The Apostle Islands could soon become Wisconsin’s first national park, thanks to an effort by several federal lawmakers. Becoming a national park would attract more people to the Apostle Islands, sharing the natural beauty of the islands and shores of Lake Superior. Read the full story the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-apostle-islands
For nearly 40 years, the New York Department of Conservation considered the Lake Ontario shoreline from Webster to Parma, New York, to be an Area of Concern (AOC). After four decades of restoration work, regulators recommend removing the lakeshore from the AOC list. Read the full story by WHEC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-aoc-delisting
Researchers have ranked the top 10 most invasive species in the Great Lakes based on the havoc they cause in the ecosystem and their impacts on humans. Read the full story by Newsweek.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-most-unwanted
As weather patterns shift, blue-green algal blooms are appearing in areas where they wouldn’t commonly occur. Researchers from the Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Research in Windsor, Ontario, are working to understand blooms in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-blue-green-algae
Lake Erie will soon host a pioneering water treatment process, the first of its kind in the U.S., thanks to a partnership involving the Cleveland Water Alliance and a South Korean tech company. Avon Lake Regional Water in Ohio was selected as the testing site. Read the full story by The Morning Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-water-treatment
Birds that grow up dining from Saginaw Bay, Michigan, and other polluted Great Lakes sites are far more likely to be infertile, lay eggs with embryos that don’t survive, or raise chicks that fail to develop, according to recent research. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-toxic-hot-spot
According to a color analysis of satellite imagery of lakes around the world, Lake Ontario holds the top spot for the bluest lake. Lake Superior ranks second. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-bluest-lakes
Activists gathered to mark the anniversary of the 2010 oil spill near Marshall, Michigan, where a ruptured pipeline released about a million gallons of crude oil into the Kalamazoo River. Activists admonished the pipeline’s owner for its safety record and current plans for the Line 5 pipeline in northern Michigan. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-spill-anniversary
Registration is now open for a relay swim event that will mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The 17-stage, 411-mile relay swim begins in Lake Superior, where the shipwreck lies, and ends in Detroit, the ship’s intended destination. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-shipwreck-swim
As more green infrastructure projects are installed across the state of Michigan, more workers are needed to maintain them. Friends of the Rouge, a Detroit-area nonprofit that manages the River Rouge watershed, is offering a short course about maintaining green infrastructure like rain gardens. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240726-green-infrastructure
Biologists are investigating why whitefish numbers in the lower Great Lakes are cratering without adequate spawn classes to replace them. New evidence indicates the fish, which lay eggs on shallow reefs that rely on winter ice cover, are being squeezed by shifting temperatures. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-whitefish-populations
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is issuing a precautionary notice to residents based on visual confirmation of a blue-green algae bloom on Lake St. Clair. Residents on the municipal drinking water system can drink the water, unless they are notified otherwise. Read the full story by the Kingsville Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-habs-notice
The city of Toronto dumped more than 1,300 megalitres of partially treated wastewater into Lake Ontario during Tuesday’s torrential downpour. Three wastewater plants were “bypassing,” a process in which stormwater and sewage are diverted from a secondary treatment procedure. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-sewer-bypass
A partnership led by the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition and the University of Wisconsin-Madison received $10 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agricultural Systems program earlier this summer. The partnership builds on existing efforts by tribal nations in Wisconsin to reinvigorate their traditional agricultural practices. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-tribal-university-partnership
The wreck of the historic 130-foot Margaret A. Muir schooner has been found off the coast of Wisconsin more than 130 years after it plunged to the bottom of Lake Michigan with the captain’s beloved dog on board. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-shipwreck-discovery
Lorain County commissioners and staff continue to work toward a regional sewer and storm water treatment plant that would lower costs for all residents of Lorain County, Ohio. The project has been underway for a year, but first, a number of steps in a “complex” process must be met. Read the full story by The Morning Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-wastewater-treatment-regionalization
