The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay recently assisted with ice-breaking operations to free the 1,004-foot icebound freighter, American Spirit, on Lake Erie. Neah Bay broke through the ice to free, assist, and escort the vessel crossing the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260130-ice-breaking
Sixty-one acres of rare and fragile ravine and shoreline habitats along Lake Michigan near Lake Forest, Illinois, will soon be restored and stabilized thanks to a $5.75 million federal grant. The project will also improve public access, as well as create offshore reefs and habitats in the lake itself. Read the full story by The Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260130-shoreline-restoration
Arctic temperatures have anglers cutting holes in thick ice to go fishing, a welcome change after the warmer than usual winters in recent years. From ponds and lakes to the broad, ice-covered waters of Lake Erie, there are reports anglers are already finding success. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260130-erie-ice-fishing
After a week of bitter cold, Lake Superior is showing more ice—but experts say looks can be deceiving, and this ice is far from stable. Read the full story by Northern News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260130-unsafe-ice
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the Michigan Maritime Strategy, a 10-year plan with the goal to boost the state’s maritime industry, create jobs, and protect the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WBUP-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-gov-whitmer-ten-year-maritime-strategy-michigan
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking public comments on a proposed seasonal sea lamprey barrier on the Sucker River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The barrier is designed to block the invasive lamprey’s spread and make control efforts more effective. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-public-feedback-sea-lamprey-barrier-upper-peninsula
The international ice bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada is officially open. When the conditions are right, an approximately 12-mile stretch of Lake Huron creates a frozen path between Drummond Island, Michigan and St. Joseph Island, Ontario. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-frozen-lake-huron-international-ice-bridge
A multimillion-dollar project will begin later this year to restore the shoreline, bluffs and ravines at the Jean and John Greene Nature Preserve in Lake Forest, Illinois, along Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-window-past-preservationist-restore-lake-michigan
Ontario’s government has decided to transfer about 60 % of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to the Town of Wasaga Beach to support local tourism and economic development, even though roughly 98% of public comments opposed the change due to concerns it could endanger sensitive piping plover habitat and reduce public protections for the shoreline. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-ontario-wasaga-beach
Lake Erie is now nearly completely frozen over with rapidly growing ice cover due to persistent Arctic cold, making it the most ice-covered of the Great Lakes this winter. Officials warn despite a Great Lake being fully frozen, shifting ice can be unstable and hazardous. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-lake-erie-frozen-over-safety
The Lake Huron Coastal Centre’s Coast Watchers community science program is celebrating 20 years of shoreline monitoring, with volunteer citizen scientists collecting long-term data on coastal conditions, wildlife, pollution and storm impacts that help track environmental trends and support conservation and resiliency efforts along the Lake Huron coast. Read the full story by Kincardine News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-lakehuron-coastline-monitoring-program
A prolonged cold spell is rapidly increasing ice coverage on Lake Superior — with ice cover jumping from about 6% to around 31% in recent weeks — as persistent sub-zero temperatures continue across the region. Read the full story by MPR News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-cold-persists-lakesuperior-icecover
The U.S. Coast Guard is asking those using the ice on the bays of Green Bay and Sturgeon Bay for fishing and recreation to be especially aware as the service’s ice breaking operations continue in the waters around Door County, Wisconsin. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-coast-guard-advises-icebreaking-greenbay
Lake Zurich, Illinois, officials last week authorized revenue bond issues of $52 million to secure low-interest loans from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as part of the village’s transition to Lake Michigan water. The target date for the transition is 2028. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260128-lake-zurich-lake-michigan-water
Lawmakers from Michigan and Illinois are seeking answers from federal administrators this month about an “administrative review” pause in the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, a $1.5 billion project that aims to keep invasive carp out of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-carp-barrier-delays
Lawmakers from Michigan and Illinois are seeking answers from federal administrators this month about an “administrative review” pause in the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, a $1.5 billion project that aims to keep invasive carp out of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-carp-barrier-delays
U.S. Coast Guard ships worked in icy waters on the Great Lakes on January 21 clearing a path to help large cargo boats that were stuck in ice continue their journey. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-ice-breaking
Those whose livelihoods depend on ice and the fish and microorganisms in the Great Lakes are experiencing havoc wrought by fluctuations fueled by climate change. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-climate-change-threats
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed Friday that a red substance spotted Thursday in the Genesee River in Rochester was diesel fuel. Read the full story by the WHAM-TV – Rochester, New York.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-diesel-spill
An Ontario park known for its sandy beaches in the summer transforms during the winter months, turning its landscape into a snowy wonderland with possible sightings of rare ice formations called ice volcanoes. Read the full story by Toronto.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-ice-volcanoes
The outer north pier lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan looked like a grumpy old wizard this past weekend as the polar vortex coated it with ice. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-frozen-lighthouses
The outer north pier lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan looked like a grumpy old wizard this past weekend as the polar vortex coated it with ice. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-frozen-lighthouses
In late January, Lake Erie has the most ice coverage out of all the Great Lakes and is continuing to experience rapid ice growth. Read the full story by the Erie-Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-frozen-erie
The Executive Director and Chief Research Scientist of the River Institute is featured in a in a special edition of Canadian Geographic magazine celebrating individuals working to understand and protect the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Seaway News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-scientist-highlight
The Executive Director and Chief Research Scientist of the River Institute is featured in a in a special edition of Canadian Geographic magazine celebrating individuals working to understand and protect the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Seaway News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-scientist-highlight
