According to the International Joint Commission, Lake Ontario could reach a flood-prone stage by next Friday, leaving local lakeshore communities concerned. Read the full story by WHEC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-flood-outlook
For some grape growers along Lake Erie, disaster struck in March when global beverage company, Refresco, told them they would be terminating their contracts immediately, leaving them with a surplus of grapes, and no one willing to buy them. Draft legislation in the Pennsylvania General Assembly would allow Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Business Development Center to deploy short-term disaster funding at the state level. Read the full story by WHTM-TV – Harrisburg, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-grape-disaster-funding
The Twin Ports Ministry to Seafarers held its annual Blessing of the Port ceremony this evening at the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minnesota. The event marked the beginning of the busy Great Lakes shipping season, bringing together community members, maritime officials, and shipping representatives. Read the full story by KQDS-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-shipping-season
A new report released by several Michigan state agencies says monitoring, farm conservation programs and wastewater upgrades are helping reduce phosphorus flowing into western Lake Erie, but it stops short of declaring a meaningful turning point in the fight against harmful algal blooms. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-habs-report
Water levels on lakes Michigan and Huron had their largest surge for the month of April since record-keeping began in 1918; the quick rise was driven by snowmelt and heavy rains. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-lake-rise
According to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) official, the pattern of declining yellow perch survival rates in Saginaw Bay appears to be continuing its downward trend. Read the full story by the Oscoda Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-perch-survival
On March 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency resumed dredging more than 100,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with coal tar and petroleum products from a 0.75-mile stretch of the Lower Rouge River Old Channel around Zug Island in River Rouge, Michigan. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-dredging-cleanup
The Brule State Fish Hatchery in northern Wisconsin must remain open after the Wisconsin state legislature’s finance committee unanimously approved $4 million in additional spending authority for the state’s fish and wildlife account Tuesday. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-fish-hatchery-funding
As political and business leaders push for more cargo movement across the Great Lakes, one expert says shifting freight from highways to waterways could ease truck congestion and lower emissions, but only if governments and industry make major investments first. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-shipping-benefits
Walleye season is in full swing across metro Detroit, with anglers taking to the waters along eastern Michigan to fish. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has limits for all four bodies of water in the metro Detroit area for walleye sport fishing: Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and Lake Erie. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-walleye-rules
The Great Lakes are home to thousands of islands, some that even include lakes with islands of their own, but 10 locations stand out for their sheer size. The largest island on the Great Lakes, Manitoulin Island, stands at 1,068 square miles and lays within Canadian waters. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260515-largest-islands
In Michigan, a long-planned ecological restoration project will reconnect Buckhorn Creek to the Muskegon River, reopening miles of trout spawning habitat and improving aquatic biodiversity. Read the full story by Big Rapids Pioneer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-buckhorn-dam-removal-michigan
A network of scientific buoys is being deployed across Lake Erie for the summer season to provide real-time data on wave conditions, water temperature, wind, and water quality for boaters, anglers, researchers, and weather forecasters. Officials say the buoy system improves safety and helps scientists monitor issues like harmful algal blooms and changing lake conditions throughout the region. Read the full story by Erie News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-buoy-network-lake-erie-summer
A group of anglers were caught with more than double their collective limit of walleye from the Detroit River on Friday, May 8. Michigan Department of Natural Resources says conservation officers seized 34 walleye from a group of five. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-detroit-river-walleye-anglers-double-limit
Ontario’s new Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act could open the door to the “financialization” of public water systems by shifting control from municipalities to arm’s-length corporations that may prioritize investor returns over public accountability and affordability. Read the full story by The Conversation.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-new-ontario-water-sanitation-law
A large snapping turtle was rescued after being stranded and injured in rough Lake Michigan surf near Grand Haven, Michigan. After recovering, he was successfully released back into his native habitat, highlighting the challenges turtles can face along the Great Lakes shoreline. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-doug-the-tank-rescued
