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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Latest News, News
Outdoors enthusiasts asked to prevent spreading invasive pests

By Lester Graham, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/outdoors-enthusiasts-asked-to-prevent-spreading-invasive-pests/

Michigan Public

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In: Latest News, News
New book digs into Indigenous cuisine through archaeology, culture and ecology

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Isabella Figueroa, Great Lakes Echo

In a new book, archeologists who study past societies of the Great Lakes and Midwest agree “you are what you eat,” but they say there’s a lot more to it than that.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/new-book-digs-into-indigenous-cuisine-through-archaeology-culture-ecology/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: Latest News, News
How sensors, software, and other tech could help Ohio’s aging power grid

By Kathiann M. Kowalski

This story was originally published by Canary Media.

A new state law will require Ohio utilities and regulators to consider how technology might offer cost-effective options for improving the state’s aging electric grid.

Ohio’s grid, like those in many states, faces rising repair and maintenance costs, growing demand from data centers and other new customers, and increased risks as climate change fuels more frequent severe weather and outages. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/how-sensors-software-and-other-tech-could-help-ohios-aging-power-grid/

Canary Media

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In: Latest News, News
Wisconsin might have to pick up tab to retain pollution protections under proposed budget cuts to EPA

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Wisconsin might lose federal funding that supports state staff working to keep air, water and lands clean under proposed budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/wisconsin-pollution-protections-proposed-budget-cuts-epa/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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In: Latest News, News
Michigan triples ‘do not eat’ fish warnings as PFAS contamination concerns rise

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

New, more stringent PFAS guidelines in Michigan have nearly tripled “do not eat” advisories for fish in the state’s waterways, from 33 to 98 bodies of water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/michigan-triples-do-not-eat-fish-warnings-as-pfas-contamination-concerns-rise/

Donte Smith

On:
In: Latest News, News
EPA 2026 budget cuts target clean water programs

President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin was clear when he released the agency’s new mission statement in February. A top priority will be “clean air, land and water for every American,” Zeldin said, when he announced, “Powering the Great American Comeback.”

In early June the EPA released its fiscal year 2026 budget.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/epa-2026-budget-cuts-target-clean-water-programs/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Latest News, News
New PFAS guidelines spark more ‘do not eat’ warnings for Michigan fish

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/new-pfas-guidelines-spark-more-do-not-eat-warnings-for-michigan-fish/

Bridge Michigan

On:
In: birds, Fish, Birds and Animals, History and Culture, Latest News, native bird species, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research, Tourism, Wisconsin
White throated sparrow takes first place in fattest bird competition

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Clara Lincolnhol, Great Lakes Echo

A very round white throated sparrow is the heavyweight champion of the 2025 Wisconsin Fat Bird Week contest.

The bird, coined the “spherical white-throated sparrow,” won by a landslide, receiving 72% of the vote in the final round against its nearest competitor, a “rotund ruby-throated hummingbird.”

The winner made it through eight rounds in the single-elimination, March Madness-style bracket competition against seven other birds.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/white-throated-sparrow-takes-first-place-in-fattest-bird-competition/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: documentary, Drinking Water, Fish, Birds and Animals, Latest News, microplastics, News, Ohio, Ripples of Plastic, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
How much plastic is in the Great Lakes?

Microplastics are turning up everywhere, including our water, our food, and even our bodies. And the Great Lakes are no exception.

Ripples of Plastic is a documentary from Ohio filmmakers Chris Langer and Josh Heese that investigates how plastic pollution is making its way into the largest freshwater system in the world.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/how-much-plastic-is-in-the-great-lakes/

Great Lakes Now

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The smoke from Canada’s wildfires may be even more toxic than usual

By Matt Simon

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.

More than 200 wildfires are blazing across central and western Canada, half of which are out of control because they’re so hard for crews to access, forcing 27,000 people to evacuate.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/the-smoke-from-canadas-wildfires-may-be-even-more-toxic-than-usual/

Grist

On:
In: Latest News, News, northern michigan, smoke, wildfires
Smoke expected to lift in northern Michigan, but more could be on the way

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Interlochen Public Radio and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

Canadian wildfire smoke that blew into the Great Lakes region is expected to clear from northern Michigan this weekend — at least for now.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/smoke-expected-to-lift-in-northern-michigan-but-more-could-be-on-the-way/

Interlochen Public Radio

On:
In: Latest News, microplastics, News, pollution
Case Western Reserve University alumni roll out microplastic filtration system for washing machines

By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media

This story was originally published by Ideastream.

