The Lake Huron grasshopper is considered a threatened species and can only be found in a handful of locations, including along the beaches of Tiny Township, Ontario. The public has until May 4 to comment on a possible recovery strategy for the insect. Read the full story by Simcoe.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-grasshopper
Wolves on Isle Royale, a remote island in Lake Superior, appear to be thriving, but they’re making deep dents in the moose population that they rely on as a leading food source. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-isle-royale
The S.S. City of Milwaukee near Manistee, Michigan, is a historic car ferry that moonlights as a haunted attraction every fall. But some people want to know, are there real ghosts onboard? Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260427-ghost-boat
A $1.15 billion project is designed to keep invasive carp species out of the Great Lakes. Federal officials want to move management of the project to Michigan. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-brandon-road
A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday for almost all of Michigan and residents remain advised to prepare for evacuation. Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited Cheboygan, Michigan Thursday, stating, “We are in crisis mode.” Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-michigan-floods
Records show that local, state, and federal officials were aware of the dangers posed by the dam in Cheboygan, Michigan, for years before floodwaters pushed it to the brink of collapse. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-cheboygan-dam
Rain forecasts for parts of Ontario and Quebec are heightening the sense of urgency for residents with flood-prone properties, as communities deal with washouts and closed bridges and help people prepare by opening sandbag-filling stations. Read the full story by the Canadian Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-canada-floods
A U.S. Senate resolution would allow mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, prompting the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to condemn the move as a threat to tribal rights and water quality. Read the full story by WTIP – Grand Marais, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-mining-ban
An emergency training facility in Duluth, Minnesota, used by local fire departments, Lake Superior College students, and agencies from out of state is facing an expensive environmental challenge: millions of dollars could be needed to clean up contamination from PFAS. Read the full story by Northern News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-duluth-pfas
Shipping on the Great Lakes got underway in earnest at the end of March. Green Bay, Wisconsin, handled about 1.6 million tons of cargo last year, down about 6% from the previous season. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-wisconsin-shipping
The Great Lakes are often described as a climate haven, making the region appealing to people seeking stability. But are climate migrants already arriving? And how protected are the Great Lakes, really? Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-climate-migrants
Massive cargo ships move through the Great Lakes every day, carrying the goods that help keep Michigan’s economy running. When crews need vital supplies or packages from home, a small team on the Detroit River is often the one that answers the call. Read the full story by WSMH-TV – Flint, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-floating-post
The 665-foot Viking Polaris will launch the season, which will continue through October, when it docks on Monday, April 20 in Detroit. Polaris ties for the largest cruise ship on the Great Lakes with its twin, the Viking Octantis. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-cruise-ships
Heavy rain combined with the warm air this month has melted nearly all of the ice on the Great Lakes, but a few spots remain icy. Great Lakes ice cover stood at just 4.07% on Friday, April 17. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260420-remaining-ice
Prime Minister Mark Carney broke ground on Thursday on a long-planned port expansion near Montreal, making it the first so-called nation-building project fast-tracked for approval by the Canadian federal government to get off the ground. Read the full story by The Canadian Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-montreal-port
About 300 people drowned in the Lady Elgin disaster. The shipwreck had a major influence on maritime safety in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WBEZ – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-lady-elgin
Local and state officials are closely monitoring water levels at and around the Cheboygan Dam near Cheboygan, Michigan, after recent weather events. Water at the dam measured 21.5 inches below the top on Wednesday, and officials say safety plans are in place if levels continue to rise. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-cheboygan-dam
A recent study surveyed community perspectives on challenges and opportunities that freshwater ecosystems present among U.S. and Canadian residents along the St. Marys River. Two-thirds of participants were not familiar with the term “blue economy,” suggesting a need for greater community engagement. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-community-study
British TikToker Jason Riley’s first impression of the Michigan was how large and ferocious the Great Lakes really are. The social media influencer sat down with Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer after announcing he and his content creator partner will return to Michigan for a summer adventure. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-british-tiktokers
The Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort reported three sightings of tagged male plovers on April 8. One male was nesting along Green Bay in Wisconsin, and two plovers were seen at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-plovers-return
Bruce Power in Tiverton, Ontario, is one of the largest nuclear generating stations in the world, and the warm water created as part of its operation creates a perfect environment for a diverse gathering of Lake Huron fish species. A live stream of the ‘fish city’ will take place on April 22. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-fish-city
The City of Toledo, Ohio, is investing in both recreation and environmental protection with a $1.4 million project aimed at reducing flooding and improving water quality. Construction is underway as part of a broader effort to restore natural water flow, limit runoff, and create new wildlife habitat. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-detwilier-park
A historian traces how water and rail fueled the rise and rivalry of the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, with highways and new shipping patterns later shifting that balance. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-twin-ports
Last week, the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority welcomed 80 students to Wasaga Beach, Ontario, for the Lake Huron Student Conference. At the conference, students explored how Lake Huron shapes local communities and gained practical knowledge about how they can contribute to the stewardship of this globally significant freshwater ecosystem. Read the full story by the Meaford Independent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-lake-learning
The Fish Hatchery at Powder Mills Park in Pittsford, New York, released thousands of Atlantic salmon into Irondequoit Creek this week as part of an effort to restore the species to its native waters. Most salmon migrate to Lake Ontario within a year of release, typically in the spring. Read the full story by the Democrat and Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-salmon-release
Aboard the S.S. City of Milwaukee, docked in Manistee, Michigan, you can combine maritime history, gorgeous views and an overnight stay reminiscent of a bygone era. The 360-foot retired Great Lakes car ferry is a museum and a “boatel” all in one. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260410-boatel
