A new shipping facility for agricultural products officially opened in Port Milwaukee on Tuesday. It’s one of the first facilities in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway to move bulk agricultural exports, including dried distillers grains. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230719-portmilwaukee-ag-shipping
On Thursday, July 27, Mayor Justin Bibb will invite public comments on “initial thoughts and sketches” for an emerging plan for the Cleveland lakefront in a meeting at the Great Lakes Science Center. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230719-cleveland-publiccomment-lakefront-development
A new study commissioned by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan makes a compelling case for how The Great Lakes Way – an interconnected set of greenways and water trails stretching from southern Lake Huron through western Lake Erie – enriches quality of life and place for residents and visitors, sparks outdoor recreation and an outdoor recreation industry, and nurtures heritage and cultural tourism. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-greatlakesway
An estimated $1.8 billion plan to replace the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Superior and Duluth, will receive a $400 million boost under Wisconsin’s next two-year state budget. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-statebudget-bridgereplacement-lakesuperior
A panel discussion on June 14 at the Brown County Central Library explored the history of the Fox River cleanup project — and its impact on Green Bay. Panelists said nearly 30 years ago that future seemed anything but guaranteed. Cleaning up the river and the bay required federal regulators and local journalists to combat pushback from Wisconsin politicians and paper companies. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-foxriver-cleanup-pushback
This year, the Michigan DNR enacted a new double-flag warning system on swimming beaches around the Great Lakes. The double red flags close access to the water and prohibit beach visitors from entering the water. The flags are an addition to the Great Lakes flag warning system, where a green, yellow, and single-red flag communicate the safety of the current water conditions for swimmers and visitors at state park beaches. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-greatlakes-drownings-updatedflagsystem-dnr
The federal government is on track to underfund the mega-project to build a new lock at the Soo for the second year in a row, which could potentially force delays of when the project is completed and further balloon its price tag beyond $3.2 billion. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-soolocks-slowfunding
More than 50 boat landing events are planned across the state to as part of the 10th annual Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Landing Blitz, in which local partners give boaters tips to prevent the spread of invasive species and comply with recently updated laws for recreational boating. Read the full story by WHMI – Brighton, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-aquaticinvasivespecies-landingblitz
After more than 50 years on the water, the state of Michigan’s first research vessel is finally gearing up for retirement. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-mi-boat-farewelltour
After a three-year absence, the crew of the S.S. Badger is bringing back overnight voyages across Lake Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-lakemichigan-carferry-sailing
Birdwatchers flocked to Euclid Beach Park early Saturday afternoon to catch a rare glimpse of a Pacific-based gull not known to frequent Cleveland’s freshwater coast. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-westcoastgull-cleveland-euclidbeach
From toxic algal blooms in the Great Lakes to sewage pouring into Detroit basements to choking wildfire smoke that drifted south from Canada, Michigan has been contending with the fallout from climate change. Historically, Michigan has been resistant to environmental regulations in the manufacturing industry, but that could soon change. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-climatelaggard-america-greatlakes
An emerging Indigenous leader aims to compile the Indigenous knowledge of climate change adaptation throughout the country, and share it with tribal and non-tribal people to create the next Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-indigenousknowledge-climatechange
In a project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Exploration Program, three universities have teamed up to explore the depths of Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay near Alpena, Michigan. Their goal is to develop methods to deploy autonomous underwater robots to search for shipwrecks, and then survey shipwrecks with their sensors. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230621-autonomousvessels-thunderbay
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