Case Western Reserve University is set to install filters to washing machines across campus to reduce microplastic pollution during the laundry cycle.

Microplastics can be found virtually anywhere, and studies have found that wastewater from washing machines is a primary source.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/case-western-reserve-university-alumni-roll-out-microplastic-filtration-system-for-washing-machines/

Ideastream Public Media

On:
In: lake erie, Latest News, News
New wetland could show how Michigan can reduce agricultural runoff polluting Lake Erie

By Lester Graham, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/new-wetland-could-show-how-michigan-can-reduce-agricultural-runoff-polluting-lake-erie/

Michigan Public

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In: Feature Homepage, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News
Near westside residents have higher rates of lung disease, study says

By Enrique Saenz, Mirror Indy

Mirror Indy is a part of Free Press Indiana, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to ensuring all Hoosiers have access to the news and information they need.

Sandy Leeds remembers the glory days of West Indianapolis.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/near-westside-residents-have-higher-rates-of-lung-disease-study-says/

Mirror Indy

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In: Energy News Roundup, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News
Trump administration review backs controversial oil pipeline tunnel under Great Lakes’ Straits of Mackinac

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups. 

The draft environmental review of Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac is out at last. While the findings are preliminary, the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/trump-administration-review-backs-controversial-oil-pipeline-tunnel-under-great-lakes-straits-of-mackinac/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: enbridge, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, line 5, Michigan, News
Federal agency finds Great Lakes tunnel project poses ‘detrimental’ effects to water, wetlands

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Enbridge’s proposed $1 billion Line 5 tunnel project would harm water and wetlands, according to a draft environmental review released Friday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/federal-agency-finds-great-lakes-tunnel-project-poses-detrimental-effects-to-water-wetlands/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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In: clean energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Ohio
Why an Ohio ban on settlements to close ​‘base load’ power plants matters for clean energy

By Kathiann M. Kowalski

This story was originally published by Canary Media.

A decade ago, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, trade organizations, and companies found themselves in a regulatory standoff with American Electric Power over operating costs for six coal-fired power plants in Ohio.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/why-an-ohio-ban-on-settlements-to-close-base-load-power-plants-matters-for-clean-energy/

Canary Media

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In: Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, indigenous communities, Lake sturgeon, Latest News, Michigan, News, Science, Technology, Research
How are science and tradition saving sturgeon?

When the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in Manistee, MI, decided to start a lake sturgeon restoration program, they started by hiring two recently graduated fisheries research biologists to help them set it up.

“I remember getting there and realizing that the scientific knowledge that I had was only a piece,” fisheries biologist Marty Holtgren said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/how-are-science-and-tradition-saving-sturgeon/

Great Lakes Now

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In: Latest News, News
Points North: The Good Thief?

By Maxwell Howard, Interlochen Public Radio

Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.

This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio. 

One day in the early 1980s, diver Tom Farnquist was exploring the shipwrecked SS Comet in Lake Superior.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/points-north-the-good-thief/

Interlochen Public Radio

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, John Hartig, Latest News, News
Great Lakes Moment: Creating a U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit PBS.

The Eastern Seaboard has the East Coast Greenway and the Appalachian Trail.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/great-lakes-moment-creating-a-u-s-great-lakes-waterfront-trail/

John Hartig, Great Lakes Now

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In: canada, Latest News, Manitoba, Michigan, News, Region, wildfire
Wildfire smoke from Canadian blazes threatens Detroit air quality

By Dustin Blitchok, Planet Detroit

This article was republished with permission from Planet Detroit. Sign up for Planet Detroit’s weekly newsletter here.

Michigan faces an air quality advisory Friday and into Saturday morning due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.

The state could experience elevated levels of fine particulate matter, and conditions may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said in a statement.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/wildfire-smoke-from-canadian-blazes-threatens-detroit-air-quality/

Planet Detroit

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In: energy transition, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Ohio, Solar
Why the solar industry is counting Ohio’s newest energy law as a win

By Kathiann M. Kowalski

This story was originally published by Canary Media.

