Michigan’s drought conditions have put increased demand on water providers, stressed vegetation and sharply increased the risk of wildfire. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-drought-wildfires
Residents of Paradise, Michigan, say a legacy dump site has been ignored for decades. The site is slowly releasing toxic chemicals into Lake Superior, and there doesn’t appear to be a plan to stop it. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-contaminatedsite-lakesuperior
Today marks the summer solstice and the official start to summer, but scientists warn Lake Erie beachgoers to beware of harmful algae blooms that grow extremely fast this time of year. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-summer-lakeerie-habs
Those in Michigan who want the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline shut down believe a recent ruling from a federal judge in Wisconsin could impact a pending legal case against Enbridge and disrupt company plans. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-wisconsin-line5-shutdown-disruptpipelinefight
There is a lot of dredging work to be done in Lake Michigan harbors after an uptick in severe storms and a drop in shoreline ice during winter. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently is overseeing 24-hour dredging in Grand Haven, Michigan, when weather is favorable to remove sand shoaling that blocks the harbor from commercial vessels. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-strongstorms-lakemichigan
It’s finally starting to feel like summer in Michigan, but officials are reminding residents and visitors that it will still be a bit before water temperatures are considered safe. U.S. Coast Guard officials took to social media to remind the public about the risks of cold water, including hypothermia and “cold shock.” Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-greatlakes-coldshock-summer
Summertime means beach time, and in Michigan that means the freshwater beaches of the Great Lakes. But which kind of beach is better: lakeside or oceanside? Read and listen to the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-greatlakesbeaches-oceanbeaches
Keweenaw Boat Tours, located in Houghton, MI is expanding. It’s added a larger, second boat and a new tour that offers some spectacular scenery. It includes ancient lava flows, a lighthouse, and a waterfall that rushes over volcanic rock and into Lake Superior. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-restoringshoreline-scenicboattour-upperpeninsula-michigan-keewanaw
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inviting public comment through June 19 on plans to restore and strengthen the crumbling “shoreline protection system” at the Point Betsie Lighthouse on Lake Michigan in Benzie County, MI. The project, slated for construction in 2024, is designed to provide long-term protection for the 1858 Point Betsie Lighthouse and other historic structures on the site. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-restoringshoreline-pointbestie-lighthouse
Our water sources are some of the most important resources we have in the world, so divers and volunteers came together in Kingston, ON to clean up Lake Ontario’s shoreline on Saturday. Read the full story by CTV News-TV – Toronto, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-garbage-lakeontario
Tours of one of Muskegon’s two Lake Michigan lighthouses will be offered this summer as the city works toward ownership of the historic structures. The South Pierhead Lighthouse, located near the U.S. Coast Guard station at Pere Marquette Park, is open for tours from 1-5 p.m. Fridays through Mondays. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-lighthousetours-muskegon
At the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, south of Joliet, Illinois, below where the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and Des Plaines River meet, there is a choke point, a 110-foot wide channel and lock through which the Copi, otherwise called invasive carp, must pass to get to the Great Lakes. There, the Army Corps of Engineers is mustering about $1.2 billion taxpayer dollars to build a barrier that will, hypothetically, stop the carp from getting to the lakes. Read the full story by Undark Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-race-to-build-fish-barricade
This is “Three Free” Weekend in Michigan. Residents and visitors can fish without a license, ride state-designated trails without an ORV license or trail permit, or get access to state parks and boat landings without a Recreation Passport. Read the full story by The Iron Mountain Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-michigan-freefishingweekend-fathersday
On Saturday and Sunday of Father’s Day weekend Ohio residents may fish without a license, keeping in mind that size and creel limits never take a holiday. Before and after the weekend, residents age 16 and older who want to fish are required to purchase a license and be prepared to show it when requested. Read the full story by the Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-ohio-freefishingweekend-fathersday
A local couple wants to share the joy of boating with their new private cruise business. Ahh! Venture Cruise is offering private cruises from Lake Macatawa to Lake Michigan in the Holland area. Cal and Terrie Morrow, both licensed captains through the U.S. States Coast Guard, started the business as a way to enjoy the lake in retirement. Read the full story by the Holland Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-couplelaunchescruise-lakemacatawa-lakemichigan
Richmond Heights, OH has been named an inaugural recipient of the Richard M. Daley Water Equity Community Award from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. The award is intended to provide support to disadvantaged communities who are working to remove lead lines and modernize their water infrastructure. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/2023-0612-richmondheights-waterinfrastructure
Climate change needs to be solved at the local level. That was the key message of this year’s Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual meeting. The binational coalition, composed of over 200 municipal and regional U.S. and Canadian mayors and local officials, gathered in Chicago June 6-9 to talk climate action, with Illinois cities like Waukegan, Evanston and Zion joining in. Read the full story by The Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230612-greatlakes-waukegan-zion-climatechange
