In Michigan, Muskegon River anglers should be on the lookout this spring for Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel collecting walleye eggs to stock ponds in the state. Read the full story by Up North Voice.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-walleye-eggs
A strong geomagnetic storm caused the Northern Lights to be visible over Lake Erie last Thursday night into Friday morning. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-northern-lights
It’s important in Northeast Ohio to have places that provide boats with clear access to Lake Erie. The Ohio Department of Resources has released $500,000 for an important project in the Mentor Harbor Channel based on an announcement recently made by state Rep. Callender and State Sen. Cirino. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-odnr-grant
With Great Lakes shipping starting in Duluth-Superior Harbor in Minnesota, changes are expected with less ice and new bulk cargo. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-shipping-season
Three northern Michigan men are set to cross Lake Ontario this summer on stand-up paddleboards. The 65-mile round trip will complete the trio’s eight-year quest to paddle across all five Great Lakes, raising tens of thousands of dollars for nonprofits and public awareness about environmental issues affecting the lakes in the process. Read the full story by The Traverse City Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230327-paddle-journey
Ice conditions across the Great Lakes during the 2022-2023 season were the third-lowest on record. Although this is a widespread trend, it has had significant impacts on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Read the full story by WETM-TV – Elmira, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-river-ice
In Michigan, federal, state, and tribal trustees have come up with an extensive plan to spend some of the last of the money from two huge settlements to restore land in the Saginaw Bay watershed. The drafts of the plans are up for public review. Read and listen to the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-saginaw-bay
Adam Tindall-Schlicht was appointed in November as the 11th administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. (GLS) by President Biden and is the youngest GLS administrator to date. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-seaway-administrator
Nearly a decade after completing its popular Solstice Steps in Lakewood Park, the city of Lakewood, Ohio, returns to its master plan directive offering multiple points of access to Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-lakewood-study
Several Canadian ship owners have welcomed qualified Ukrainian seafarers and other marine personnel after Russia invaded their homeland in February 2022. Read the full story by The Bay Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-ukrainian-seafarers
A beaver fur top hat will be presented to the captain of the first downbound vessel on the Welland Canal when the 2023 shipping season kicks off in Port Colborne, Ontario, this week. The city’s annual top hat ceremony takes place Wednesday in the pavilion at Lock 8 Gateway Park with breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by the event at 8:30 a.m. Read the full story by the Toronto Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-welland-canal
Ice has been far below average this year, with only 7% of the lakes covered and no ice at all on Lake Erie, affecting the regions’ ecosystem and lake-effect snow. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-lake-ice
Water temperatures have remained cold enough in most of Ohio to be considered dangerous should an outdoor dunking occur. Read the full story by the Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-ohio-anglers
The influx of blue-green algae in Lake Erie has been causing toxic algal blooms for decades that impact water quality, recreation and tourism, and health. “The Erie Situation,” a documentary film about the Lake Erie algal blooms, was recently screened at Bowling Green State University. Read the full story by BG Independent News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-aglae-research
In Michigan, a popular boardwalk trail at Ludington State Park will be rebuilt after nearly 45 years of offering spectacular views of Lake Michigan to visitors. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230320-park-boardwalk
The State of Michigan said nearly three-dozen projects will share $3.6 million to help fight invasive species throughout the state. The program is run through several state departments, and the goal is to prevent the introduction of new invasive species, strengthen early detection, limit the spread and manage and control widespread, established invasive species. Read the full story by the WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-invasive-species
In Clayton, New York, the Thousand Islands Land Trust has been given $5.4 million in state water quality grant funding to protect more land along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-land-trust
New research has found that some freshwater fish across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River are contaminated with toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-pfas-fish
The Town of Whitby, Ontario, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada have a plan to revitalize the Lake Ontario waterfront, the water, and its surrounding ecosystem after a study determined the extent and risk of chemical contamination from a building upstream. Read the full story by Global News Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-waterfront-cleanup
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur announced the award of $99,590,000 in additional federal funding, secured as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ annual work plan, to support four projects critical to the economic development and environmental health of Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, Lake Erie shoreline communities, and the Great Lakes region as a whole. Read the full story by the Fremont News Messenger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-ohio-harbors
In the upper peninsula of Michigan, the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy in cooperation with Waucedah Township purchased over 4 miles of waterfront property on the Sturgeon River in Dickinson County to develop a protected area and natural recreation park. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-sturgeon-river-park
In Michigan, the Saugatuck harbor and adjoining Kalamazoo River will be cleared for boaters to safely use this summer thanks to roughly $900,000 in federal funds to dredge the waters. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-saugatuck-dredge
Anglers use the “Fishbrain” app each day to log, photograph, and post their best fish catches, and it could help researchers better understand how fish are affected by climate change. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-social-media
In an effort to further expand opportunities for its students while helping to address the worker shortage in the marine industry, the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville, Michigan has selected the Irish Boat Shop, of Harbor Springs, Michigan to be the first member of its new program, the Marine Dealers Education Network. Read the full story by The Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230308-boat-building
The Erie County Water Authority in New York state said it has begun daily sampling and testing of its source water following the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that spilled hazardous chemicals in early February. So far, daily testing of water in Lake Erie, the Niagara River, and treated water supplies has not detected chemicals involved in the train derailment, including vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen that was burned following the accident. Read the full story by WIVB-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-chemical-testing