An ongoing legal challenge over public access to Lake Michigan shorelines is now moving through Milwaukee County Circuit Court and potentially toward the Wisconsin Supreme Court. It could ultimately determine whether the public has the right to walk along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline below the ordinary high-water mark, similar to rulings already made in Michigan and Indiana. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-lake-michigan-shoreline-courtcase
Behind the scenes of rising water levels, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers supplements the capabilities of local and state governments with specialized engineering expertise, historical data and critical flood-fighting supplies when the situation demands it. Read the full story by Niagara Frontier Publications.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-support-the-shores-us-army-corps-engineers
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-park-service-burns-sleepingbeardunes
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-manitowoc-ss-badger
A ship that’s been part of Superior’s history since 1896 is celebrating a birthday and welcoming everyone aboard — though it isn’t sailing anywhere. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260513-ss-meteor
Consumers Energy is seeking approval to drill two deep injection wells at a coal plant next to Lake Michigan in Ottawa County, Michigan, to dispose of coal ash wastewater and other liquids generated during site cleanup. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-injection-wells
Pink salmon were accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1950s and have since spread to all five lakes. Researchers are studying their adaptability to predict how they might impact Arctic and North Atlantic ecosystems. Read the full story by People.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-pink-salmon
Water levels on lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior and St. Clair are forecast to remain above last year’s levels through the boating season after a spring marked by heavy snowmelt and unusually wet conditions. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-water-levels
As spring rain and snowmelt continue to raise water levels across the Great Lakes region, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it is prepared to support communities along Lake Ontario facing potential flooding concerns. Read the full story by the Finger Lakes Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-flood-risks
After it is deployed later this month, a new weather buoy in Lake Erie off the shore of Buffalo, New York, will measure wind speed, air temperature, wave height, water temperature and lots of other data. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-new-buoy
The Soo Locks are a system of parallel locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, that allow ships to travel between lakes Superior and Huron by bypassing the fast-moving rapids of the Saint Marys River. Here’s the best time for visiting and viewing the locks in action. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-soo-locks
The life cycle of the mayfly is so vital to the aquatic ecosystem — especially in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan — that it is one of the main indicators of freshwater health. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-erie-mayflies
A setback occurred during the attempted removal of the G Tug Hawaii sunk in Lake Erie. Spectators and crews watched the boat detach from the 272-foot crane, bounce off the wall of the dock, and resubmerge into the lake. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-tugboat-fell
It’s the unofficial start to summer at the McKinley Marina, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the staff lifted dozens of boats into Lake Michigan for Big Boat Day. Read the full story by WISN-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-big-boat-day
The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project often visits communities and schools to educate them on drowning prevention. The organization will be working with first responders in northern Michigan. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260511-surf-rescue
Ontario is investing $1.5 million into a new Local Blue Economy Growth Fund aimed at protecting the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin through projects that improve water quality, reduce pollution, and strengthen climate resilience. The funding will support municipalities and First Nations communities with initiatives such as stormwater filtration systems, rain gardens, and other green infrastructure projects. Read the full story by CKNX – Wingham, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-ontario-greatlakes-protection
Wisconsin conservation groups and wildlife agencies are working to help the endangered Great Lakes piping plover recover by restoring sandy nesting habitats in places like Green Bay’s Cat Island and closely monitoring nests and chicks each breeding season. The efforts have helped the bird rebound in Wisconsin, with the state recording 11 nesting pairs in 2025 — one of the strongest totals in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-wisconsin-pipingplover-comeback
Federal staffing and funding delays are threatening protections for endangered Great Lakes piping plovers in Michigan as the birds return to nest along Lake Michigan shorelines this spring. Conservation groups warn that postponed seasonal hiring and support could leave nests and chicks more vulnerable to predators, human disturbance, and habitat loss during the critical breeding season. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-greatlakes-pipingplovers-nesting-michigan
NOAA’s Thomas Jefferson is making its first routes on the Great Lakes this summer since 2022, with the task of mapping the waters of western and central Lake Erie, along with eastern Lake Ontario. The goal of this work is to improve navigation safety. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-noaa-research-ship-lake-erie