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $7.56 million contract to Great Lakes Dock & Materials, LLC, to make repairs on approximately 1,450 feet of the lake side of Dunkirk Harbor‘s breakwater in Dunkirk, New York. Read the full story by WRFA – Jamestown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-breakwater-repair
Although some parks and sports fields in Mississauga, Ontario, are still closed following last week’s torrential rainstorm, the city says the damage could have been significantly worse without strong stormwater infrastructure in place to mitigate the floods. Read the full story by insauga.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-stormwater-infrastructure
Wildlife monitoring of endangered Great Lakes piping plovers this summer resulted in a consecutive year for setting a record for the number of unique piping plover breeding pairs, breaking the record set last year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-piping-plover-breeding
Government officials along with Citizens Against Wind Turbines in Lake Erie (CATWILE) are holding a rally to oppose wind turbines in the Great Lakes in Irving, New York. CATWILE is a group of citizens focused on informing and educating the public about the risks and opposing the building of industrial wind turbines in Lake Erie. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240724-turbine-advocacy
Climate change is altering Lake Erie: warmer water temperatures increase the risk of toxic algal blooms. Less ice cover in the winter can lead to more soil erosion. And its water levels are fluctuating at a faster rate. A new program at Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) will prepare a new workforce of scientists, engineers and data analysts to help communities navigate these impacts. Read the full story WVXU – Cincinnati, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-climatechange-lakeerie-ohio
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers delivered his weekly radio address highlighting the recent investment of nearly $1.3 million in grants to support quality of life, foster economic development, protect and improve the Great Lakes resources, and create resiliency in Wisconsin’s coastal communities through the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Read the full story by WTAQ – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-govivers-investments-wisconsin
Lake Erie’s annual algae bloom has begun to form weeks ahead of schedule off the coast of southeast Michigan, but scientists say they expect only a moderate bloom this year. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-lakeerie-toxicalgaebloom
Lake Erie water levels are slightly above average midway through July but a far cry from the record levels reached a few years ago. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasts that water levels will fall in the coming months, but July is seeing an uptick from June. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-lakeerie-forecast
The Marquette Maritime Museum celebrated Lake Superior Day with a festival Sunday afternoon. The annual event, which is celebrated on the third Sunday of July, focuses on Lake Superior’s importance. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-marquettemaritimemuseum-lakesuperiorday
The 100th Port Huron to Mackinac race began Saturday morning and broke the record for the most registered sailing teams. Sailboats are now crossing the finish line up at Mackinac Island as the race begins to wind down. Read the full story by WPHM – Port Huron, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-porthuron-mackinac-race-comestoend
This time of year, many people are out enjoying the beaches in Duluth, Minnesota, but on Saturday some spent time cleaning up the sandy shores of Lake Superior. Read the full story by WSAW-TV – Wausau, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-beachcleanup-parkpoint-greatlakes
Maumee, Ohio, area residents are being asked to weigh in on $2 million to $5 million of fish and wildlife habitat improvements planned for the Maumee River near the city’s Towpath Park. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-maumeeriver-wildlifeimprovements-towpathpark
Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen held its 49th annual Salmon Derby July 5-7 at the Manitowoc Marina. 362 people registered to participate. At the end of the three-day event, 1,295 fish were registered by participants, the highest number of fish registered since 2016. Read the full story by the Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-manitowoc-salmon-derby
Great Lakes Towing Co has added another newbuild to its fleet of ice-class tugboats as it celebrated 125 years of business. The latest Cleveland-class newbuild was built to US Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping requirements for towing, handling and docking ships in the ports along the coasts of the Great Lakes of North America. Read the full story by Riviera Maritime Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-greatlakes-towing-125anniversary
A Michigan State University Extension program called the Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes or RIPPLE program works with hobbyists, retailers and gardeners to minimize the release of invasive species into the wild. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-rehome-program
The wreck of the 157-year-old, 140-foot-long cargo schooner Trinidad was named to the national register by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Its remains lie about 9.5 miles off the Algoma shore, partially embedded about 270 feet below the surface of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-historic-shipwreck