A new state law aimed at expanding gas and nuclear power plants in Ohio may also provide opportunities for solar developers — if they can overcome other policy and political barriers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/why-the-solar-industry-is-counting-ohios-newest-energy-law-as-a-win/

Canary Media

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In: canada, Donté Smith, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio, Pennsylvania, PFAS, PFAS News Roundup, Water quality
‘Forever chemicals’ found nationwide in Canada, CBC map shows

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

 

CBC News released an interactive map illustrating PFAS hotspots across Canada, revealing widespread “forever chemical” contamination in every province and territory.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/forever-chemicals-found-nationwide-in-canada-cbc-map-shows/

Donte Smith

On:
In: Asian carp, Illinois, invasive species, Latest News, Michigan, News
Illinois wants to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp. A toxic mess stands in the way.

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for WBEZ newsletters to get local news you can trust.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/illinois-wants-to-protect-the-great-lakes-from-invasive-carp-a-toxic-mess-stands-in-the-way/

WBEZ

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In: GLNC, Great Lakes, great lakes news collaborative, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, water temperature
Great Lakes slightly colder than usual ahead of summer

By Emilio Perez Ibarguen, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/great-lakes-slightly-colder-than-usual-ahead-of-summer/

Bridge Michigan

On:
In: Agriculture, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Latest News, News, Water quality, Wisconsin
Hundreds of fish killed by manure runoff in Monroe County

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Manure runoff from a dairy farm in Monroe County killed hundreds of fish in nearby waterways, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The agency first received notice of the spill Saturday from a call to its violation hotline.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/hundreds-of-fish-killed-by-manure-runoff-in-monroe-county/

Wisconsin Public Radio

On:
In: algal blooms, GLNC, great lakes news collaborative, lake erie, Latest News, News, pollution
Michigan’s fight against Lake Erie pollution didn’t work. What happens next?

By Emilio Perez Ibarguen, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/michigans-fight-against-lake-erie-pollution-didnt-work-what-happens-next/

Bridge Michigan

On:
In: Climate change, GLNC, great lakes news collaborative, Latest News, News, University of Michigan, warming lakes
Great Lakes temperature extremes intensifying due to climate change

By Lester Graham, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/great-lakes-temperature-extremes-intensifying-due-to-climate-change/

Michigan Public

On:
In: Anishinaabe rights, Authors, History and Culture, indigenous communities, indigenous history, Latest News, Minnesota, News, Ojibwe communities, Staci Lola Drouillard
The Legacy of Chief Blackstone: Ojibwe resistance in Great Lakes history

“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her nonfiction books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and the children’s story “A Family Tree” in 2024.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/the-legacy-of-chief-blackstone-ojibwe-resistance-in-great-lakes-history/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

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In: Blue Economy, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, News, The Blue Economy, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Despite U.S. research resistance, Great Lakes aims to be Silicon Valley for water

MILWAUKEE – The confluence of the Milwaukee and Menominee rivers, in the downtown core of Wisconsin’s largest city, is a prime vantage to assess the collection of assets that define the past and future of Great Lakes water use, and the array of technology development encompassing the region’s water.

Together and in complement, universities, research labs, tech incubators, water-focused businesses, and forward-thinking utilities here and in other cities are pushing for something greater than the sum of their parts.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/despite-u-s-research-resistance-great-lakes-aims-to-be-silicon-valley-for-water/

Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

On:
In: Energy News Roundup, Latest News, News
Here comes the region’s first next-generation nuclear reactor

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups. 

 

The first small modular nuclear reactor in the Great Lakes region just got the green light to start construction — in Ontario.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/here-comes-the-regions-first-next-generation-nuclear-reactor/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: Blue Economy, Feature Homepage, Habitat Restoration, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The Blue Economy, Thunder Bay, Tribal Governments and First Nations, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Thunder Bay is bringing its Great Lake shoreline back

My first glimpse of Lake Superior, in all its lore-and-song-inspiring glory, is a blurry one from the backseat of a taxi driving through Thunder Bay. 

