A barge was freed three days after running aground in Lake St. Clair with minimal damage and no evidence of hazardous waste release. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200417-st-clair
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch populations remain steady this year after doubling from the levels in the previous year. Read the full story by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200417-walleye
Shoreline residents in West Michigan are erecting sea barriers and moving their homes further inland as Lake Michigan inches towards record heights and swallows even more property this year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200417-lake-mi-defense
The Wisconsin DNR is shifting its stocking plans for trout and salmon this year due to coronavirus concerns, cancelling offshore stocking efforts and instead releasing more salmon in nearshore locations. Read the full story by the Door County Pulse.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200417-salmon
Researchers from the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research are monitoring sewage at wastewater treatment plants to evaluate the rate of coronavirus infections in Windsor, Ontario. Read the full story by the CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200417-sewage
Record-setting lake levels and sustained winds worsened erosion along Lake Erie this week, destroying previous efforts to mitigate erosion damage and protect roads near the lake. Read the full story by the Star Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200417-ashtabula
More than $1 million was spent last year on temporary, emergency shoreline repairs in Sarnia, Ontario, mostly in Bright’s Grove. Storms last week battered revetments in Bright’s Grove, adding six more cracks to the failing shoreline. Read the full story by The Sarnia Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-shoreline
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a tug and barge that ran aground in Michigan waters in Lake St. Clair. Officials say the barge was carrying 3,990,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but report that there are no hazardous substances entering the waterway, no suspected damages, and no reported injuries. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-barge
Four century-old shoreline wells revealed by Lake Michigan erosion will be removed from the beach at Grand Haven State Park this summer. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-wells
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ fisheries and creel surveys have been suspended, as have all other department-led habitat projects. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-fisheries
A portion of Beach Street at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Michigan, has reopened to traffic after being closed for more than six months due to ongoing high water and erosion. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-street
The 2020 Lake Michigan sailing season for the S.S. Badger won’t start on May 8 as originally planned, as the carferry’s target date to resume service between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is pushed back to May 29. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Ludington, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-ferry
Interstate Island in the Duluth-Superior Harbor is one of only two tern nesting sites remaining near Lake Superior, but it’s being covered by rising waters. A $1.4 million effort to raise the tiny island is underway this week to keep it high and dry enough for the terns to continue nesting there. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-terns
Hopes that a major cash infusion would accelerate groundwater cleanup at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, were dashed when military engineers reported they plan to spend several more years investigating the PFAS pollution. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-cleanup
The Great Lakes are a recreational mecca, but they’re also a gigantic graveyard – of shipwrecks. Read the full story by the Daily Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-shipwreck
While a record Lake Erie walleye population has attracted a bumper crop of anglers to public boat ramps in Ohio, the global coronavirus pandemic has led Ohio to halt non-resident fishing license sales and municipalities to reduce parking after anglers ignore social distancing rules and stay home orders. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200416-fishing
Minnesota fisheries managers canceled all spring egg-taking operations, the Department of Natural Resources announced, leaving a void of walleye stocking in more than 330 lakes. The fisheries chief said the field work to produce 281 million baby walleyes can’t be done in a way that would keep employees safe from the transmission of COVID-19. Read the full story by Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-walleye-stocking
The EPA announced Tuesday a $2.9 million project to clean up contaminated sediment in the Detroit River which will allow the expansion of the city’s Riverwalk. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-detroit-river-clean-up
Plans for building a pipeline that connects Flint, Michigan, to its emergency backup water source are in limbo. Flint City Council was split 4-4 on awarding a $14.7 million to build a 5.5-mile pipeline connecting Flint to its a backup water supply. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-flint-emergency-pipeline
An Ohio fishery has been charged with wildlife violations after investigators observed abuse and waste of game fish, officials from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-ohio-fishery-charged
The City of Erie, Pennsylvania, will receive $336,500 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to install 25 soil cell and plant 25 new trees that will help prevent pollutants from flowing directly into Presque Isle Bay. Read the full story by Erie News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-preque-isle-grant
The first ocean-going ship arrived Monday at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, kicking off the international shipping season during which Northwest Indiana trades goods with the world. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-shipping-trade
After several decades of burning coal to meet Michiganders’ electricity needs, Consumers Energy is retiring its coal plants near the Saginaw Bay shoreline and elsewhere, but its coal ash, a form of industrial waste known to contain toxins, will linger there indefinitely. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-toxic-ash-landfills
A section of the Little Traverse Wheelway in Petoskey, Michigan, is closed until further notice after erosion caused a 100-foot section to fall into Little Traverse Bay. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-bike-trail-erosion
The vehicle route through the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw, Michigan, is opening a month ahead of schedule because the bald eagle’s nest adjacent to the drive was not used this year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-shiawassee-wildlife-refuge