A bridge on the southwest side of Lake Ontario in St. Catharines, Ontario, will be closed for a month for maintenance. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-canal-bridge-closure
A master’s student at Michigan State University facilities the removal of invasive plants and restoration projects on campus highlighting the importance of public outreach in stewarding the land. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-msu-restoration
A master’s student at Michigan State University facilities the removal of invasive plants and restoration projects on campus highlighting the importance of public outreach in stewarding the land. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260126-msu-restoration
The U.S. and Canada this week released the 2025 State of the Great Lakes report, outlining successes and ongoing threats to the Great Lakes. The report scores each lake based on indicators established in the Great Lakes Water Quality agreement, a commitment between the two countries to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-great-lakes-report
The U.S. Congress has approved a funding bill to protect the Great Lakes, fund construction on the Soo Locks, help prevent flooding, and mitigate PFAS contamination. Read the full story by WILX-TV – Onondaga, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-great-lakes-bill
Oil and gas company officials continue cleaning up a crude oil and brine spill in the Pigeon River Country State Forest in Gaylord, Michigan, that turned out to be more than four times larger than initially estimated. Those leaked materials totaled 221 barrels, amounting to more than 9,200 gallons. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-oil-spill
Ohio ranks fifth in the nation when it comes to the number of data centers being constructed to power the rise of artificial intelligence and other computer services. But with that growth comes environmental concerns regarding both power and water usage. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-data-center-impacts
The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes escorted the freighter American Spirit through Lake Erie Wednesday after it requested assistance. The Coast Guard said it dispatched the Neah Bay, an ice cutter, which assisted in breaking ice, enabling the American Spirit to safely transit the lake. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-ice-breaking
Employees with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission collected steelhead trout in the cold waters of Trout Run on Wednesday morning. One fish culturist said the trout species doesn’t reproduce enough to keep up with the demand of fishing, and their efforts keep the population steady. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-trout-collection
Construction is still underway at the environmental DNA (eDNA) lab expansion that is taking shape at the River Institute’s main site on the St. Lawrence College Cornwall, Ontario, campus. The concept for the eDNA lab evolved out of the River Institute’s Fish Identification Nearshore Survey (FINS) program, which used traditional methods, such as seine netting, to catch and identify fish and collect and analyze water samples. Read the full story by the Cornwall Standard Freeholder.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-environmental-lab
As of this Tuesday, 25.08% of the Great Lakes were ice-covered, with Lake Erie recording the most ice at 76.57%., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-ice-coverage
This past fall, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources stocked almost 650,000 fish at seven locations across Michigan that will provide angling opportunities in seasons to come. Read the full story by the Iosco County News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-fish-stocking
A partnership between North Central Michigan College, the Little Traverse Conservancy, the State of Michigan and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians will protect and preserve nearly 13 acres and 1,700 feet of Crooked Lake frontage in Emmet County, Michigan. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260123-conservation-partnership
There is growing fear that Lake Superior’s window of avoiding a full takeover by invasive mussels may be closing. Efforts are underway to remove mussels where possible, and better understand how vulnerable the last of the Great Lakes to avoid a broader invasion has become. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-lake-superior-mussels
As the influx of data centers becomes Wisconsin’s leading energy issue, a new report warns that without stronger consumer protections and clean energy policies, carbon emissions and costs to ratepayers could rise. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-data-center-controls
Two Republican legislators from northern Ohio are urging Ohio EPA to decline to approve a new general discharge permit for all data centers going forward, arguing that it would exclude Lake Erie from protections being given to other bodies of water deemed to have exceptional ecological value. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-ohio-datacenter-permits
The Ontario government says it is committing an additional $700 million to help 127 municipalities and First Nations communities repair, upgrade, and expand aging water and wastewater infrastructure—work the province says will improve access to safe drinking water while also helping unlock new housing and support local jobs. Read the full story by Net News Ledger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-ontario-water-infrastructure
Despite a presidential memorandum nine months ago that called for “maximum speed and efficiency” in moving to block invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, the Brandon Road project remains under administrative review by the Trump administration. Democratic senators from Michigan and Illinois wrote to the White House budget director and the U.S. Army Corps, urging them to release the federal funds that Congress already approved to allow the project to proceed. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-carp-barrier
With the Soo Locks closed until March, Great Lakes freighters are quickly heading to port for winter maintenance at harbors from Minnesota to New York. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-lakers
Plummeting temperatures over the past several days have caused Lake Erie to start freezing again, with ice coverage expected to continue rising through the week. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260121-erie-freezing
Critics of data center development say the tech facilities threaten Michigan’s arguably most abundant natural resource — fresh water. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260119-data-centers
The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the closing of the waterway between Mackinac Island and the mainland of St. Ignace, Michigan. This closure allows an ice bridge to form between the island and the mainland. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260119-ice-bridge
Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) spoke on the Senate floor on Thursday about the struggle of the Flint, Michigan, community in the wake of their water crisis. Slotkin said the community’s still in pain, and in the process of seeking accountability and justice for a water crisis they didn’t cause. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260119-flint-water-crisis
The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development could prohibit or restrict several invasive plant species, including banning aquatic water hyacinth and water lettuce. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260119-invasive-plants
About 20% of all the data centers in the U.S. are located in eight states around the Great Lakes. Ohio is slated to get another 77 by 2030, which will propel Columbus to become the second-largest data center hub in the region, after Chicago. Read the full story by WOSU – Columbus, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260119-ohio-data-centers
