A new virtual book club is starting up with a specific interest in the Great Lakes. Called Great Lakes Great Read, the initiative encourages people to read a children’s and/or an adult book with a connection to the Great Lakes and join the authors for upcoming webinars. Read the full story by CollingwoodToday.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240923-greatlakes-bookclub-water
Instead of a swimming in the Chicago River, participants in the inaugural “Chicago River Swim” swam in Lake Michigan, raising $150,000 for ALS research and $50,000 to fund water safety lessons for 2,000 children in underserved communities. Read the full story by AP News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240923-chicagoriverswim-lakemichigan
On Monday, Michigan Technological University launched the pioneering mission of an Autonomous Surface Vessel. Data supplied by its high-resolution sonar will aid in mapping the Great Lakes, assessing repair needs of underwater structures like harbors and bridges, and keeping shipping channels clear. It is also expected to locate multiple archaeological sites from the more than 200 never-found Lake Superior shipwrecks to remnants of civilizations that lived on the shores of a much smaller lake a thousand years ago. Read the full story by Second Wave Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-autonomousvessel-greatlakes-map
City officials in Norton Shores, Michigan, have approved a contract to start work on a new path connecting two parks along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Lake Harbor Trail will connect P.J. Hoffmaster State Park with Lake Harbor Park, using a new 8-foot-wide path. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-trail-connecting-lake-michigan
A $2 billion cleanup in Lake Superior to address pollution from historical copper mining is still in the works. Stamp sands are a waste byproduct from processing copper, and off the Keweenaw Peninsula, they cover 1,426 miles of shoreline and lake bottom, partially suffocating a natural reef. A plan to dredge all stamp sands from the bay and truck the material to a nearby landfill is still in its early stages. Read the full story by WCMU – Mount Pleasant, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-buffaloreef-cleanup-decadeslong-project
The Cheboygan Lock, which provides access between Lake Huron and Michigan’s Inland Waterway for recreational and commercial watercraft, will close for much of the fall and winter for restoration work and reopen in late spring 2025. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-cheboygan-lock-temporarilyclosed
Every September, Michigan’s rivers and streams burst with life as tens of thousands of salmon make their annual migration from the Great Lakes. This natural event, rooted in decades of deliberate fishery management, provides a significant economic and ecological impact in the state. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-wildlife-michigan-salmon
The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to deliver its flood mitigation results for the Huron River by the end of September. The results are based on four years of data collected by the group “Residents Working Against Huron River Flooding.” Read the full story by WHMI – Howell, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-armycorp-flood-mitigation-huron-river
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who have studied invasive species in lakes for decades published a summary of key findings in the journal BioScience in August. In their recent analysis, the authors presented broad takeaways from their past research, reasoning that understanding the proliferation and impacts of invasive species in the lakes can inform policies and management strategies. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202409011-um-madison-invasivespecies-wisconsin
Cleveland Metroparks in Ohio, along with partners, recently unveiled plans to open a state-of-the-art community sailing center, aimed at increasing lakefront access for residents and breaking down barriers to the sport. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-clevelandmetroparks-sailingcenter-2026
The Adopt-a-Beach program, an initiative to keep litter and waste out of the Great Lakes, has passed a milestone. Volunteers with Adopt-a-Beach have removed more than 10 million pieces of litter from Great Lakes beaches and shorelines since 2003. Read the full story by WSGW – Saginaw, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-litter-removed-greatlakes
After nearly a decade of waiting, Oswego County, New York, is celebrating the designation of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary and inviting the public to join in the festivities. Read the full story by Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-noaa-lake-ontario-sanctuary-designation
Michigan environmental advocates are hailing a “groundbreaking” settlement to a civil rights complaint filed with state regulators over the expansion of a hazardous waste facility in Detroit. The settlement requires EGLE to deny a license to a hazardous waste facility, including the renewal of a license, if it will have an “unlawful impact on human health and the environment.” Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-michigan-civilrights-settlement
An ultra swimmer nicknamed The Shark was back on shore Wednesday, having given up on yet another quest to cross Lake Michigan after 40 hours in the water. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-ulraswimmer-lakemichigan
The remains of the 131-year-old Minnehaha shipwreck are easy to spot as they peek out of the sand along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Manistee County, Michigan. The Minnehaha ran aground and was broken apart by waves in October 1893. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-shipwrecks-lakemichigan-beach
