastics per inch than the great Pacific garbage patch. Flows from Lake Superior and Lake Huron add to the problem. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-microplastics
Free boat washes at Michigan’s Lake Erie Metro Park are an easy way for mariners to help in the effort to quell the spread of exotic invaders in Michigan waterways. The event also helps educate citizens during Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-ais-boat-wash
Duluth, Minnesota officials are celebrating a nearly $8.2 million federal grant that will help rebuild another section of the city’s popular Lakewalk pedestrian and bike trail that hugs several miles of the Lake Superior shore. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-duluth-lakewalk
Wisconsin’s newest biennial budget will provide millions of dollars in funding to address “forever chemicals,” allow for renovations in state parks, and provide grants for farmers wanting to reduce runoff from their fields. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-wi-budget
The annual cleanup Stand Up for Great Lakes’ was held at Michigan’s Torch Lake. The lake is looking cleaner after a group of volunteers staged a major clean-up from the Fourth of July holiday. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-stand-up-for-great-lakes
It was 2010 when federal funding in the U.S. to restore the Great Lakes, via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, began to flow to the tune of $475 million. Fast-forward to 2023 and a program focused on coastal wetland restoration has been renewed twice by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has received a total of $30 million since 2010. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230614-coastal-wetland-program
One of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s research vessels, the Lake Guardian, departed Monday afternoon to start an annual mission to monitor and collect samples of trout, small organisms, and more in Lake Huron. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230614-lake-huron-research-survey
In conjunction with its upcoming exhibit “The Maritime History of Charlevoix,” the Charlevoix Historical Society will present the program “Documenting Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes” on Wednesday, June 28. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230614-shipwreck-program