In Ohio, the Cleveland Water Alliance announced the launch of the Freshwater Innovation Fund in an effort to promote new water technology in the city. The fund was created to address water stress in the region, which can include drought caused by climate change, aging infrastructure, and water contaminants. Read the full story by the WKSU – Kent, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-cleveland-fund
In a notice issued last week, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. announced that ships will be permitted to enter the system on March 22. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-seaway-reopen
Alpena, Michigan, area third graders arrived at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center bright and early Monday to start a three-week learning session on human connections to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-school-program
In a recent interview, Michigan State Sen. Stephanie Chang discussed the early days of trying to secure support from her colleagues on water equity and how the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on water shutoffs. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-water-equity
The Great Lakes Boat Building School recently completed a large fundraising campaign and is poised to break ground on a 10,000-square-foot Marine Technology Center, a $3.8 million project that will double the school’s size and eventually quadruple its enrollment capacity. Read the full story by UPword.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-boating-school
Preventing a harmful algal bloom in Michigan’s Muskegon Lake is the focus of a free film screening of “The Erie Situation” and discussion about toxic algae, community awareness, and environmental activism. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-muskegon-lake
The Indiana Senate Committee on Natural Resources unanimously passed a bill on Monday that would require life ring stations on piers and at public access points on Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WNDU-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-life-rings
While Ontario quakes are common but mild, scientists say more research is needed on whether natural water level fluctuations correlate with regional seismic activity. Read the full story by CBC Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230222-water-levels
Steel production fell by 16,000 tons in the Great Lakes region last week, continuing a slow start for the year, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Read the full story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-steel-production
Pesticides are making their way into tributaries around the Great Lakes, many at toxicity levels that exceed federal thresholds considered safe for aquatic life, according to a recent study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-pesticides
The population of two types of birds – swallows and martins – have declined sharply and researchers at Colorado State University say weather in the Great Lakes region is the reason. Read the full story by the Brantford Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-bird-population
In Michigan, Graphic Packaging has agreed to build curbs and take other action at its facility along the Kalamazoo River following an October spill that resulted in notices of violation from the state and the city. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-kalamazoo-spill
On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued two groups after they were stranded on ice floes in the Great Lakes, one group in Sebewaing, Michigan and one off Sherwood Point, Wisconsin. The Coast Guard has now issued a warning about unpredictable ice conditions and tips on avoiding an ice disaster. Read the full story by Fox Weather.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-coast-gaurd
Wildlife agencies in the U.S. are finding elevated levels of PFAS in game animals and fish across parts of the country, including Lake Superior and the Great Lakes region. This is prompting health advisories in some places where hunting and fishing are ways of life and key pieces of the economy. Read and listen to the full story by WTIP – Grand Marais, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-minnesota-pfas
Cargill has closed its grain elevator at Burns Harbor in Portage as of Jan. 31, saying a variety of current and expected market conditions led to the decision to not renew its lease. The elevator handled soybeans, corn and wheat on Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Baking Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-grain-elevator
The Port Burwell Lighthouse has guided sailors through storms and tourists through its door for almost two centuries. But suddenly, it is feared the 65-foot or 20-metre tall lighthouse, the oldest wooden one on Lake Erie, could topple. Read the full story by CTV News London.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-lighthouse
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed state budget puts billion-dollar priorities on climate action and clean water measures. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-whitmer-budget
For just the second time in more than 150 years, Wisconsin tribal members will descend on Madeline Island in Lake Superior this weekend for the once-banned Indigenous “Olympic Games” at the Mooningwanakaaning Minis Inter-Tribal Snow Snake Festival. Read and listen to the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230210-indigenous-games
A plan by the Great Lakes Commission spells out how the region can prepare for climate change, though progress may be hindered by differing state-by-state approaches to the shared threat. Read the full story by the Lansing City Pulse.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-climate-change-report
Though only 0.07% of the 9,900 square miles of Lake Erie was frozen by late January, having open water is just one variable that helps produce lake-effect snow. Read the full story by the Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-ice-cover
On Monday, January 30, Indiana residents and concerned Audubon members from across the state will gather for Audubon Great Lakes Advocacy Day at the Indiana Statehouse to meet with elected officials to advocate for protections for birds, wildlife, and natural resources. Read the full story by WBIW – Bloomington, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-audubon-advocacy
The 11th Annual Thunder Bay International Film Festival is happening at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan. The theme for the festival was Great Lakes, Great Films with many of the films showing the harm and pollution affecting the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WBKB – TV- Alpena, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-film-festival
A $5 million grant will bring city water to as many as 157 homes in Norton Shores, Michigan that have been, or could be, impacted by PFAS at the Muskegon County Airport. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-pfas-muskegon
Double-crested cormorants are continuing to draw attention from wildlife researchers amid strong disagreements about whether the birds are harming fish populations, reducing recreational and commercial fishing opportunities, and damaging natural habitats in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-cormorant
The five national parks along the Lake Superior shoreline will completely decarbonize buildings and vehicles within four years, a challenging goal meant to match the urgent need for climate action. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230130-park-decarbonize