Hydrilla, a rapidly growing invasive plant that’s prohibited in Ontario, has been discovered for the first time in Canada in the Hillman Marsh Conservation Area in Leamington, Ontario. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-invasiveplant-canada
Ludington State Park is known for its seven miles of sandy Lake Michigan beachfront, an iconic lighthouse, and a one-mile stretch of the Big Sable River, popular for fishing, paddling and tubing. It’s one of Michigan’s most popular state parks, and it’s now getting $3.2 million in upgrades. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-ludingtonstatepark-upgrades
In Detroit, Michigan, Wayne County Commissioners issued a resolution calling for an end to shipping irradiated waste into the county. A statement from the chair calls for “a common-sense solution that protects residents and the nation’s largest fresh water supply.” Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240906-radioactivewaste-waynecounty
A solitary bloody red shrimp was found in the Twin Ports Harbor, raising fears that the light-hating, zooplankton-eating invasive critters have found their way to Lake Superior. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-bloodyredshrimp-lakesuperior-invasivespecies
In Lucas County, Ohio, advocates and local leaders brought people out to Lake Erie to see first-hand the lack of progress on the blue-green algae problems, which are still prevalent after 10 years. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-lakeerie-health-toledowatercrisis
In a rare rebuke to the industrial farm sector, the Michigan Supreme Court this week ruled that state environmental regulators have full authority to require big livestock and poultry operations to improve their handling of billions of pounds of manure that contributes to serious contamination of state waters. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-michiganswaters-supremecourt
A contentious short-term housing rental ban is looming over one of Michigan’s most popular beach towns. Park Township, Michigan, home to Holland State Park beach, is still in litigation over enforcing a ban on short-term rentals. As it lingers in court, current rental owners are wary of the future of their investments. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-lakemichigan-town-bans-rentals
After more than a year, the cause of a Lake Michigan diesel spill in Manistee, Michigan, has yet to be shared with the public. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-manitowoc-dieselspill
The attempted cheating during a Cleveland-based competition in September 2022 drew worldwide attention. The two Lake Erie walleye anglers lost their nearly $100,000 boat, were fined and lost fishing rights for three years. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-fishingscandal-lakeerie
Though there are many ways to enjoy Michigan’s waterways – swimming, fishing, paddling, boating and more – the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to ensure that your priority is safety in and around the water. Read the full story by Radio Results Network.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-michigandnr-watersafety-hotweather
Whitefish numbers are declining in northern Michigan, and some scientists believe the heart of the problem lies with the invasive quagga and zebra mussels that have invaded our waters. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-declining-whitefish-northernmichigan
In Chicago, a volunteer group has been busy pulling discarded Divvy bikes from Lake Michigan, citing fears over the dangers these battery-powered bikes can pose to the water. Divvy is a bicycle sharing system in the Chicago metropolitan area. Read the full story by NBC Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-divvybikes-dumped-lakemichigan
Bills to name the stonefly Michigan’s state insect are now before committees in both the state House and Senate, thanks to the work of 5th grade students and teachers from Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you see a stonefly, the water nearby is clean. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240805-stonefly-michigansinsect
Climate change is altering Lake Erie: warmer water temperatures increase the risk of toxic algal blooms. Less ice cover in the winter can lead to more soil erosion. And its water levels are fluctuating at a faster rate. A new program at Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) will prepare a new workforce of scientists, engineers and data analysts to help communities navigate these impacts. Read the full story WVXU – Cincinnati, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-climatechange-lakeerie-ohio
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers delivered his weekly radio address highlighting the recent investment of nearly $1.3 million in grants to support quality of life, foster economic development, protect and improve the Great Lakes resources, and create resiliency in Wisconsin’s coastal communities through the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. Read the full story by WTAQ – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-govivers-investments-wisconsin
Lake Erie’s annual algae bloom has begun to form weeks ahead of schedule off the coast of southeast Michigan, but scientists say they expect only a moderate bloom this year. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-lakeerie-toxicalgaebloom
Lake Erie water levels are slightly above average midway through July but a far cry from the record levels reached a few years ago. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasts that water levels will fall in the coming months, but July is seeing an uptick from June. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-lakeerie-forecast
