A bill unanimously passed by an Indiana Senate committee would require the installation of ring life buoys on Lake Michigan piers and public access points. The goal is to have one life ring for every quarter mile of Indiana’s 26 miles of publicly accessible beach. Read the full story by WNDU-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240131-rescue-equipment
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has designated 250 miles of shoreline along Lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron as high risk for erosion. The debate on how states should protect the shoreline is complex, and is highlighted in Douglas, Michigan, where 200 sandbags protect the beach. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240131-beach-erosion
Due to an unprecedented lack of ice, Michigan fisheries officials are trying to decide whether to cancel sturgeon season on Black Lake near Onaway, Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240131-sturgeon-season
The Fox River in Green Bay, Wisconsin, contributes more phosphorus to Lake Michigan than any other tributary. And while Wisconsin has strict rules to limit the amount of phosphorus flowing into its waterways, a new report shows that it hasn’t been enough to turn the tide on the problem. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240131-fox-phosphorus
A 25-year project, planned through 2031, aims to reintroduce lake sturgeon to Lake Michigan waters and help them once again call the Milwaukee River home. Read the full story by Urban Milwaukee.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240131-milwaukee-sturgeon
The amount of ice on the Great Lakes has been steadily and significantly decreasing over the past five decades. Those who have built their lives around the ice are now hanging in the balance. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240131-ice-culture
To prevent invasive carp from spilling out of Illinois’ waterways and into Lake Michigan and beyond, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to build a $1.416 billion high-tech suite of barricades to deter the fish from moving upstream. Read the full story by WBEZ – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-carp-barricade
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from PFAS and to prevent spread to nearby waterways. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-michigan-pfas
Of 20 people stranded on an ice floe in Lake Erie near Catawba Island, Ohio, nine were rescued by the Coast Guard, four were rescued by the local fire department, and seven were able to “self-rescue” by their own airboat. Read the full story by The National Desk.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-erie-ice
In a visit to Superior, Wisconsin, President Joe Biden proclaimed the country to be in an “infrastructure decade,” touting renewals of roadways, water pipes and more thanks to a massive financing plan approved during his presidency. Biden highlighted a new $1 billion infusion toward replacement of the John A. Blatnik Memorial Bridge, a key but crumbling corridor connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-biden-wisconsin
A team of researchers is studying how well water treatment plants are removing microplastics from Lake Erie water, especially smaller nanoplastics, and whether certain treatment configurations work better than others. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-erie-microplastics
The use of rock salt may be critically important when it comes to clearing snow and ice from roads in the winter, but it’s also a growing threat to the environment, including the freshwater fauna of Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-erie-salt
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection awarded Coastal Zone Grants totaling more than $268,000 to five projects in Pennsylvania’s northwest region. The grants go toward projects that protect and restore critical habitat in the Lake Erie Coastal Zone. Read the full story by The Meadville Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-erie-grants
Shelf ice develops every winter along the Lake Michigan shoreline. While it may look photogenic, it is quite dangerous, especially with the recent rise in temperatures. Read the full story by WSBT-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-shelf-ice
Lake Huron water levels were down slightly in December as it continued its seasonal decline. The lake’s December water level was down nearly three inches from November’s level, but a little more than three inches above the December 2022 level. Read the full story by True North Radio Network.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-huron-levels
Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers is building toward 100% use of fish caught in the Great Lakes, highlighted by a recent “head to tail” Great Lakes fish cooking challenge at Kendall College in Chicago. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240126-cooking-challenge
This year, the Great Lakes are under the influence of a strong El Niño, bringing a short-term warming trend to the region. But scientists say evidence of long-term climate change can also be seen in the region’s ice formation trends. Read the full story by USA Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-low-ice
A bill that would realize the Great Lakes’ first offshore wind farm in Chicago is under consideration in the Illinois state senate but there are many unknowns, and the project is likely several years out from construction. Read the full story by The Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-chicago-wind
In Michigan, the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority is providing funding to a nonprofit to help designate a 92-mile stretch of the Grand River as a state recreational water trail stretching from the headwaters to its mouth in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-grand-river
Blue-green algae blooms paint Lake Erie’s waters bright green for hundreds of square miles every summer. Some scientists think they may be home to the next pharmaceutical drug. Read the full story by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-algae-pharma
December 2023 was Milwaukee’s warmest December on record according to a state climatologist. The unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow and lake ice have had a wide range of effects on the state. Read the full story by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-wisconsin-warmth
The most comprehensive study ever undertaken of marsh birds’ abundance around Great Lakes coastlines shows many of the bird species thriving over the past decade-plus, likely because of recent high water levels. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-coastal-birds
The National Park Service may restrict beach areas previously open to the public if piping plovers nest in new habitat area created by an excavation project at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-plover-restrictions
Great Lakes iron ore pellet shipping jumped sharply in 2023 compared to 2022. Shipments on the Great Lakes hit 51.1 million net tons for the year. Read the full story by the Mesabi Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-ore-shipments
A Chicago psychotherapist and clinical social worker have organized ‘Climate Cafés’: gatherings for those struggling with the emotional burdens of climate change. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-climate-cafes
Disposal of a wind turbine once its 20-30 years of service ends usually results in incineration or life in a landfill. One Ohio company is repurposing blades into functional pieces of art, including benches, tables, and planters. Read the full story by Cleveland Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240108-turbine-art