Researchers are exploring new techniques to remove an invasive crayfish from Michigan waters, including pesticide treatments, introducing predatory fish, adding lights to traps, and increasing public awareness. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-invasive-crayfish
The Eurasian ruffe is suspected to be spreading east along the northern shores of Lake Erie and has been recently confirmed just outside of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and the United States. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-new-invasive-fish
The more than 30 million Americans who rely on Great Lakes water every day need federal leadership and action to help keep the Great Lakes healthy and economically thriving, argues Joel Brammeier, CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-imperiled-great-lakes
The New York State Department of Health has released new fish consumption guidelines for Great Lakes connected waterways. Read the full story by WGRZ – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-fish-consumption-guidelines
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife service crew is preparing to look for sea lamprey larvae in the Boardman River. It’s the first step in sea lamprey control: finding which Great Lakes tributaries are infested with the parasitic species. Read the full story by Up North Live.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-sea-lamprey-control
The recent decline in Great Lakes’ water levels puts the lakes in a rare spot as of late – normal. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-water-levels-normalizing
The Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium being held in Grand Marais, Michigan is underway. The symposium is the longest running of its kind and includes five days of instruction, food, live music and of course, kayaking. Read the full story by WLUC – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-kayak-symposium
More than 1.3 billion liters of partially treated sewage were discharged into Toronto’s waterways after the severe storm in the region. Six public beaches in Toronto are currently marked unsafe for having elevated levels of E.coli. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240719-toronto-sewage
After years of detecting harmful algae in Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) researchers recently discovered that a toxic cyanobacterium called Planktothrix has essentially disappeared. The drop in toxins signals a major improvement in a body of water that millions rely upon for life, work, and play. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-reduced-toxins
In 2013, Toronto experienced a massive storm that caused severe flooding, power outages, and significant disruptions. A similar storm hit the city this week, highlighting ongoing challenges with climate change and aging infrastructure. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-toronto-floods
A new Michigan law is aimed at limiting what can be considered as a “flushable” wipe. Manufacturers are no longer allowed to market the wipes in Michigan as “flushable” and are required to include the words “Do Not Flush” and a symbol dissuading people from sending the sturdy fabrics to sewage treatment plants. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-flushable-wipes
Billed as the “world’s longest continuously run long-distance freshwater yacht race,” the Bayview Mackinac Race is set to start Saturday. A record-setting 334 boats have registered for the 100th year of the race across Lake Huron to Mackinac Island, Michigan. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-yacht-race
Two hundred years ago, the Erie Canal helped spread people, ideas, and goods across the U.S. Now, it has become a paddler’s paradise with more than 700 miles of continuous, navigable waterways. Read the full story by the BBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-erie-canal
Officials in South Barrington, Illinois, are continuing to pursue a plan to bring drinking water from Lake Michigan to town—and they’ve hired an engineering firm to help them with the lengthy process. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-barrington-water
Last week, fourteen Milwaukee high school students went out on a UW-Milwaukee (UWM) research vessel as part of UWM’s Watershed Expedition Program. The weeklong program provides students with knowledge about water’s impact on the economy, recreational activities, and public health. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-watershed-expedition
The MI Healthy Climate Corps sends civil servants to help local communities prepare for the devastating effects of climate change. The first class of corps members are tackling climate problems related to food waste, public transportation, and habitat loss. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-climate-corps
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard are cleaning pollution from the St. Marys River after receiving a report of an “oily sheen” at the river. The source of the pollution is currently unknown and is under investigation by the Coast Guard. Read the full story by WPBN/WGTU-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-oily-sheen
There is no verifiable account of sharks ever reaching the Great Lakes, and multiple hoaxes have been exposed and urban legends debunked over the years. A Great Lakes shark is virtually impossible—but not quite. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-great-lakes-sharks
