Bald eagles are back in a big way: after 50 years of conservation efforts, the Ontario government made the bald eagle’s recovery official in 2023, announcing them no longer at risk. What’s happened to bald eagles is a story of recovery, but only if we actually learn from it. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-bald-eagles
Scientists have been discovering small changes on Lake Michigan that could lead to big impacts on fishing, tourism and those who make their livelihood on the water. A slightly warmer, windier, and wetter climate has already begun to change the footprint of the lake and its impact on West Michigan. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-michigan-changes
The impact of maritime trade is multifaceted, from affecting the air quality of the surrounding Detroit River corridor to the arrival of invasive species. A series of initiatives are in motion to assess carbon emissions from port operations and bolster efforts to protect the waterway. Read the full story by Bridge Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-detroit-maritime
This year, a joint effort by various non-profits and government organizations raised over 11,500 coho salmon to combat invasive alewives. Over the past 50 years they have released over 1 million coho salmon into the Manitowoc River in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Read the full story by WFRV-TV – Manitowoc, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-wisconsin-coho
A judge is limiting development near the shoreline on Carleton Island in the St. Lawrence River near Cape Vincent, New York. The Thousand Islands Land Trust filed a lawsuit earlier this spring to stop a neighboring property owner from development that it argues violates a conservation easement. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240522-carleton-island
In its first early season forecast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that April’s record rainfall will probably lead to a moderate or large algal bloom in western Lake Erie. Though still highly variable, NOAA currently predicts this summer’s bloom will be at least a 4.5 and as high as a 7.5 on its 10-point severity scale. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-erie-bloom
Scientists have found evidence the flathead catfish—a species from the southern U.S. known for its huge size and monstrous appetite for fish—has established itself in the Thames River in southwestern Ontario. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-catfish-canada
Fifty-five years after Ohio’s Cuyahoga River last caught fire, its health continues to improve; but determining what prevention and cleanup practices are most effective remains difficult. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-cuyahoga-comeback
For the last four years, the Cleveland Water Alliance has launched computerized smart buoys in Lake Erie to monitor water conditions. The month of May marks the start of what they call their smart lake season. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-erie-buoys
$20 million will be pumped in to rebuild the crumbling breakwall on Sodus Bay in New York. The project will protect the shoreline from severe flooding, including communities who got slammed during the springs of 2017 and 2019. Read the full story by WHAM-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-sodus-breakwall
Lake whitefish is an important commercial fishery in Lake Erie and is culturally and economically important to local First Nations. Although Lake Erie’s population has declined in recent years due to poor survival during their first year of life, fishery biologists have shown that the Detroit River is an important source for young lake whitefish. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-whitefish-recruitment
At their height, there were 30 U.S. naval militias but now there are only three; and New York’s is one of them. From protecting ship passengers during a cholera outbreak in 1892 to preventing flooding off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in recent years, the militia has missions across the state’s coastline. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1 – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-naval-militia
In pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Great Lakes, a novice sailor embarked on a journey from Traverse City to the Atlantic Ocean and wrote a book detailing his adventure. Coinciding with a 20th Anniversary Edition of the book, the author discusses his work, and his hopes and concerns for the future of these waters. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-author-interview
A section of US-2 in Delta County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was recently damaged by high water, forcing officials with the Michigan Department of Transportation to close the road to all traffic. Emergency repairs will take two to three weeks. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-highway-damaged
A second fishery in Leelanau County, Michigan, has signed a compact committing to the use of 100 percent of each Great Lakes-caught fish. Read the full story by The Leelanau Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-fish-pledge
In Ohio, the Lucas County Commissioners, along with Toledo’s mayor, are set to announce a lawsuit Wednesday aimed at preventing pollution in Lake Erie. The lawsuit aims to compel the U.S. EPA to comply with its obligations under the Clean Water Act to prevent harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-erie-lawsuit
