Officials in South Barrington, Illinois, are continuing to pursue a plan to bring drinking water from Lake Michigan to town—and they’ve hired an engineering firm to help them with the lengthy process. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-barrington-water
Last week, fourteen Milwaukee high school students went out on a UW-Milwaukee (UWM) research vessel as part of UWM’s Watershed Expedition Program. The weeklong program provides students with knowledge about water’s impact on the economy, recreational activities, and public health. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-watershed-expedition
The MI Healthy Climate Corps sends civil servants to help local communities prepare for the devastating effects of climate change. The first class of corps members are tackling climate problems related to food waste, public transportation, and habitat loss. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-climate-corps
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard are cleaning pollution from the St. Marys River after receiving a report of an “oily sheen” at the river. The source of the pollution is currently unknown and is under investigation by the Coast Guard. Read the full story by WPBN/WGTU-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-oily-sheen
There is no verifiable account of sharks ever reaching the Great Lakes, and multiple hoaxes have been exposed and urban legends debunked over the years. A Great Lakes shark is virtually impossible—but not quite. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240717-great-lakes-sharks
A new funding agreement between the state governments of Michigan and Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide $388 million to start the $1.1 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project, aimed at preventing invasive species from entering the Great Lakes through the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-brandon-road
The Ports of Indiana landed U.S. Customs and Border Protection approval to establish an international sea cargo container terminal, the first in Chicagoland and the first on Lake Michigan. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor will be able to unload containers, creating an all-water container route for ocean vessels to reach the Chicago market. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-cargo-port
The Ohio House approved H.B. 599, naming the walleye Ohio’s state fish, by a vote of 94-2. Ohio is one of only three states, along with Indiana and Iowa, without a state fish. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ohio-state-fish
The FishPass project in Traverse City, Michigan, replaces the city’s failing dam with a new barrier that allows passage of desirable fish while blocking harmful invaders. $1 million from Michigan’s 2025 state budget will support the final phases of construction of the FishPass, including most of its publicly accessible features. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-fishpass-funding
Michigan is looking at ways to reduce the amount of agricultural nutrient pollution getting into Lake Erie, including large- and small- scale wetland restoration projects in southeast Michigan. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ag-pollution
The cleanup of an oily spill in the Flint River in Michigan continues a week after it was first detected, and officials said Tuesday they still don’t know the source. Flint city officials speculate that soil contamination or illegal dumping could be the source of the spill. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-flint-spill
The first week of August will mark ten years since the water crisis in Toledo, Ohio, when many were instructed not to drink, cook with, or bathe in the water for three days. Water quality advocates are disappointed major improvements haven’t been seen in the lake yet. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-erie-progress
Eight years ago, Oscoda, Michigan, residents were informed that PFAS “forever chemicals” had made their way into the town’s drinking water. The discovery’s impact on tourism is difficult to measure, but both data from the time and sources from the region say it did affect the economy. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-pfas-oscoda
The 20-minute ferry ride across Lake Superior to Madeline Island, Wisconsin, offers not only summer fun but also a glimpse into Great Lakes history. A new exhibit at the Madeline Island Museum highlights the Ojibwe people’s journey and their connection to the island. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ojibwe-exhibit
Cruise ship season in the Great Lakes is in full swing, and Alpena, Michigan, has seen its fair share of cruise ships anchoring in its waters. Each year since 2022, the number of stops in Alpena has increased because of positive feedback. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-cruise-benefits
At beaches in northern Michigan, alerts about unsafe E. coli levels in lake water are often issued the day after water is tested. The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is pivoting to a new type of test for E. coli which yields results in under six hours. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-ecoli-testing
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is urging boaters to prevent invasive species spread during the Great Lakes Landing Blitz. Boat inspectors will educate boaters at Wisconsin boat landings from June 26 to July 6. Read the full story by WBAY-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-landing-blitz
The Michipicoten freighter rescued in Lake Superior this month after water poured into 13-foot gash in its hull is currently dry-docked for inspection, with a decision on repairs or scrapping hanging in the balance. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-michipicoten-freighter
Tour boats that have been stuck for months behind a damaged bridge in Kingston, Ontario, were finally released into the St. Lawrence River late last week. The bridge was damaged during maintenance in late March and was closed to all traffic. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-kingston-bridge
Volunteers in Thunder Bay, Ontario, planted native species to restore wildlife habitats and improve the shoreline. The initiative, part of the North Shore of Lake Superior Remedial Action Plan, aims for significant ecological recovery over the next few years. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-superior-planting
Studies show PFAS lurks across Metro Detroit from local rivers to drinking water to everyday consumer products. This guide includes the basics on what you need to know and what you can do. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-detroit-pfas
Around 160 participants gathered in Port Clinton, Ohio, for the 44th annual Governor’s Lake Erie Fish Ohio Day, which highlights the Lake Erie fishery. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-governors-fish-day
A man convicted of diverting a river in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in an effort to ease boat access to Lake Michigan was sentenced Tuesday to probation. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-sleeping-bear-diversion
High schoolers from Petoskey, Michigan, are cleaning up the Great Lakes one beach at a time using BeBot, a beach-cleaning robot, which can clean 32,000 square feet per hour. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-bebot-robot
Earlier this month, hundreds attended a public hearing in Wisconsin about Enbridge’s proposed reroute of a section of its Line 5 pipeline. These types of environmental concerns could be a deciding factor for some voters. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-pipeline-debated
The Biden Administration is providing $60 million for climate-adaptation training to students living in nine ecosystems, including the western Lake Erie shoreline in Ohio. Ohio State University is getting $4.85 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding to make first-ever “climate-ready” training affordable. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-climate-training
