Traverse City, Michigan, officials say the still-unfinished FishPass structure on the Boardman River helped keep upstream water levels lower than they likely would have been under the former dam, sparing the city from a larger disaster during recent flooding. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-traverse-city
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel are returning to Door County in Wisconsin to apply chemicals to a creek in the Town of Clay Banks and hopefully save thousands of pounds of fish in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-door-county
Any day now, a piping plover will make its seasonal return to Wasaga Beach in Ontario, as it has done every spring for nearly 20 years. Due to the elimination of key protections, the plover’s beachfront home is less secure this year. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-canada-plover
Today students from across the western Lake Erie basin will gather in Sarnia and Point Edward, Ontario for the Lake Erie Student Summit, a hands-on event focused on building the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to protect this globally significant freshwater ecosystem. Read the full story by Stratford Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-erie-student-summit
Today students from across the western Lake Erie basin will gather in Sarnia and Point Edward, Ontario for the Lake Erie Student Summit, a hands-on event focused on building the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to protect this globally significant freshwater ecosystem. Read the full story by Stratford Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-erie-student-summit
Many birds cross the lakes stopping to rest on small islands such as Kelley’s Island in Ohio. Bird banders are on a mission to band 100,000 birds on the island to better understand migration patterns. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-bird-tracking
Many birds cross the lakes stopping to rest on small islands such as Kelley’s Island in Ohio. Bird banders are on a mission to band 100,000 birds on the island to better understand migration patterns. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-bird-tracking
Michigan Trout Unlimited is looking for residents to help collect stream samples to be tested for didymosphenia geminate, an algae nicknamed “didymo” or “rock snot”, that has been found in at least six Michigan rivers since 2015. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-rock-snot-testing
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a recent series of deceased eagles that were found in a single area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula over a 15-day period in April. Read the full story by WHIO-TV-Dayton, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-dead-eagles
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a recent series of deceased eagles that were found in a single area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula over a 15-day period in April. Read the full story by WHIO-TV-Dayton, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-dead-eagles
A major sewer project has closed the entire Petoskey State Park in northern Michigan for months. The current phase of construction is now closing the park’s stretch of Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay shoreline. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-closed-shoreline
Rising water levels on Lake Ontario are prompting local officials in Sodus Point to prepare for possible flooding, with conditions already trending upward early in the spring season. Read the full story by FingerLakes1.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-flooding-potential
This Northern Michigan harbor town is celebrating five years as a cruise ship port and expects to welcome the largest cruising vessels on the Great Lakes 20 times this year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-cruise-port
Federal regulators ordered a sweeping round of engineering reviews and safety assessments at dams near Black Lake and Cheboygan, Michigan after flooding caused debris jams, gate problems, erosion, sinkholes and other trouble across the watershed. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-dam-inspections
A viral social media post claiming two great white sharks are headed for the Great Lakes is making the rounds and it’s completely false. Great Lakes waters are too cold and too fresh for Great White sharks to survive, and it would be an impossible journey for the fish from the ocean to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WDIV-TV-Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-false-post
Michigan’s maritime strategy, a 10-year plan aimed at driving economic growth and creating well-paying jobs across the maritime industry is finalized. The strategy calls for major upgrades to Michigan’s ports and expanded workforce development in marine sectors to strengthen the Great Lakes economy. Read the full story by WILX-TV-Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260429-maritime-strategy
The state of Michigan was cleared of liability Thursday in a disastrous 2020 dam failure that flooded communities, destroyed more than 100 homes and drained a popular lake. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-michigan-dams
Last week’s torrents of rain pushed Milwaukee into its rainiest April on record, resulting in about 2.7 billion gallons of untreated wastewater discharged into local waterways and Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-milwaukee-wastewater
Researchers found a decline in PFAS levels in Great Lakes lake trout and walleye, suggesting lower levels of long-lasting contaminants in the resources these fish consume. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-pfas-declines
Federal regulators are investigating dam owners in Cheboygan County, Michigan, for issues that may have worsened recent flooding. Problems at three dams included debris, leakage, erosion, and sinkholes, prompting immediate inspections. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-cheboygan-dam
Months of drought and hot temperatures have impacted water levels in Illinois, leading to concerns about water supply. Those concerns are furthered by the development of data centers, particularly in regions with depleted aquifers. Read the full story by Capital News Illinois.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-illinois-water
Toronto’s port continues to see growth in bulk commodities while at the same time the cruise industry is laying out a long-term strategy for continued growth in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Toronto CityNews.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-toronto-port
Flood waters are slowly receding in Northern Michigan as residents begin the lengthy cleanup process. Dramatic aerial footage showed the flood waters surrounding hundreds of homes along Black Lake and Black River on Monday. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-michigan-floods
The Lake Huron grasshopper is considered a threatened species and can only be found in a handful of locations, including along the beaches of Tiny Township, Ontario. The public has until May 4 to comment on a possible recovery strategy for the insect. Read the full story by Simcoe.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-grasshopper
Wolves on Isle Royale, a remote island in Lake Superior, appear to be thriving, but they’re making deep dents in the moose population that they rely on as a leading food source. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-isle-royale
The S.S. City of Milwaukee near Manistee, Michigan, is a historic car ferry that moonlights as a haunted attraction every fall. But some people want to know, are there real ghosts onboard? Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-ghost-boat