Last August, the dry-bulk vessel Algoma Niagara released thousands of gallons of oily bilge water into Lakes Superior, Erie, and Michigan. The discharges are among numerous reported violations that have landed the ship’s owner before a federal judge in Buffalo, New York. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-bilge-discharge
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced today that it has found the final resting place of a 735-ton wooden steamship, the Adella Shores, which sank in Lake Superior in 1909. The group located the ship in 650 feet of water, about 40 miles northwest of Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-shipwreck-found
The historic suite of power plant pollution standards announced last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency include a rule that will force power plant owners to clean up their coal ash pollution. There are more than 100 coal ash waste sites along the shores of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-coal-ash
Swimmer’s itch, which is caused by a snail and bird parasite, can be reduced by relocating merganser ducklings to beaches where snails are absent. A recent study found that after three years the new method can prevent up to 99% of swimmer’s itch cases. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-swimmers-itch
A single cargo ship can carry enough goods to replace nearly 3,000 semi-trucks—that’s why some are calling for a shipping boom in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by National Geographic.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-shipping-emissions
Researchers forced to cut short an annual survey of wildlife on Isle Royale, Michigan, in Lake Superior this winter due to unusually warm weather announced that they managed to gather data that shows the wolf population is stable. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-isle-royale
On Tuesday, Enbridge announced it has retained a joint venture partnership between two construction companies to lead construction of the Great Lakes Tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge is preparing to begin construction as soon as possible following the receipt of environmental permits for the tunnel project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-tunnel-contractors
Summertime calls for good vibes, much-needed time in the sun, and a creature many aren’t fans of — fishflies. But fishflies, or mayflies, are indicators of clean water. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-fishflies-return
In a recent editorial, The Toledo Blade sparked controversy by implying the International Joint Commission (IJC) supported the lawsuit between Ohio municipalities and federal regulators regarding Lake Erie water pollution, though the IJC maintains neutrality. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240501-blade-editorial
A robotic beach cleaning device has been procured to remove plastic waste along Lake Michigan beaches and inland lake beaches in Michigan. Currently, 26 beaches are slated to benefit from the robot’s services. Read the full story by the Petoskey News-Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-robot-cleaner
Invasive cattails dominate about 14% of all Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Researchers and land managers are developing creative ways to deal with invasive cattails in hopes of restoring and protecting the health of the wetlands, but it’s not an easy task. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-invasive-cattails
To fight back against threats to freshwater ecosystems, the University of Windsor (UWindsor) has joined a national research partnership, the Global Water Futures Observatories. An existing partnership of several Ontario universities has joined forces with it to go after increased funding. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-uwindsor-partnership
More than 200 miles of Michigan’s Lake Superior shoreline recently benefited from a group effort that removed more than 10 tons of debris from the shoreline through coastal cleanups, beach hikes, and diving events. Read the full story by The Newberry News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-superior-debris
The City Council in South Haven, Michigan, has prioritized bringing a new lifeguard program to its Lake Michigan beaches, along with other efforts to increase beach safety, highlighting the effort as one of its top priorities for the coming year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-michigan-lifeguards
After more than a year of restoration efforts, the Tawas Lighthouse in Tawas, Michigan, will shine again on May 2. The effort to restore the lighthouse was made possible by a $455,500 grant through the American Rescue Plan Act. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-tawas-lighthouse
A new eco-friendly cement carrier for the Great Lakes is being built in the Netherlands to replace two older cement carriers. Delivery of the vessel is expected in 2025. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-cement-carrier
This new visitor center at the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, New York, highlights how ships move through the St. Lawrence Seaway. The ships carry billions of dollars’ worth of goods on the Seaway between the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes every year. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-visitor-center
Dredging needs to happen on Michigan’s St. Joseph River leading into Lake Michigan but is delayed due to the county’s application for a permit. Dredging cannot occur in May and June, due to the fish spawning season, causing a time crunch. Read the full story by WSBT-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-stjoe-dredging