The Great Lakes freighter Michipicoten hobbled near Isle Royale, Michigan, over the weekend suffered a 13-foot crack in its hull, but the mishap likely wasn’t caused by an underwater collision as originally thought. Now, the Coast Guard suspects a stress fracture. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-freighter-crack
From the electrification of major cargo ports to sustainability improvements for Great Lakes ferries, a first-of-its-kind statewide “maritime strategy” could offer a roadmap toward a potential green future for shipping and boating in Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-green-shipping
In 2021, a start-up was denied a county permit that would’ve allowed the start-up to operate a pumping facility in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, near Lake Superior. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals’ decision to prevent pumping is the latest development in a years-long legal battle. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-pumping-denied
A total of seven ‘significant’ spills have occurred on Algoma Steel property on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the past five years. A local environmentalist says he has uncovered additional spills that have not yet been reported to the public. Read the full story by SooToday.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-algoma-spills
Some Michigan communities have considered a technology that’s just beginning to be used in the United States: floating solar panels. Researchers at Cornell University are testing the technology. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-water-panels
The Detroit River Watershed Management Plan, developed in response to the 2021 summer rainstorms and flooding, aims to improve water quality and address flood risks in Detroit. Supported by local and federal agencies, the plan encourages residents to engage in green infrastructure projects and promotes the creation of climate-resilient neighborhoods. Read the full story by Bridge Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-detroit-watershed-plan
Vessels in the Detroit River don’t have to dock to get deliveries; the J.W. Westcott company brings mail and supplies right to them as they travel along the river. The company turns 150 years old this year. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-river-mail
An adaptive sailing program on Lake Michigan provides people with disabilities the opportunity to sail using specialized equipment and boats. Started 34 years ago, the program has become a transformative experience for participants. Read the full story by WFLD-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-adaptive-sailing
On June 11, 1908, Dan Seavey commandeered a Great Lakes cargo ship and sailed it to Chicago. “Roaring” Dan Seavey is known as the only man to be arrested as a pirate on Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240612-great-lakes-pirate
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week designated a 1,722-square-mile area in eastern Lake Ontario as America’s 16th national marine sanctuary. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is the first such sanctuary in New York, and only the third in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by The Post-Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-marine-sanctuary
Emissions targets set by the International Maritime Organization mean the shipping industry must find a way to decarbonize by 2050. A new, cleaner ship points way as U.S. ports in the Great Lakes region are spending millions on upgrades in pursuit of net zero. Read the full story by The Guardian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-shipping-emissions
Rain and contaminated air are major sources of PFAS contamination detected by a team of researchers in the Great Lakes. Airborne concentrations of PFAS are much higher near Chicago and other urban areas than at rural monitoring stations in northern Michigan and upstate New York. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-pfas-rain
Governor Gretchen Whitmer had pledged to crack down on bottled water companies taking water at the same time Flint, Michigan, faced a water crisis. Six years later and in her second term, little has changed. Read the full story by ProPublica.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-bottled-water
Scientists at University of Toledo’s (UToledo) Lake Erie Center have studied lake ecology for years, but after the 2014 water crisis, the center has added new goals for water safety: protecting the water supply and understanding the toxins harmful algae produce. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-utoledo-science
Fish fly season has begun, bringing thousands, if not millions, of the winged insects to swarm the backyards, screen doors and car windows of metro Detroiters. Considered by many to be a messy inconvenience, the mayfly swarms are an indicator of nearby freshwater ecosystems’ health. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-fish-flies
Global warming is fueling the spread of the nonnative peach blossom jellyfish in the Great Lakes region. Researchers urge the public to submit sightings to various online databases so that their changing distribution can be understood. Read the full story by The Mining Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-invasive-jellyfish
The Clyde S. VanEnkevort, an integrated tug and barge, spilled red dye diesel into Lake Superior in Silver Bay, Minnesota, on May 29. The cleanup of nearly 400 gallons of fuel is complete. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-diesel-cleaned
Health officials recently closed nine Michigan beaches due to high E. coli levels. Of these, eight beaches are back open and four additional beaches are either closed or under contamination advisories. Swimmers should stay out of water infested with high levels of E. coli or risk getting sick. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-ecoli-levels
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife assessment crew will conduct a sea lamprey assessment project at the Long Lake outlet in Alpena County, Michigan, this month. The study will estimate the abundance of sea lampreys and determine if there is a need for population control operations. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240607-lamprey-study
More than 700 freshwater researchers and practitioners are attending the International Association for Great Lakes Research’s 67th annual conference in Windsor, Ontario. Presentation topics include algal blooms, climate change, the emergence of PFAS chemicals, and pollution caused by microplastics. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-iaglr-2024
Michigan’s most popular state park is launching a new electronic beach warning system that can automatically alert authorities of a drowning. The system is the latest effort to keep swimmers safe amid a spate of drowning deaths. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-beach-tech
Over 20,000 individual cruise passengers are expected on the Great Lakes this year—double the number from 2014. There will be six cruise lines operating in the Great Lakes that are expected to make about 600 port visits this year. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-cruising-expectations
The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority has reached an agreement with the owner of the decommissioned Somerset Generation Station to build a new Lake Ontario “short sea shipping corridor” and port at the 1,800-acre site in Barker, New York. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-ontario-port
Concrete and steel casks storing spent nuclear fuel rods await relocation to a permanent underground chamber for indefinite cooling. Until that facility is built, they slowly accumulate on concrete pads along the Michigan coast. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-nuclear-waste