There are plenty of lakes and rivers to explore across Pennsylvania as bass season begins this week. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are plentiful across the 86,000 miles of rivers and lakes in Pennsylvania, and anglers know these predator fish are fun to catch. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-bass-pennslyvania
The official start of summer is just two short weeks away. As more Michiganders travel across the state and take to the water, it’s important to remember the basics of water safety — especially when it comes to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Livingston Daily.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-summer-staysafe-greatlakes
In Muskegon, Michigan, the arrival of the Pearl Mist cruise ship at Heritage Landing Tuesday morning will mark the beginning of a historic cruising season in West Michigan. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-record-cruiseseason-muskegon
Michigan is full of waterslides, but only one place has launch slides. New for 2023, these fast, steep slides, located on a beach in Lake Orion, will send you flying into the water. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-mi-launchwaterslides-northernmi
Some of the most panoramic views in all of Northern Michigan can be found at the peaks of its ski hills. Or, in Boyne City, Michigan, at a former downhill ski area that has now become a recreation gem for its community. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-northernmi-climb
The state of Michigan is warning residents about summer kills as the weather has been more extreme than usual this time of year. Fish kills can happen naturally, and with scorching weather, a summer kill is likely to occur sooner. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-egle-warning-fishkills
High levels of E. Coli have shut down beach access at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan, the second day in a row the bacteria has limited recreation at the popular location. Access to Belle Isle remains, but any visitors will be asked to avoid going in the water to avoid risking any contamination. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-belleisle-beachaccess-closed-ecoli
Ohio’s Lake Erie fishermen and an invasion of walleye anglers from all over the region have seen a big surge in the walleye fishing this week, thanks to the warm weather. The walleye are biting in many areas right now, making it an excellent time to enjoy the Walleye Capital of the World. Read the full story by The Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-warmtemps-walleye-lakeerie
Public health monitoring of water quality has returned, along with the warm weather, at seven Lake Huron beaches in Lambton County, Ontario. Read the full story by The Sarnia Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-lambtonhealth-waterquality-testing
Over the last eight years, Stand Up for Great Lakes has been on a mission to paddleboard across each of the five Great Lakes. Their efforts raise money to educate about and preserve our fresh water. Read the full story by 9/10 News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230607-standup-greatlakes-lastjourney
An eco-friendly beach robot known as BeBot made its debut Thursday as it cleaned microplastics from Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon, MI. The remote-controlled technology can clear debris that is as small as 3 cm. Microplastics are often overlooked during beach cleanups, but they contribute to the pollution of the country’s waterways. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-beachcleanup-robot-microplastics
The Michigan DNR is asking Michiganders for help in reporting marked splake when fishing on Lake Superior. Splake are a hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout. Splake have been stocked in Lake Superior most years since 1971. The data collected from anglers assists the DNR in making decisions on how to best manage Michigan’s fisheries. Read the full story by WW-J-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-dnr-report-splake-lakesuperior
Sturgeon are native to Lake Michigan and historically made spawning migrations up the Milwaukee River and other tributaries. However, dams, pollution and overfishing combined to wipe out the local sturgeon population by the late 1800s. Since 2003, sturgeon have been stocked in the Milwaukee River or harbor as part of “Return the Sturgeon,” a joint effort of the DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Riveredge Nature Center in Newburg, WI. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-upperpeninsula-cruiseport
The City of Houghton, Michigan has a new $5 million pier that’s equipped to dock cruise ships, which are becoming increasingly popular on the Great Lakes. Opened in the fall of 2022, the new pier serves as the city’s town square and event space but with its size, deep water and a few extra elements, it has the added function of being a cruise ship dock. Read the full story by MLive.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-upperpeninsula-cruiseport
The Township of Archipelago, ON is a municipality of 979 people located 200 kilometres north of Toronto on the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay, part of the Lake Huron watershed. Its residents are concerned about the impacts of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Bill 23 on the Great Lakes ecosystem. Read the full story The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-ontario-seeksprotection-greatlakesbill
The City of Cleveland held its final Community Visioning Workshop Thursday to get feedback on its proposed North Coast Connector project to connect Lake Erie to Downtown Cleveland. Read and listen to the full story by WVIZ-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-cleveland-connectingdowntowntolakefront
A number of Canadian cities have exceeded acceptable chloride levels in watersheds in recent years, raising concerns about the impact on freshwater wildlife and other species. The problem largely stems from road salt and saline solutions, which have a chemical compound of chloride to keep roadways safe during winter weather. Chloride has both long- and short-term impacts on wildlife, and some experts believe it is adversely affecting fish, frogs and aquatic ecosystems across Canada. Read the full story by CTV News-TV – Toronto, Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-wintermaintenance-effects-freshwater