The Charlevoix Harbor channel between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix in Charlevoix, Michigan, will be dredged this spring to maintain the channel at a depth of 18 feet. Work will be completed by May 15. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240419-channel-dredge
A $73 million state-funded project aims to stabilize the last stretch of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline in Illinois and help protect native endangered species. To mitigate erosion of up to 100 feet per year, the project seeks to build 22 breakwater structures along 2.2 miles of shoreline in Lake County, Illinois. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-illinois-shoreline
Minnesota has just over 100 lakes and rivers considered prime for muskie fishing, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants input on how to manage them. This week, the organization started a yearlong process to rewrite the statewide muskie management plan for the next 15 years. Read the full story by the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-muskie-plan
Advocates who hope to stop Wisconsin’s freshwater resources from being polluted by road salt are back to the drawing board after Governor Tony Evers vetoed a bill Friday creating a state-run program on safe salt use that would have shielded certificate-holders from lawsuits. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-salt-veto
Increasingly, scientists and regulators are concerned about the presence of pharmaceutical pollution in our waterways, including in the Great Lakes region. More research needs to be done to understand this issue, according to scientists who have studied pharmaceuticals and other contaminants. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-pharmaceutical-pollution
A Québec shipyard has won a first $19-million contract for the design of six new icebreakers as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. These vessels will replace the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, which serves the waterways of Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence River during the winter, as well as the Arctic during the summer. Read the full story by the Montreal Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-new-icebreakers
In Michigan, the $80 million Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on the western edge of downtown Detroit is actively under construction and will feature a water garden, basketball courts, fishing, a riverwalk, and more along the Detroit River. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-detroit-park
Record high water levels in Lake Erie in February and early March did not back down as the month ended with Lake Erie roughly 573 feet above sea level. That’s about two to three inches higher than the record set in 1986, and one foot higher than March of 2019. Read the full story by Cleveland Scene.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-erie-water-levels
Whitehall, Michigan, on Lake Michigan was selected to be a stop on the inaugural Kayak Adventure Series, a bass fishing tournament. Whitehall will be the second stop of six for the summer series where anglers will compete to wrangle an 18-inch bass. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-bass-tourney
A new memoir details the life of a Great Lakes activist with 50 years of experience in environmental advocacy and leadership. Stories include bringing a live cormorant to a Congressional hearing and providing politicians with a buffet of fish no one could eat because they were highly contaminated. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-activist-memoir
The 10-fish limit on yellow perch, imposed a few years ago, will again be in effect in Ohio waters in western Lake Erie. For a number of years, perch have not been reproducing with any sign of vigor within that sizable stretch of lake, and there are multiple theories why. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240401-perch-decline
U.S. federal wildlife regulators have a coming deadline in June to decide whether lake sturgeon should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The collective concern is whether and even how a change in federal protections could alter existing fishery efforts and both angling and spearing seasons for sports fishers. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240318-sturgeon-protections
Water levels across the Great Lakes are projected to drop below last year’s levels over the next six months during Michigan’s peak boating season, according to the latest forecast by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240318-water-levels
In response to a bill proposed in the New York State Senate, advocates want New York Governor Hochul to support a moratorium on any Great Lakes wind turbine development. The bill would allow the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to issue licenses to wind developers looking to build in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240318-turbine-moratorium
As temperatures rise and the lakes unfreeze, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will begin researching the Great Lakes’ acidity levels, providing ships and space for U.S. Department of Defense research, and collaborating on a study of Lake Huron sinkhole microbial communities. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240318-noaa-research
New Ohio Sea Grant research measured veterinary antibiotics in Lake Erie tributaries and found that some medications are prevalent in regional watersheds at low concentrations. The team also confirmed that across watersheds, antibiotic levels were associated with the density of livestock nearby. Read the full story by The Crescent-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240318-erie-antibiotics