Superior, or Gitchigumi, which means Great Lake in Anishinaabemowin, is the largest of those lakes, and the second largest lake in the world, containing 10 per cent of the planet’s fresh surface water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/thunder-bay-is-bringing-its-great-lake-shoreline-back/

Fatima Syed, The Narwhal

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In: Authors, Chicago, Detroit, Feature Detroit, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Gary Wilson, Illinois, infrastructure, land subsidence, Latest News, Michigan, News, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Sinking cities: Great Lakes cities not immune from under-recognized threat

Significant areas of the Earth’s surface across continents are gradually sinking and that process brings environmental, social and economic consequences to urban centers in the United States. Great Lakes cities Detroit and Chicago are among those at risk.

That’s the conclusion of a recent study conducted by Columbia University researchers, published by the science journal Nature Cities.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/sinking-cities-great-lakes-cities-not-immune-from-under-recognized-threat/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: benton harbor, Blue Economy, data centers, Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, The Blue Economy
Are data centers a threat to the Great Lakes?

Benton Harbor on Lake Michigan’s southeast coast is known to visitors for its vacation feel and beautiful beaches.

But it’s also one of the poorest cities in Michigan. In recent years, the area has struggled to find the funds to invest in critical infrastructure, most noticeably for its water supply which until recently had tested for dangerously high levels of lead.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/are-data-centers-a-threat-to-great-lakes/

Stephen Starr, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: Authors, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, fishing, Kathy Johnson, Lake sturgeon, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
I Speak for the Fish: Sturgeon vs salmon prioritizing native Great Lakes species

I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/i-speak-for-the-fish-sturgeon-vs-salmon-prioritizing-native-great-lakes-species/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: Agriculture, Blue Economy, Farming, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, The Blue Economy, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Conflict Over A Blockbuster Farm Chemical

Not since DDT was introduced to U.S. agriculture to kill insects after World War Two has a farm chemical been as important to American crop production, and come under more scientific, political, and legal scrutiny as the weedkiller Roundup, and its active ingredient, glyphosate.

With the election of President Donald Trump, the conflict over glyphosate’s risks and benefits entered a new realm of confrontation that has the potential to alter its stature as the favored chemical tool in agriculture, the largest user of fresh water in the blue economy of Michigan and the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/conflict-over-a-blockbuster-farm-chemical/

Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue

On:
In: Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Feature Homepage, kayaking, Lake Huron, Latest News, Michigan, News, paddling, Recreation and Tourism
Points North: The Longest Paddle

By Ellie Katz, Interlochen Public Radio

Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.

This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio. 

In the summer of 2015, Traci Lynn Martin’s mom was in the final weeks of a battle with cancer.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/points-north-the-longest-paddle/

Interlochen Public Radio

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In: Latest News, News
Cleveland Metroparks lets the dogs out in the hunt for spotted lanternflies

By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media

This story was originally published by Ideastream.

Since December, four Northeast Ohio dogs and their human companions have been hot on the trail of invasive spotted lanternflies, sniffing out egg masses laid in the Cleveland Metroparks.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/cleveland-metroparks-lets-the-dogs-out-in-the-hunt-for-spotted-lanternflies/

Ideastream Public Media

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In: Latest News, News, The Blue Economy
Will Congress and the President approve money to finish the Soo Lock expansion?

One of the Great Lakes region’s most critical pieces of infrastructure is in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on the St. Mary’s River, which connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron and eventually to the rest of the lakes.

The locks on the river handle up to 1,000-foot-long ships, enabling them to carry bulk freight from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan to ports throughout the Great Lakes region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/will-congress-and-the-president-approve-money-to-finish-the-soo-lock-expansion/

Lester Graham, Michigan Public

On:
In: forever chemicals, Latest News, News, PFAS, PFAS News Roundup, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
EPA Outlines New PFAS Strategy Amid Expert Concerns

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

On May 14, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their plan to roll back significant portions of the Biden administration’s first nationwide drinking water standard for PFAS.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/epa-outlines-new-pfas-strategy-amid-expert-concerns/

Donte Smith

On:
In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, Michigan, News, The Blue Economy
An $80M cleanup made Muskegon Lake trendy. Will ‘eco-gentrification’ follow?

New luxury homes, yacht slips, and trendy hotels and restaurants are cropping up along the glittering waterfront of this west Michigan city.