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation led by Gary Peters that would strengthen pipeline safety nationwide by increasing federal funding for inspections, improving cybersecurity protections, and supporting new leak-detection technology research. The bill also includes a proposal to establish a National Center of Excellence for hazardous liquid pipeline leak detection in the Great Lakes region to help prevent and respond to potential oil spills. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-bipartisanbill-us-pipeline-gary-peters
NOAA’s early 2026 forecast predicts a mild to moderate harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this summer, with bloom severity expected to fall between 2 and 5.5 on the agency’s scale. Scientists say the blooms are driven largely by phosphorus runoff flowing into the lake, especially from the Maumee River watershed, and can threaten drinking water, tourism, and aquatic ecosystems. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-lake-erie-algalblooms-forecast
People living along the Lake Ontario shoreline are keeping a close eye on water levels, which rose significantly after one of the wettest early springs on record. Despite their concern, they’re starting to see some positive signs after two devastating floods in the past decade. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-lake-ontario-levels-flooding-fears
Crews in Erie, Pennsylvania, are working to raise the historic 115-year-old tugboat G Tug Hawaii, which has been submerged in Presque Isle Bay since late 2025 after sinking near the Bayfront. Officials hope salvaging the former Great Lakes Towing vessel will preserve an important piece of regional maritime history while preventing further deterioration underwater. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-work-ongoing-tugboat-g-tug-hawaii-lakeerie
The Great Lakes Aquarium is asking local anglers and community members to donate smelt to help feed its river otters after seasonal shortages made it difficult to secure enough of the fish. The aquarium says smelt are an important part of the otters’ diet, and donated catches can help keep the animals healthy and active. Read the full story by WUBE – Cincinnati, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-greatlakes-aquarium-smelt-donations-needed-otters
Explore the surprising culture of surfing on Lake Michigan, highlighting how strong winds and long stretches of open water can create surfable waves along Michigan’s shoreline. Experts explain the science behind Great Lakes wave formation and why freshwater surfing has become a unique part of life around the lake. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260508-surfinglakemichigan
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Great Lakes District on Tuesday announced the use of autonomous drones starting this month on the Great Lakes. The so-called “sail drones,” unmanned vessels powered by both wind and solar energy, will be on the lakes from May to October. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-saildrones
A federal judge has temporarily prevented the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa from restricting musky and walleye fishing on 19 lakes within its reservation in northern Wisconsin. The state’s federal lawsuit came after the tribe passed resolutions seeking to bar musky and walleye fishing by anyone except tribal members, citing “critically low” populations. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-fishing-restrictions
It’s been years since Lake Ontario water levels have drawn concern. However, with a wet spring and heavier-than-normal snowfall, officials in coastal areas along Wayne County, New York, are on the edge of activating emergency plans to protect shorelines. Read the full story by the Finger Lakes Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-ontario-rising
Several Great Lakes and Mississippi River conservation groups are urging the federal government to take action against nitrate contamination in drinking water, which they say has reached “crisis levels” and is a public health emergency. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-nitrate
The proposed fiscal year 2027 U.S. budget includes the elimination of Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Regional Observations — the backbone of Great Lakes monitoring systems. If enacted, the cuts would significantly disrupt data collection efforts across the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-monitoring-cuts
As lake whitefish teeter on the brink of collapse in the lower Great Lakes, Michigan lawmakers are considering investing in a last-ditch effort to save the iconic species before it’s too late. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-michigan-whitefish
Lake Huron yields hundreds of shipwrecks in places such as Thunder Bay’s “Shipwreck Alley.” Scientists and communities are working to explore, protect, and understand these underwater treasures, which face challenges from environmental change and human impact. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-huron-shipwrecks
The use of an uncrewed vessel known as a Saildrone has helped researchers learn about aquatic life in Lake Erie. The Saildrone proved to be a viable and safer alternative to traditional research boats for collecting data. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-erie-saildrone
Saginaw Bay, Michigan, reportedly generated more than $60 million in economic activity last year via recreational angling; saw the harvest of 500,000-plus walleye; and accounted for 1.84 million angler hours, representing 42% of the total fishing effort in all Michigan waters of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Iosco County News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260506-saginaw-bay