There’s new research showing that wild pigs in Michigan and other northern states root up native plants and rob the soil of key nutrients plants need to flourish. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200415-wild-pigs
After 17 months the Harpersfield, Ohio Lamprey Barrier construction is complete, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read the full story by the Star Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-lamprey-barrier
Even as the federal government is spending trillions of dollars to boost the economy shut down by the COVID-19 virus, Congress has moved to increase funding for the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-funding-boost
Winds up to 45 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph on Monday, brought monster waves to the shore of Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-monster-waves
Presque Isle State Park is temporarily closed to the public because of high winds, high waves and the likelihood of flooding. The park closed Monday at noon and expects to remain closed through Tuesday. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-Presque-Isle
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has suspended overnight island use until at least June 20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The northern Wisconsin islands in Lake Superior, just off the shore of Cornucopia and Bayfield, will remain open for day use from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Read the full story by the Duluth News-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-island-use
Water levels on the St. Lawrence River may already be above average for this time of year, but the International Joint Commission says it is optimistic it won’t be as bad as it previously thought. Read the full story by The Recorder & Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-water-levels
The first ocean-going vessel arrived Monday at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, officially commencing the 2020 international shipping season. Read the full story by The Michigan City News-Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-Shipping
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $6.4 million in funding to the FishPass projected planned for the Union Street Dam in Traverse City, Michigan, through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Read the full story by the Traverse City Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-FishPass
High winds and bone-chilling temperatures were not only a reminder that winter-like weather is sticking around just a little bit longer. It also brought back the growing concern about erosion on the shores of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by UpNorthLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-erosion
As residents head outdoors to freshen backyard ponds and launch fishing boats, state and provincial resource managers are urging everyone to keep a few simple guidelines in mind to keep the Great Lakes safe. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200414-invasive
The coronavirus pandemic keeping millions of Americans in their homes may keep Great Lakes freighter crews from setting foot on land for weeks at a time, all in an effort to promote safety through social distancing. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-freighter
The coronavirus pandemic keeping millions of Americans in their homes may keep Great Lakes freighter crews from setting foot on land for weeks at a time, all in an effort to promote safety through social distancing. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-freighter
A grass carp was located last month during a Michigan DNR survey of the Tittabawassee River, below the Dow Dam in Midland County. Read the full story by 9 & 10 News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-carp
High-water levels that could set records throughout the Great Lakes are expected to persist for at least the next six months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported in its six-month forecast. Read the full story by Ellwood City Ledger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-erie-waters
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has canceled its in-person classes for outdoor safety certificates and is now offering only online courses. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-dnr-education
The County Road Association of Michigan on Thursday, April 9, released estimated damage figures to county road infrastructure caused by high water levels on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the White Lake Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-lakes-infrastructure
The city is requesting $900,000 from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, $700,000 of which would be used to acquire up to 535 acres along the St. Louis River; the goal is to restore the land with native plant species, and preserve it for years to come. Read and view the full story by WDIO – TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-duluth-river
The Lake-to-River Corridor comprises four counties in Ohio, which border western Pennsylvania and connect Lake Erie to the Ohio River, and aims to capitalize on available properties and other assets and to align the resources of the five partner organizations for mutual benefit. Read the full story by The Business Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-lake-corridor
A series of measures intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus could have implications for Michigan’s recreational fishery in the coming years. Read the full story by MiBiz.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200413-fish-virus
Utility providers are proposing to move away from drawing millions of gallons of water daily as part of operating a planned $700 million natural gas plant in Superior, Wisconsin. The providers are asking the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to consider another alternative after hearing concerns about the plant’s water use from residents, regulators and stakeholders. Read and listen to the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200410-withdrawal
Canadian crews aboard most Canadian-flagged cargo vessels have agreed not to leave their ships when they arrive at their destinations, which means they can be restricted to their vessels for up to three months at a time. Read the full story by the St. Catharines Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200410-ships
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, the expected economic toll on tourism towns is only getting worse. Read the full story by The Herald-Palladium.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200410-tourism
Additional funds provided by Congress for Great Lakes environmental improvements will be used to hasten cleanups of highly toxic sites and step up work on other longstanding forms of pollution, federal officials said Thursday. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200410-funding
The City of Windsor, Ontario is distributing a brochure to 17,000 homes in the Riverside neighborhood at the greatest risk should record-high lake and river levels lead to overland flooding in the coming weeks. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200410-flooding