Nothing unusual for the Lake Michigan coast, long known for beach towns that cater to summer vacationers and wealthy second-homers. But to those familiar with Muskegon’s blue collar history, it’s a stunning transformation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/an-80m-cleanup-made-muskegon-lake-trendy-will-eco-gentrification-follow/

Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

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In: Chicago, Detroit, Feature Homepage, great lakes travel, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ontario, public transportation, Toronto, transit
Buses vs. Trains: The Future of Public Transit in the Great Lakes Region

Cities around the Great Lakes region are trying to make transportation cheaper for riders and more environmentally friendly by expanding their public transit networks. Two modes that are often pitted against each other are light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT). While not every BRT line meets the same standards, in general, they have been upgraded for higher capacity and speed, although they have fewer stations.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/buses-vs-trains-the-future-of-public-transit-in-the-great-lakes-region/

Sean Ericson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Blue Economy, Feature Homepage, fishing, great lakes fish, Latest News, News, The Blue Economy
Keeping the $5.5 billion Great Lakes fishery afloat as Trump administration considers cuts

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Charlevoix Fisheries Research Station is based in a building that was constructed in 1917, originally as a federal fish hatchery. It wasn’t the first on this site. An earlier hatchery was built in 1894.

The U.S. government was trying to replenish the fish population.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/keeping-the-5-5-billion-great-lakes-fishery-afloat-as-trump-administration-considers-cuts/

Lester Graham, Michigan Public

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In: Latest News, News
Intense rainfall means more floods. What can we do?

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the intensity of hourly rainfall has increased in U.S. cities since 1970, with the Great Lakes region being among the most affected areas.

Great Lakes Now spoke with Stephen Shaw, a professor at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/intense-rainfall-means-more-floods-what-can-we-do/

Great Lakes Now

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In: Blue Economy, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Climate change, Collaboration, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Water determines Great Lakes region’s economic future

Livelihoods and economies in the Great Lakes region always centered on water. From the manoomin, or wild rice, grown and revered by the Ojibwe people to the whitefish catch in Lake Michigan, to the water-dependent ports, steel mills, and manufacturers that dot thousands of miles of Fresh Coast lakeshore. The area’s liquid assets and the industries that developed around them form a “blue economy.”

The treasure trove of clean fresh water is seen as a competitive edge in a region hungry for growth and whose leaders boast about exporting the scientific breakthroughs and infrastructure hardware to solve the world’s water challenges.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/water-determines-great-lakes-regions-economic-future/

Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

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In: bass, Fish, Birds and Animals, fishing, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
Why smallmouth bass are getting bigger in Michigan waterways

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Victoria Witke, Great Lakes Echo

Every spring for the last 15 years, Gene Gilliland and some friends have gone smallmouth bass fishing in Lake St. Clair in Southeast Michigan for a week.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/why-smallmouth-bass-are-getting-bigger-in-michigan-waterways/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News
One man’s quest to bring more of North America’s largest native fruit, the pawpaw, to Wisconsin

By Jeff Robbins, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

If you’ve never tasted the fruit from a pawpaw tree, you’re not alone. Due to its extremely short shelf life that renders the fruit edible for only days after being picked, pawpaw is an all-too-rare treat.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/one-mans-quest-to-bring-more-of-north-americas-largest-native-fruit-the-pawpaw-to-wisconsin/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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In: Latest News, News
Northern Michigan program says to get discounted solar, sign up with your neighbor

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Interlochen Public Radio and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

Two northern Michigan nonprofit organizations are teaming up to promote a solar panel program, Access MI Solar.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/northern-michigan-program-says-to-get-discounted-solar-sign-up-with-your-neighbor/

Interlochen Public Radio

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In: Latest News, News
Wildfires are getting worse. Can an old technique help control them?

Although wildfires are commonly associated with the West, the Great Lakes region has seen its share of destructive blazes. Lee Frelich, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology, warns that we will likely see more wildfires due to heat waves and droughts caused by climate change.

Vern Northrup is a former fireman and is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/wildfires-are-getting-worse-can-an-old-technique-help-control-them/

Great Lakes Now

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In: Energy News Roundup, Latest News, News
After six years, Ohio moves to end coal bailouts that have been in place since bribery scandal

Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups. 

Just shy of six years since the passage of Ohio’s infamous House Bill 6, a more than $1 billion coal and nuclear bailout at the center of the largest bribery and money laundering scandal in state history, state lawmakers approved a bill that would repeal the coal subsidy House Bill 6 established.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/after-six-years-ohio-moves-to-end-coal-bailouts-that-have-been-in-place-since-bribery-scandal/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now