Could climate migration bring new life to shrinking towns in Michigan’s U.P., or will rising costs and lagging infrastructure get in the way of population growth? Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-burden-climate-migration-impact-michigan-upper-peninsula
A recent collaborative study conducted by nine Indigenous entities and academic researchers was conducted to understand how climate change threatens the lake sturgeon and to develop adaptation strategies rooted in tribal knowledge. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-western-indigenous-knowledge-lakesturgeon
The Great Lakes are home to as many as 30 islands with year-round residents, including nine in Michigan alone. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-greatlakes-islands-yearround-residents
Scientists used an autonomous underwater vehicle to explore shipwrecks in Lake Michigan for the first time. The expedition highlighted the significant challenges of exploring the Great Lakes, even with advanced tools. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-underwater-robot-deep-scans-lake-michigan-shipwrecks
In New York, Farmers across five Finger Lakes counties are receiving major support for conservation projects that reduce runoff, manage nutrients, and improve long-term water quality throughout the state. Read the full story by Fingerlakes1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-fingerlakes-award-waterquality
As the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking approaches, a new book revisits the ship’s captain, Ernest McSorley, and the tragedy that claimed 29 lives. Read the full story by The Sun Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-last-captain-edmund-fitzgerald
At Cleveland’s Sturgeon Fest, to be held on October 4, 1,500 lake sturgeon fingerlings will be released into the Cuyahoga River. Read the full story by WKYC-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-lakesturgeon-cuyahogariver
A show that brings Great Lakes beach glass enthusiasts is returning to Erie, Pennsylvania, on October 11 and 12. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-erie-expo-beach-glass
An $8 billion data center campus is coming to Port Washington, Wisconsin. The city’s common council unanimously approved the development in August, despite dozens of residents sharing their concerns over the potential environmental impacts and energy needs of the massive facility. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20251001-port-washington-data-center-watersupply
While the discovery of a wooden schooner hidden beneath the depths of Lake Michigan for nearly 140 years is noteworthy on its own, it also was the first time citizen scientists and community historians from around the Midwest were able to participate in looking for a historic wreck. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-lakemichigan-shipwreck-found-citizens
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 building a more sustainable, local supply. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-inland-farmers-sustainable-future-greatlakes
The Army Corps of Engineers’ latest cost estimate for the mega project to build a new shipping lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has dropped to $2.6 billion. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-pricetag-soolocks-drops
The state of Michigan began testing a random assortment of rivers and streams for microplastics this year. Data from the first sampling round is being analyzed and quality-checked, but the preliminary results are not encouraging. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-michigan-microplastic-pollution-state-waters
First lit in 1901, the red-roofed, south light house in the Duluth Canal has stood longer than the lift bridge itself. It has now been acquired by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association, and they’re looking to give it some much needed renovations before opening it for tours in 2027. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-historic-lighthouse-tours
Bowling Green State University biology students have made the University’s Ecology Research Station home to dozens of mini experiments to support the state of Ohio’s efforts to mitigate harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-bgsu-students-ohio-wetlands-implementation
When Americans think of our coastlines, most picture the beaches of the Atlantic, the Pacific or the Gulf. But the Great Lakes are America’s fourth coast — a 2,300-mile expanse. Read the full story by The Time of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-greatlakes-american-maritime
On Friday, Traverse City business and education leaders broke ground on the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center at Discovery Pier in Elmwood Township, which they hope will attract the “blue tech” sector to northern Michigan. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-traversecity-woodhole-greatlakes
A new documentary showcasing the underwater beauty of the Great Lakes and the impact that invasive mussels are having on the lakes’ ecosystems is getting its Detroit premiere. The free screening is set for Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Detroit Film Theatre (DFT) at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250915-greatlakes-underwater-secrets
The newest state budget contained sweeping cuts to H2Ohio. In addition to slashing funds from the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency, it halved the amount of money allocated to the Department of Natural Resources for wetlands restoration work. Read the full story by The Statehouse News Bureau.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-h2ohio-fundingcuts-future-wetland-restoration
A recent report warns the region is not prepared for the unprecedented, growing demand from data centers and other big water users like agriculture. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-surging-number-data-centers-great-lakes-water-shortages
The Ontario government is handing provincial parklands over to the town of Wasaga Beach, Ontario, in hopes of boosting the local economy. Residents wonder whether the beach will still be welcoming to endangered birds like piping plovers and the public. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-wasaga-beach-piping-plovers-ontario
Beware when heading out onto Lake Michigan — legend says ships are known to vanish in what’s known as the Lake Michigan Triangle, or do they? Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-great-lakes-mystery-triangle-disappearances
From September 8-11, residents of Burlington, Ontario, may see catamaran boats on the waters of Lake Ontario, as more than 50 of the world’s best sailors take to the lake. The Hobie 14 North American Championship is an internationally-recognized event, with both European and World Championships using the world’s very first sports catamaran to compete. Read the full story by Burlington Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-catamarans-lakeontario-sailingevent
