A Wisconsin adaptive sailing program created by the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, in coordination with the Abilities Center, allows anyone to go sailing in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WDJT-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-adaptive-sailing
People interested in protecting and improving Little Lake Butte des Morts in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, intend to form a nonprofit lake association to help fund and implement projects benefiting the public. Read the full story by the Appleton Post-Crescent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-littlelake-buttedemorts
For the first time in the history of Tall Ships Erie, the Brig Niagara won’t be leading the way into Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-brig-niagara
A new photo collection entitled The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline explores the locations, culture, and history that define the Great Lakes region—from the tulips of Holland to Sleeping Bear Dunes to the Straits of Mackinac and beyond. Read the full story by Northern Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-greatlakes-photography-culture
More than a dozen Michigan beaches are under bacteria advisories — or are closed — as Michiganders head into the third week of August. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-beach-bacteria-advisories
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, has had a rich surf culture for more than half a century, and local tourism leaders eventually branded it “Malibu of the Midwest,” claiming the title of freshwater surfing capital of the world. Read the full story by KCUR – Kansas City, MO.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-surfing
Freshwater jellyfish roughly the size of a penny have recently been spotted in western and eastern Lake Erie. Most of the time, they’re stuck to the bottom of the lake as polyps, but occasionally they grow into the traditional jellyfish form. Read the full story by the Times-Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-erie-jellyfish
Microplastics are everywhere, including the Great Lakes. They come in many forms but are typically smaller than 5 millimeters. Scientists are concerned about their impact on human health. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will host its first virtual microplastics summit this October. Read the full story by WDET – Detroit, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-microplastics-virtual-summit
Mining operations left behind uniquely colored beaches in Minnesota and Michigan, but the materials are different. Minnesota’s Black Beach in Silver Bay contains stamp sands from taconite tailings and is a popular tourist area. About 100 miles away in the town of Gay, Michigan, copper tailings have created a Superfund site. Read the full story by The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-mine-tailing-beaches
The Alpena County Library and the Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary have installed a Story Walk along the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail in Alpena, Michigan, for all to enjoy. The picture book tells the story of how the lakes were formed, their importance as a major source of freshwater, and how to preserve this amazing resource. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-story-walk
The bottom of the Great Lakes are home to thousands of shipwrecks and other historical artifacts. The state of Michigan has an Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee that works to protect and preserve these bottomlands. One Central Michigan University staff member was recently re-appointed to this committee. Read the full story by WCMU – Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-bottomlands-protections
A 62-year-old lake trout named Mary Catherine was found in 2023 on the reefs of a remote island in the middle of Lake Superior. While lake trout can live for decades, the discovery of a fish this old is unusual. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-old-trout
In 1878, a vessel carrying a cargo of rye grain sunk to the bottom of Lake Huron after hitting a submerged sand bank during a storm. Thanks to the perseverance of a Michigan whisky distiller, its haul is about to be used to make whisky. Read the full story by The Drinks Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-shipwreck-whisky
Nothing says quintessential Wisconsin summer like days spent on the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. And now, after the New York Times published a story highlighting six Great Lakes beaches, more than just Wisconsin residents may be flocking to the state’s lakeshores. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-nyt-highlight
Potential beach days are popping up across Michigan as drier and cooler weather approaches the state. However, 15 swimming spots are closed or under contamination advisories for water quality that’s unsafe or questionable for human contact. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-beach-closings
Hoping to plan a last-minute trip before the kids go back to school? Michigan’s Great Lakes offer a great opportunity to cool off and could be a quick trip, depending on where you live in the state. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-summer-ending
Nearly 100 people drown in the Great Lakes each year – an Upper Peninsula start-up called SwimSmart is working to address that. Read the full story by Second Wave Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-upper-peninsula-tech-company-beaches-safer
Though substantially reduced over the last 30 years by the impacts of invasive quagga mussels, yellow perch in Lake Michigan are showing signs of successful annual reproduction. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-yellow-perch-survival-reduction-wisconnsin
The St. Clair River is expected to be filled with floats this weekend for an unsanctioned event officials with the U.S. and Canadian coast guards are calling “inherently dangerous.” High risk factors include the fast-moving current, weather conditions, water temperature, large number of participants, lack of life jackets and alcohol consumption. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-us-canadian-coast-guard-warn-porthuron-floatdown
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it has stockpiled Michigan waters with 18 million fish so far this year. Fish stocking, a process in which officials raise and release both cool and coldwater species in state waters, occurs year-round, with additional fish stockings planned for the fall. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-dnr-adding-fish-michigan-waters
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission will receive a $2.1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to address the invasive sea lamprey in the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-epa-grant-sea-lamprey-grandriver
Invasive sea lamprey are a huge problem for the Great Lakes, impeding efforts to restore the lake trout population and steelhead fisheries. Read the full story by the Pocono Record.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-lampreys-pa-lakeerie
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim participants had to abort their swim nine miles short of their finish at Sturgeon Point Lighthouse in Alcona County, Michigan, due to mechanical issues. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-edmund-fitzgerald-memorial-swim