The Marquette Maritime Museum celebrated Lake Superior Day with a festival Sunday afternoon. The annual event, which is celebrated on the third Sunday of July, focuses on Lake Superior’s importance. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-marquettemaritimemuseum-lakesuperiorday
The 100th Port Huron to Mackinac race began Saturday morning and broke the record for the most registered sailing teams. Sailboats are now crossing the finish line up at Mackinac Island as the race begins to wind down. Read the full story by WPHM – Port Huron, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-porthuron-mackinac-race-comestoend
This time of year, many people are out enjoying the beaches in Duluth, Minnesota, but on Saturday some spent time cleaning up the sandy shores of Lake Superior. Read the full story by WSAW-TV – Wausau, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-beachcleanup-parkpoint-greatlakes
Maumee, Ohio, area residents are being asked to weigh in on $2 million to $5 million of fish and wildlife habitat improvements planned for the Maumee River near the city’s Towpath Park. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-maumeeriver-wildlifeimprovements-towpathpark
Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen held its 49th annual Salmon Derby July 5-7 at the Manitowoc Marina. 362 people registered to participate. At the end of the three-day event, 1,295 fish were registered by participants, the highest number of fish registered since 2016. Read the full story by the Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-manitowoc-salmon-derby
Great Lakes Towing Co has added another newbuild to its fleet of ice-class tugboats as it celebrated 125 years of business. The latest Cleveland-class newbuild was built to US Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping requirements for towing, handling and docking ships in the ports along the coasts of the Great Lakes of North America. Read the full story by Riviera Maritime Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240722-greatlakes-towing-125anniversary
The 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race, where boats sail from Lake Huron off Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, to the finish line at Mackinac Island, will be its largest. Read the full story by The Sarnia Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-mackinacisland-sailboatrace
Foam on lakeshores is often a natural occurrence, usually caused by dying aquatic plants or algae that’s stirred up by waves. Natural foam is usually off-white and has an earthy smell, but some foam — that’s artificially white — contains toxic “forever chemicals.” Read the full story by Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-pfas-contamination
The Great Lakes vary significantly in depth, but exactly how deep are they, and where does Lake Ontario fit in? Read the full story by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-greatlakes-depth-lakeontario
The Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York, has set a date for the grand opening of its “Great Lakes 360” project. The long-awaited and first-ever expansion will welcome the public for the first time on July 13. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-newaquarium-greatlakes360
An effort continues to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species in waterways around the Great Lakes. At the Shawano Lake County Park Boat Landing in Wisconsin, conservationists search for unwanted animals like zebra mussels. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-ais-landingblitz-shawanolake
The shallowest of the Great Lakes — which was just named the top lake in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best — is now being recognized as a top spot for bass fishermen. Read the full story by The Canton Repository.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-bestbassfishing-lakeerie
The Mark W. Barker, a 639-foot lake freighter built by the Bay Shipbuilding Company, is slated to make stops at the Wirt Stone Docks in Bay City and Saginaw, Michigan. The Barker was the first Great Lakes freighter to be built on the lakes in 35 years when it was put together in 2022. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-freighter-greatlakes-saginaw
When the Environmental Protection Agency research vessel Lake Guardian arrives in Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, it will be carrying not only scientists but also three Pennsylvania educators. The educators will have hands-on opportunities to explore microplastics, benthic organisms, cyanobacteria and other Lake Erie-specific topics. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-pa-educators-researchvessel-epa
What if a high-voltage transmission line were built beneath Lake Michigan, connecting major power infrastructure on either side of the Great Lake? Officials at Wolverine Power Cooperative say regional grid operators should consider the concept. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-powerline-michigan-wisconsin
With the help of Ducks Unlimited, the State of Michigan plans to restore wetlands on a 370-acre site to reduce the amount of fertilizer runoff reaching Lake Erie. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240624-wetland-restoration-lakeerie
Perched on the shores of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, life in Duluth, Minnesota, is ruled by the whims of the lake. And the lake likes to keep things cool. Read the full story by CNN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240624-coolerbylake-duluth-superior-travel
On Saturday, hundreds of history buffs and veterans descended upon Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Michigan, for a large-scale D-Day reenactment, eighty years after the largest amphibious invasion in military history altered the course of World War II, signaling the beginning of the end of Hitler’s hold on Europe. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240624-dday-reenactment-lakemichiganbeach