The Great Lakes cruising season is now well underway and Ports Toronto said this year is once again setting another record. Fifty-four ships are scheduled to visit the city of Toronto between May and October, bringing more than 22,000 passengers to the city. Read the full story by CityNews Toronto.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-cruiseships-toronto-recordyear
As the two-year anniversary approaches since Canadian oil company Enbridge began defying a state shutdown order, environmental groups this week are renewing their call for the Biden administration to take immediate action to protect the Great Lakes from a controversial 70-year-old crude oil pipeline. Read the full story by Energy News Network.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-enbridge-line5-shutdown-bidenadministration
Snowmelt and recent rain have brought Great Lakes water levels up. This spring rise is normal – and water levels are projected to increase even more this month. Water levels for the Great Lakes are still lower than their record high from a couple of years ago. However, all the lakes are up from their long-term average, by between six and 13 inches, as of May 5. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-greatlakeswaterlevels-up-historicalaverage
To mark national Drinking Water Week, the Free Press provided tips on tap water safety to a family in Grosse Pointe Park — and they decided to stop buying bottled water. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-metrodetroit-tapwater
Commercial fishers are catching fewer whitefish in parts of the Great Lakes – and the Anishinaabe people are trying to figure out why. The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is looking into low reproduction rates for the fish. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-anishinaabetribes-savemiwhitefish
Water levels tend to fluctuate during the year, but seasonally speaking, lake levels typically rise during the spring and early summer. Highest water usually occurs in July. The water level of Lake Michigan and Huron, (hydrologically, a single lake) has fallen a net 4 inches from one year ago. However, this level still stands 6 inches above the May average, which has been tracked since 1918. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-lakemi-lakehuron-waterlevels-aboveaverage
An aging sewer main that crosses the Muskegon River poses a “high environmental risk” and needs to be replaced at an estimated cost of $43 million. The county public works board agreed to apply for a state loan to pay for replacement of the approximately 6 miles of metal pipe that is at risk of breaking and does not meet capacity needs. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-muskegonlake-sewermain
Single-use plastics are one of the world’s most pervasive pollutants. More than 22 million pounds of plastic end up in the Great Lakes every year, and the concentration of plastic in the Great Lakes surface water is among the highest in the world. Because unlike our oceans, which flow fairly freely around the world, the Great Lakes are more of a closed system, and so that plastic just stays there. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV -Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-sourgeofplastic-greatlakes
Once plentiful in Lake Huron, the Chinook salmon fishery collapsed after its main food source, the herring-like alewife, dried up in 2003. The salmon — a species that is not native to the Great Lakes — never fully recovered, and although many fishermen competing at the derby prefer it, it’s unlikely to fetch the weights of 20 years ago. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-lakehuron-chinooksalmon-rapiddecline
Fish sticks, also known as shoreline woody habitat structures, will be among several conservation projects on Michigan lakes and streams funded by $1.7 million in grants. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is awarding the fisheries habitat grants for projects that will rehabilitate and protect valuable fish habitats that provide the foundation for Michigan’s world-class fisheries. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-michigandnr-grants-aquaticsystems
After finding the shipwrecks of the C.F. Curtis and the Selden E. Marvin, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has set its sights on finding the Annie M. Peterson, hoping to finally close the book on a more than 100-year-old mystery. The ships disappeared on Lake Superior Nov. 18, 1914, during a bad storm. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-ships-search-vanished1914
A tugboat that has become synonymous with South Haven, MI maritime museum is turning 100 years old, and to celebrate its legacy, a group of volunteers from the Michigan Maritime Museum recently spent the winter months refurbishing the vessel. Read the full story by the South Haven Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-maritimemusem-tugboat-turns100
Viking is rolling out two new long itineraries in the Great Lakes where the line is sailing its two expedition ships, Viking Polaris and the Viking Octantis. Last year, Viking sailed its debut season in the Great Lakes with the Octantis. This year, Viking doubles its presence in the region. Read the full story by Travel Weekly.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-greatlakes-twoships-twoitineraries
Michigan is the Great Lakes State. The shores of Michigan touch four out of five of the Great Lakes, the world’s largest freshwater system. To recognize that importance, Herrick District Library, located in Holland, MI will host a Nature Conservancy program focused on the natural treasure of the Great Lakes, and on the conservancy’s part in preserving this treasure. Read the full story by the Holland Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230501-herrickdistrictlibrary-holland-celebratesgreatlakes
Nearly 11 million residents depend on Lake Erie for drinking water. To help keep that water safe, a tool called sondes is used to measure what is in the water. Sondes aren’t new, they’ve been around for about a decade. However, as technology improves, they’re becoming cheaper, giving smaller utility operators in smaller watersheds access. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230501-watermonitoring-smallercommunities
Emergency personnel from a slew of Northern Michigan agencies traveled to Beaver Island over the weekend. It was all part of an emergency response training exercise called Operation Maritime Resolve. The focus of the exercise was to confirm the agencies’ ability to respond to multiple hypothetical emergencies in a remote location like Beaver Island. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230501-mi-beaverisland-operationmaritimeresolve