The Ontario government is committing $180,000 to projects aimed at restoring and protecting waterways on Manitoulin Island, part of the Lake Huron watershed. The investment will help improve water quality, strengthen fish habitats and biodiversity, and support both environmental and economic resilience in the region. Read the full story by Wire Service Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-ontario-invests-waterways-manitoulin-island
The Canadian company Enbridge wants to move a section of its 645-mile gas and oil line that’s been operating for decades near Lake Superior within the Reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The change would move the section outside tribal land but still fall within the region’s stream- and wetland-rich landscape. Last November, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved Enbridge’s plan – but tribal and environmental groups are pushing back. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-pipeline-project-habitat-rich-northern-wisconsin
The Cedar Creek watershed encompasses nearly 175,000 acres in northeast Indiana, spanning three counties and creating a unique and diverse ecosystem. Now, a plan to improve the quality of the watershed, put forth by the City of Fort Wayne Utilities is awaiting approval from the state. Cedar Creek is the largest watershed feeding into the St. Joseph River. The creek flows into the Maumee River, and ultimately into Lake Erie. Read the full story by WBOI – Fort Wayne, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-cedarcreek-state-awaiting-approval
When strong winds push Lake Erie’s water east or west, shorelines can be left dry or flooded in a matter of hours, resulting in the water levels drastically decreasing in a short amount of time. However, that water must go somewhere, and that “somewhere” is the opposite lakeshore. Read the full story by WGRD – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-greatlakes-strange-seiche-phenomenon
The new Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Lake Erie Research Unit facility is located on the grounds of the Fairview State Fish Hatchery in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and it contains a research laboratory, library, conference room, and modern office space for three full-time biologists, seasonal biologist aides, and a Waterways Conservation Officer. Read the full story by PennWatch Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250910-pa-fish-boat-lakeerie-research-unit
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
The Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, Michigan, will hold its final Lunch and Learn lecture of the summer next week by taking a look at the women who have played a role in Great Lakes history. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-michigan-maritime-museum-women-greatlakes-history
The sandy shorelines and fresh breezes offered by the beaches along the Great Lakes often have tourists flocking to these destinations in the summer. Check out these six travel options which span all five Great Lakes. Read the full story The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-blissful-beachy-getaway-greatlakes
A cyanobacteria bloom is expanding in western Lake Erie, covering an area of about 160 square miles from the shoreline of Monroe County, Michigan, to the shoreline of Ottawa County, Ohio. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-cyanobacteria-bloom-lakeerie
In honor of National Lighthouse Day, celebrated on Aug. 7, Michigan lighthouse keepers who “kept the beacon burning before modern technology guided the way” will have their stories told. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-michigan-national-lighthouse-day
Milwaukee’s famous abandoned boat, Deep Thought, has a new captain. The boat, which served as a temporary visitor attraction on Lake Michigan’s shoreline, sold for $2,525 on Aug. 5 after a less-than-stellar two-week bidding process, falling short of the county’s hoped-for $20,000. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-milwaukee-deepthought-sells-auction
Long a threat to southern Ontario lakes, climate change is allowing cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, to thrive in even the coldest of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-blue-green-algae-lakesuperior
The Great Lakes Surf Festival nonprofit says it wants to bring people together, and promote and educate guests on water sports, particularly on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-lake-michigan-muskegon-surf-festival
Conservation Halton officially launched the Lake Ontario Coastal Resilience Pilot Project last month. The pilot is backed by a $1.5 million investment from the Government of Canada’s Climate-Resilience Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program and is one of only three Great Lakes projects selected for funding. Read the full story by CJML – Milton, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-pilot-stengthen-lakeontario
Maritime history is sailing into Lake Michigan this week and inviting guests onboard to step into the past. The 80-foot schooner, When And If, and the 115-foot schooner, Liberty Clipper, will be docked Aug. 7-10 in Grand Haven, Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-grand-haven-sailing
Cleveland-area beachgoers can enjoy the water at Edgewater, Villa Angela, and Huntington beaches Wednesday, with all reported to be in good condition for swimming. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250806-cleveland-area-lakefront-beaches-swimming
An updated report confirms climate change is affecting the Great Lakes region through warmer and wetter weather, greater fluctuation in lake levels and disappearing fish populations. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250721-report-climate-change-warmerweather-greatlakes
The Great Lakes have a rich history of ghost stories and maritime lore. Lake Superior’s “Shipwreck Coast” is known for numerous shipwrecks and ghost ship sightings. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250721-greatlakes-lore-ghoststories
The federal funding that pays for much of Great Lakes water, weather and ice cover monitoring is at risk in the Trump administration’s proposed NOAA budget for 2026, while the Senate has proposed keeping the funding largely in place. Meanwhile, people who work in data collection and commercial shipping grapple with the uncertainty and say sweeping budget and staffing cuts could inadvertently put ship captains and other boaters at risk. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250721-shipping-industry-greatlakes-programs-cuts