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Michigan in ruling that the state’s lawsuit seeking to shut down a section of an aging pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel will stay in state court. Read the full story by PBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-scotus-pipeline
Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-extreme-precipitation
The Viking Polaris, the biggest Great Lakes cruise ship, arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Thursday. The Polaris is the first of 64 cruise ships that will visit Milwaukee between April and October, nearly the triple the 23 vessels from 2025. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-cruise-season
In the deepest part of Lake Superior, a quarter mile below the surface, researchers are discovering a growing number of extraordinarily thin lake trout that weigh about half their typical, healthy body weight. Scientists have dubbed them “zombie fish.” Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-superior-zombie-fish
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources held a public information hearing on four permit applications by Enbridge for streambank erosion control on the 41-mile reroute of Line 5, a light crude oil and natural gas pipeline. Read the full story by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-enbridge-permits-erosion
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, along with conservation partners Ducks Unlimited and the National Audubon Society, recently completed a project to improve 50 acres of Lake Ontario marsh habitat. Read the full story by Syracuse.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-ontario-marsh-restoration
In Wisconsin, the lake sturgeon detected in Ozaukee County — 20 river miles upstream of Lake Michigan — is part of a wider effort to restore sturgeon to the Milwaukee River through the Return the Sturgeon Project. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-sturgeon
Personnel with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be taking measures to reduce the sea lamprey population in the Great Lakes, applying pesticides to kill invasive sea lamprey in streams and tributaries. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-lamprey
Almost 500 thousand Castalia Hatchery-raised steelhead trout smolts are being poured into the Lake Erie tributaries of northeastern Ohio this week. Anglers should help them to acclimate to swimming in open waters before the year-old trout head for the big lake to feed and grow all summer. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-erie-steelhead
The Lake Erie – Niagara River ice boom, spanning the eastern end of Lake Erie, is nearly removed after a few days of high winds caused delays. Read the full story by The Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260424-erie-ice-boom
Communities along Lake Ontario’s shoreline are being invited to help shape a new regional plan aimed at addressing the growing impacts of flooding, erosion and extreme weather. Read the full story by Niagara-on-the-Lake-Local.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-lake-ontario-shoreline-residents-coastal-resilience
In New York, a recent cliff collapse at Chimney Bluffs State Park highlights how the landscape is naturally shaped by ongoing erosion from waves and rainfall, but scientists say factors like heavier rain and fluctuating lake levels may be intensifying these changes. While erosion is normal, researchers note that climate change could make these events more frequent or severe, though no single collapse can be directly attributed to it. Read the full story by WXXI – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-chimney-bluffs-shifting-landscape-climate-change
After billions have already been spent on Cleveland’s long-running “Project Clean Lake,” construction is set to begin on the final massive tunnel designed to capture and store stormwater and sewage, preventing it from overflowing into Lake Erie during heavy rains. The project aims to dramatically reduce pollution, though it highlights the enormous cost and decades-long effort required to modernize the region’s aging sewer system. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-billions-dollars-tunnel-sewage-lakeerie
The Great Lakes are quickly emerging as a major travel destination. New projections show cruise travel across the region is expected to hit record levels in 2026, bringing thousands of passengers through ports like Detroit. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-detroit-greatlakes-cruises
Dam safety officials say Michigan came far closer to a broad dam disaster during this month’s historic flooding than the public may fully realize. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-michigan-dams-close-to-disaster
Conservative rural residents and environmental leaders are finding common ground opposing data centers over water concerns, creating an unexpected opportunity to strengthen Michigan’s water protection policies. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-water-progress-data-center
A surplus of rain from March through the first half of April has significantly boosted Lake Michigan-Huron ahead of the summer season. Over the last month, most locations in west Michigan have received 200-300% of normal precipitation. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-lake-michigan-wettest-april
Lake Erie serves as a crucial stopover for migrating birds each spring, providing food and shelter as they travel north from Central and South America to their summer habitats. While birdwatching is growing in popularity, migrating bird populations continue to face challenges from climate change, habitat loss, and other environmental pressures. Read the full story by WKSU- Kent, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-lake-erie-ideal-stop-spring-migration
Organizations across Minnesota argue that expanding mining in Minnesota—especially near sensitive areas like the Boundary Waters—puts the state’s water resources at significant risk, with potential pollution from toxic runoff threatening lakes, rivers, and ecosystems. While mining may bring economic benefits, it creates a major conflict between resource development and protecting clean water and natural environments. Read the full story by MinnPost.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-earth-day-minnesota-water
A seasonal Lake Huron ferry operating out of Cheboygan, Michigan, could get a late start due to high water on the Cheboygan River watershed that’s straining local dams. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260422-cheboygan-ferry-season-dnr
A $1.15 billion project is designed to keep invasive carp species out of the Great Lakes. Federal officials want to move management of the project to Michigan. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-brandon-road
A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday for almost all of Michigan and residents remain advised to prepare for evacuation. Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited Cheboygan, Michigan Thursday, stating, “We are in crisis mode.” Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-michigan-floods
Records show that local, state, and federal officials were aware of the dangers posed by the dam in Cheboygan, Michigan, for years before floodwaters pushed it to the brink of collapse. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-cheboygan-dam
Rain forecasts for parts of Ontario and Quebec are heightening the sense of urgency for residents with flood-prone properties, as communities deal with washouts and closed bridges and help people prepare by opening sandbag-filling stations. Read the full story by the Canadian Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-canada-floods