Invasive carp, weighing up to 100 pounds and eating 10% of their weight in algae every day, could pose an existential threat to the Great Lakes. A multi‑layered barrier project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam has been stalled after the Trump administration paused the funds, leading state leaders to press for its release. Read the full story by USA Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-invasive-carp
After decades of delays, the vision for the Port of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, gets government attention and this time city officials say the timing is right for the project, and to help diversify the Sault’s economy. Read the full story by The Sault Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-sault-shipping
The ambitious plans of artificial intelligence data centers are raising concerns about the long-term health of the Great Lakes region’s critical natural resource: abundant fresh water. Read the full story by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-ai-water
Increased consumption is depleting water sources in the Great Lakes region, most notably groundwater. Consumption keeps climbing and the depletion is raising concerns for residents, water experts, and lawmakers. Read the full story by Crain’s Detroit Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-groundwater-protections
Despite the abundance of water in the Great Lakes, this region is not immune to drought, flooding, or threats to water quality and water quantity. Water security is about mitigating the risks to water quality and quantity to maintain vibrant economies, and social, cultural, and ecological integrity. Read the full story by Crain’s Detroit Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-water-security
The boiler from the 1914 shipwrecked Silver Spray remains just offshore of Chicago in the Morgan Shoal, the ancient shallow bedrock in Lake Michigan. Chicago residents and advocates fear an Army Corps erosion plan to protect the lakefront could harm this rare natural refuge. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-morgan-shoal
Officials in Avon Lake, Ohio, will soon take the next step in redeveloping the former power plant site along Lake Erie into a public park and mixed-use district that could eventually include restaurants, housing, marinas and hotels. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-avon-redevelopment
This year a very thin ice bridge formed on Lake Superior between Michigan’s remote Isle Royale and the mainland, but the Isle Royale wolf and moose study, now entering its 68th year, detected no wolf movement across the ice. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-isle-royale-wolves
A visionary plan for how Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay might look years from now was generally well-received by residents. But those who attended the plan’s rollout also had a lot of concerns about how access would be maintained for boaters if the Sandusky Bay Initiative’s most ambitious project is built. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-sandusky-bay
St. Louis County, Minnesota, is asking for state funding to beef up the Lake Superior shoreline at Scandia Cemetery, where erosion has revealed human remains. Read the full story by The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260323-cemetery-erosion
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin want President Donald Trump to put money where his mouth is on a massive project to help stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes — a project the Trump administration paused in December. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-brandon-road
In December 2025, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board approved to reduce commercial fishing quotas for whitefish in Lake Michigan by 40% in response to a dramatic population decline. Those quotas went into effect at the beginning of this year. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-whitefish-quota
From the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, to PFAS contamination and pipeline threats to Michigan waterways, three profiles in honor of Women’s History Month highlight women leading the fight for clean water and environmental justice across Michigan. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-ej-women
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has intervened in Consumers Energy’s plan to sell its suite of 13 hydroelectric dams to a Maryland private equity firm. It’s the first time the department has gotten involved in a case before Michigan’s energy regulators, who will rule on the sale. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-dnr-dams
Scientists and engineers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, and other organizations are tracking an autonomous underwater vehicle beneath the ice in Lake Erie as part of a research project to better understand the lake’s ecosystems. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-erie-auv
A $5.75 million federal grant has been awarded to the Lake Forest Open Lands Association to support a preservation project along 57 unique ravine systems stretching 22 miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Illinois. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-ravine-preservation
As the S.S. Badger car and passenger ferry gears up for its 2026 season, its chief engineer of 24 years is retiring. He lived on board for seven months of the year, crossing Lake Michigan from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Ludington, Michigan, more than 400 times each season. Read the full story by the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-badger-retirement
A man survived after being swept into Lake Michigan by waves while on a closed pier in South Haven, Michigan, last Friday. The life ring used in the rescue came from stations installed in 2023 as part of the city’s ongoing beach safety program. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-pier-rescue
Scaffolding will soon surround Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, Minnesota, as a three‑month restoration begins to repair damaged brick and mortar. The project will also help prevent future cracking by controlling humidity inside the lighthouse. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-lighthouse-restoration
A Lake Michigan shipwreck off Door County, Wisconsin, that was missing for almost 140 years until found in June 2025, was named to the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260316-historic-shipwreck
A key permit from state energy regulators approving Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project sat before the Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday as the justices heard two cases arguing the permit should be sent back to the Michigan Public Service Commission for further review. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260313-line-5
A long and complicated court battle over how best to protect western Lake Erie from harmful algal blooms is able to proceed again. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, has upheld a decision to exclude a largely undefined group of industrial interests from being a party to the case. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260313-erie-court
The rapid build-out of AI data centers across the Great Lakes basin is reshaping rural communities, straining fragile ecosystems, and forcing states to rethink energy and water policies. New guides have been released to help residents and lawmakers navigate the rapidly expanding industry and the regulatory blind spots that have accompanied it. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260313-data-centers
Construction of a $23.4‑million water pipeline to the Oneida Nation of the Thames is set to begin after a London, Ontario, company won the federal contract. The project will extend the Lake Huron pipeline to the community’s boundary, providing clean drinking water. The Oneida Nation has been under a boil‑water advisory since September 2019. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260313-oneida-pipeline