In Michigan, Huron-Clinton Metroparks will recommend removing the Flat Rock and Huroc dams on the Huron River and replacing them with installed rock arches that would maintain wetlands and water levels in the impoundment behind the dam — a key concern of area residents. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-metroparks-flatrock-dam
The contested case hearing over Wisconsin state permits issued to Enbridge Energy for its Line 5 reroute project have begun, and both sides in the case already have staked out positions at opposite ends of the spectrum. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-enbridge-line5-pipeline
Anchor Bay Woods Preserve in New Baltimore, Michigan, is expanding by adding nearly 5 acres of rare wet-mesic flatwood forest. Preserving the area area is important for water quality and the overall ecosystem of Anchor Bay and Lake St. Clair. Read the full story by The Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-six-rivers
In Ontario, experts are sounding the alarm about the spread of water soldier, an invasive aquatic plant that could affect the environment, recreational activity and, eventually, the economy. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-invasive-watersoldier
In Ontario, experts are sounding the alarm about the spread of water soldier, an invasive aquatic plant that could affect the environment, recreational activity and, eventually, the economy. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-invasive-watersoldier
The 2025 Review of the International Joint Commission’s Report on the “Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes” was issued in draft form in July and is accepting public comments until August 31. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-ijc-report
The 2025 Review of the International Joint Commission’s Report on the “Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes” was issued in draft form in July and is accepting public comments until August 31. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-ijc-report
The plan to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline around tribal land in northern Wisconsin will begin its hearing on August 12 to examine whether the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources followed state law when it approved key permits for the project last year. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-line5-hearing
The plan to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline around tribal land in northern Wisconsin will begin its hearing on August 12 to examine whether the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources followed state law when it approved key permits for the project last year. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-line5-hearing
As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are working to build a more sustainable, local supply. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-inland-aquaculture
As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are working to build a more sustainable, local supply. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-inland-aquaculture
An engineering design study will determine what can be done with the Waukegan River system in Illinois to enhance the area as it flows into Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-waukegan-ravines
Dozens gathered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan Day to celebrate progress and address challenges facing the lake, with speakers emphasizing the importance of a collective effort to combat global warming and protect water as a vital, interconnected resource. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-lake-michigan-day
A new car and passenger ferry traveled through the Soo Locks last week on the way to its new home on Christian Island on the Canadian side of Lake Huron. The ferry will be serving the Beausoleil First Nations community and can carry up to 150 passengers, more than 30 vehicles and cargo between the island and the nearby mainland. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-ferry
Several areas in Wisconsin continue to recover today from the weekend’s historic heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Storm damage shut down Cana Island, a Lake Michigan island known for its iconic lighthouse. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-lighthouse-storm
The commemorative swim meant to complete the interrupted voyage of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald through the Great Lakes might itself not get to finish the journey because the boat escorting the swimmers is facing engine failure. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-fitzgerald-swim
Four historic “tall ship” sailing vessels known as schooners are visiting Detroit this weekend, providing visitors a chance to see and feel how the world traveled two centuries ago, plus other places to visit more than a half dozen historic vessels from the age of sails to steam and diesel power. Read the full story by Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-historicships
A decades-in-the-making project that aimed to remove the Plainwell Dam and restore nearly a mile of the Kalamazoo River has wrapped up. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-kalamazoo-restoration
Federal regulators authorized owner Holtec International late last month to start loading fuel into the Palisades plant in Covert Township, Michigan, a milestone that doesn’t guarantee its restart but signals support for the project moving forward. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-michigan-nuclear-plant
Collaboration on sea lamprey control research at Hammond Bay Biological Station in Millersburg, Michigan, connects today’s work with early breakthroughs, bringing several fish populations back from the brink after facing near extinction due to sea lampreys. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-sealamprey
Eleven years after Toledo’s water crisis left more than 400,000 people without safe drinking water, officials, researchers and residents gathered on Lake Erie to take a closer look at the lake’s current health. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-erie-health
The Cheboygan Lock in Cheboygan, Michigan, is once again open to boaters following the completion of significant underwater repairs. Read the full story by WPBN – Cheboygan, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-cheboygan-lock
On September 21, for the first time in nearly 100 years, the Chicago River will host a sanctioned open water swim. Read the full story by WTTW – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-chicago-river-swim
On Wednesday, a judge ordered a preliminary injunction stopping the shipment of elevated radioactivity wastes to a landfill near Belleville, Michigan. The judge’s ruling weighed risks to Michigan’s groundwater, waterways, green spaces and environment. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-radioactive-waste
Hundreds, even thousands of dead fish are washing up along Lake Erie, catching beachgoers by surprise, but experts say there’s no need to panic. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-dead-erie-fish
Eleven Michigan teenagers from the Grand Rapids Triathlon Club successfully completed swimming in each of the Great Lakes in 24 hours, beginning in Lake Erie and ending in Lake Superior. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-great-lakes-swim
Three of the Great Lakes are below their long-term averages through July, according to recent data, but the lower lakes, Erie and Ontario, are showing higher water levels than average. Read the full story by The Daily Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250808-lake-levels