An acquisition by the Little Traverse Conservancy and 150 donors ensures preservation for the biggest piece of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline in the northwest corner of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The 56-acre nature preserve is slated to open next year and is named Enji-minozhiiyaamigak, “The Place of Peacefulness,” in the language of the Anishinaabe. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-new-preserve
The State of Michigan’s 2023 State of the Great Lakes report is a long list of concerns and proposed solutions. The report takes an expansive view of the Great Lakes, including streams, wetlands, and groundwater issues. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-michigan-report
Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) will build a $10 million environmental science research station along the Saginaw River in Bangor Township, Michigan, following the approval of $7.5 million in funding by the state of Michigan. Read the full story by The Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-huron-station
The new head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes office in Chicago is optimistic about cleaning up contaminated sediment sites in the region by 2030 but emphasizes the challenge of achieving this goal due to the need for more non-federal financial support. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-epa-goal
Ice cover has increasingly become an elusive feature of the Great Lakes as warming winters disrupt normal processes of the lakes freezing over. Tracking ice coverage for the 2023-2024 winter is still on the early side, but there are early signs this year will be below the average. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-ice-cover
Between 2015 and 2023, paddlers in the nonprofit organization Standup for Great Lakes completed paddleboard journeys across every one of the Great Lakes to raise money for Great Lakes issues. Read the full story by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-paddleboard-charity
The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation recently made the decision to indefinitely halt the Icebreaker offshore wind project off the coast of Cleveland, Ohio. Inflation, increasing costs, lengthy permitting processes, as well as litigation by opponents were cited as reasons for stopping development. Read the full story by The Cleveland Scene.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-icebreaker-shelved
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers recently announced that three Northeast Wisconsin companies have signed a pledge to use 100% of the fish they catch to reduce waste. Read the full story by WTAQ-WLUK – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-fish-pledge
During the 2023 cruising season, 2,500 passengers visited West Michigan, which received a profit of nearly $700,000 in economic impact. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-cruise-revenue
Usually, you’ll find Santa riding his sleigh in December; but in Northern Michigan, he’s riding the waves. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-surf-michigan
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago brought a hands-on learning experience to Racine, Wisconsin, students last week, teaching them about water pollution and microplastics in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Journal Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231222-racine-microplastics
According to an annual report by the Great Lakes Commission, water use from the Great Lakes basin dropped 3% in 2022 compared to the year before. Water usage from the Great Lakes may have declined, but it was still a staggering amount — more than 40 billion gallons per day — nearly all of it returned to the basin. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-water-use
The Icebreaker Wind Project, a pilot project to put six wind turbines in Lake Erie about eight miles off Cleveland, Ohio, has been put on hold amid rising costs and other challenges that have delayed progress and dimmed its chances of success. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-erie-wind
London, Ontario residents and downstream communities may soon be able to see in near real-time when wastewater is being dumped during high rainfall events into the Thames River, which drains into Lake St. Clair. The city hopes to have a website with overflow and bypass event data online early next year. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-thames-overflows
Despite opposition from local environmental justice advocates, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has approved an air pollution permit for a new slag grinding plant near Zug Island on the Rouge and Detroit rivers, in River Rouge, Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-slag-grinder
The Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin cleans wastewater and returns the clean water back to Lake Michigan. Milwaukee was a pioneer in this, becoming the first city in the country to do so in the 1920s. Read the full story by WDJT-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-water-reclamation
Though western Lake Erie’s 2023 algal bloom season is finally over, a Wisconsin researcher points out that the public view on algal bloom seasonality needs to change as scum formations continue to form earlier, hang around longer, and become more prominent throughout the Great Lakes region and the rest of the world. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-algal-blooms
Some of the people who worked to draft a binational agreement to protect the Great Lakes gathered at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan in December to mark the 15th anniversary of the approval of the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact which governs how the states manage the Great Lakes basin’s water supply. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-water-compact
Researchers from Central Michigan University surveyed native mussels in the upper reaches of the Tittabawassee River watershed in mid-Michigan and found declines in populations since the last survey performed in the region 40 years ago. Read the full story by The Morning Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-mussel-survey
Two townships on Beaver Island, Michigan, Lake Michigan’s largest island, are exploring the feasibility of building solar power generation to provide electricity for the island’s roughly 600 year-round residents and the thousands who visit during the summer tourism season. The overall goals are better energy security and to transition away from fossil fuels. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-island-solar
Released into the wild, the humble goldfish can grow to a monstrous size and destroy habitats for native species. Canadian researchers are tracking the fish, so that they might be culled. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231211-giant-goldfish
A newly discovered chemical compound, petromyzonol tetrasolfate – also known as 3sPZS, makes it difficult for invasive sea lamprey to find their breeding grounds and may be a new tool in the toolbox for controlling a parasite that threatens Great Lakes fish. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231127-lamprey-control
Researchers at the University of Waterloo urge for the reduction of road salt applied during the winter months to reduce impacts of salinization on Ontario’s groundwater and lakes. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231127-ontario-salt
There has been an increased push in recent years to integrate Indigenous Nations’ ancestral knowledge and western science to find better ways to understand and manage the land. Read the full story by USA Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231127-tribes-knowledge
